Grow High-Rise Vegetables or the "Box within a Box Idea"

Grow high-rise carrots or other long root vegetables, or the "box within a box" idea. Almost all vegetables will grow happily in about 8" depth of soil (almost all: not big tomato plants, etc.). You do not want to increase work or to use more growing medium (soil-less mix, potting soil, etc.) than you must. Weight is sometimes an issue for container gardeners too (think of roof-top gardens). Most container gardeners probably are content to grow the shorter varieties of carrots (I know I am) - the round ones, such as Parisian Market Carrots, or the short stubby ones. But suppose you really, really want to grow a few long carrots: or a few parsnips, or something else with really long roots. No problem: use the high-rise idea. Put a (smaller) wooden box about one foot deep *on top of* the soil in your (larger) container. Fill the box with soil. Plant your long-rooted plants in the box. Or, if you are carpentry-challenged like me, cut the bottom out of a plastic plant pot or dishpan, and use that as the high-rise "box". I am indebted to Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening website for this idea.. There are many good ideas, both here and in Bartholomew's book Square Foot Gardening, that are easily converted to container gardening.

Use Sunflower Stalks for Bean Poles

"I've had great success with planting a tub of pole beans (Trail of Tears, a purple one) and one of sunflowers. Stand them next to each other and the beans grow up the sunflower (guide it over at the start) - very strong even in windy Yorkshire and very pretty. Also I cut and store the sunflower stalks and they make good bean poles the following year." - Tip sent by Wendy, East Yorkshire, UK.
Here's a variation of this idea, written in 1911:
"If you find it difficult to procure good bean poles, spend a few cents for sunflower seed, start them early in the season, and transplant when a foot or more high to the bean hills - or rather where the bean hills are to be - sowing the beans around the sunflowers. This, in one case at least, solved the problem admirably, with apparently no effect on the quality or yield of the beans. All that was necessary was to strip off the lower leaves of the sunflower stalk, that light and air might reach the bean vines." E. L. D. Seymour, Garden Profits, 1911, quoted in 1001 Old-Time Garden Tips

Use Milk Jugs as Mini-Greenhouses or as Plant Pots

If you buy milk in plastic gallon jugs, you might like to save some of them. I have two uses for them in the spring: one is to be mini-greenhouses set over plants I transplant out when it's still cool. They can also protect plants from sun and wind when they are first transplanted outdoors. You are supposed to "harden off" the little plants by taking them outdoors in increasing amounts of time for a few days, but this is something that just does not seem to take place here: I find it a terrible nuisance. So, instead, I protect my plants when they are first set outdoors. When the weather is still cool, a milk jug greenhouse is fine protection for them.

I also use milk jugs as plant pots in spring, when plants have outgrown both their little 6-packs and 4" pots, but it's still too cold to set them out (we have cool springs here and very late frosts sometimes). You can see how this works from the picture. I cut slits in the bottom for drainage, of course. It's easy to plant the little plants into the milk jug, but after they have grown you'd really beat them up if you tried to take them out through the top. So I just take a pair of scissors and cut the milk jug open (starting at the bottom). It falls apart and I can then easily transplant the plant and discard the milk jug.

Quickly and Evenly Space Seeds and Transplants

You can quickly and evenly space your seeds (when planting directly outdoors) or your transplants by using glass or plastic bottles: stamp the bottom of the bottle lightly into the loosened potting soil: then put your seeds or transplants in the center of each indentation. Different size bottles will allow for different plant spacings.

Keep Cut Flowers in Good Condition Longer

You can keep cut flowers in good condition considerably longer by using the following "cut flower food": Use one part lemon-lime soda (7-Up, Sprite, etc.) and one part lukewarm water. Add a teaspoon of chlorine-type bleach to this. Before putting the flowers into this solution in their vase, hold the flowers under water and re-cut their stems. Then use your "cut flower food" instead of water in the vase.