Help a newbie gardener

[saving-n-va]

For YEARS I swore I had a brown thumb. Then we moved to VA (lived in FLA) and I have actually managed to keep 3 plants alive!

I want to try my hand at container gardening of some sort. We rent, so I can't put in a garden and besides our little yard is only about 10x10. And actually I don't know what's in that little back yard, we rented the place this week, and its still covered with about 1 foot or more of snow. LOL.

I think I'm in zone 7B (northern VA).

Anyone have a container garden (veggies/fruit) that can give a beginner some tips, advice?? Types of containers? (on a budget of course). Do those hanging tomato things work?

I expect lots of failures...I have no lofty illusions of bushels and bushels of produce yet. I'd like to try bush beans, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries would be nice, herbs, a few peppers. I have some seeds already, I'll use them to "play with" and see what I can do.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Amalgamate]

My cousin used the upside-down containers for tomatoes and cucumbers, and she said they worked great. The only problem was the wind got ahold of the cucumber plant once and spun it around so it was nice and twisted.
I'm in Zone 7b...I'd recommend planting the lettuce rather soon, as it doesn't like too hot of weather. Also go ahead and start your pepper plants in doors this month. They take quite awhile to grow.
I don't use containers, but I was reading recently about using white containers or painting them white so the soil would not get too hot for the roots.
Good luck and I hope they all produce!

[mom2lucas]

I had a container garden when we lived in an apartment. I'm in Northeast Tennessee, so I think we're in a similar zone. I agree with using white containers or painting them white. It seemed like my tomatoes did better in lighter colored containers. Banana peppers also did well in containers.

[saving-n-va]

Thanks! I'll have to look for white containers.

Do you think I can start lettuce in some cups in the window here? Would they transplant well? I am planning on buying pepper plants at the nursery once we move and the cold weather passes. We are still below freezing at nigh here.

Keep up the advice, I need all of it I can get.

[VivaciousJewelz]

I don't have anything useful to add, as I'll be a newbie gardener this year too. I've planted before, but it's been several years, so it's like I'm a newbie again.

[Britt5116]

I dont have advice either but I wanted to add that Ill be a Newbie too!! At least we can support each other in our gardening endeavors (sp?)

[Kristen.C]

I've done container gardening over the past few years just to the north of you in MD. For me, herbs, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash are what grew the best/gave us the most yield. I used big plastic planters from either Lowe's or Home Depot. I don't remember how much they cost but they weren't very expensive at all. Probably the biggest expense for us was buying the soil to fill the containers. Make sure you get good soil or at least add compost to your garden soil. The first year we used cheap garden soil and the plants didn't thrive at all.

This is a picture of our setup from last year that shows the containers we used. The smaller round container has pole beans since they didn't need much root space: http://kikiverde.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/garden.jpg

ETA the smallest containers to the other side of the patio had various herbs, strawberries, and individual heads of lettuce/cabbage.

[Shadowchasy]

We already have our pepper plants planted. We bought the little started cups and seeds, then when they came up I bought bigger pots and replanted them with potting soil that feeds. They are doing good.
I will start planting more in the next few weeks after we get back from vacation

[saving-n-va]

So glad that there are other newbies on here. YES! We should start a support group. LOL Or a support thread??? I guess. :shrug7:

Well if this blasted snow would stop coming we could all find our ground and get busy planting.

Does anyone know, can I start seeds inside without a special set up? I have a floor to ceiling window that gets the morning sun for several hours, would that be enough light? We won't be moving until April and I don't know if that will be too late. I guess I could start a few and see what happens.

I picked up a container gardening book last year that is really helpful. It says to use potting mix not potting soil in containers. Would I still need to add compost/manure to the container too?

[VivaciousJewelz]

I've heard you can even start seedlings in egg cartons (empty ones, obviously). I don't know how true that is or how long you can keep them in there before they need to be transplanted.