Green Thumb
Gardner’s Supply Trellis Supports
I grew up with a garden. My dad, in a labor of love, converted the green belt behind our house into a several acre garden with orchards, enclosed beds, beehives and compost. Playing in that garden are some of my fondest memories, and now that I have a nearly-three-year-old, I want to pay it forward. I don’t have three acres, so I realized that if I want to add my plant count, I’d have to go vertical.
I considered a few options: DIY, repurposing or new. The DIY and repurposing was something I had to concede because baby #2 is imminently on the way, and work keeps me busy enough as it is. So I decided my time was more valuable than the extra money was to spend on new. I searched to find something that would meet my use-case. That’s where Gardner’s Supply comes into the picture.
I found that they sold kits at not-so outlandish prices for trellises. I found an A-Frame trellis, and a Squash Support that both fit on my patio, and they looked sturdy enough to actually work. I considered wood options, like bamboo, but since I plan on submerging the supports in pots I didn’t want them to degrade over time. This will be my first year using the A-Frames (I purchased two) and the Squash Support.
So far I’ve been using Peas, Pole Beans and Cucumbers to test on the A-Frames, and I’ve got a Cantaloupe and two Butternut Squash on the Squash Trellis. They’re very sturdy for being a bunch of sections of coated steel pipes secured by clips. We’ve had a few (California) winter storms (in spring nonetheless) that didn’t phase them. Here’s to hoping!
Grassroots Living Soil Pots with Tomato Supports
This is my second season using the Grassroots Living Soil Fabric Pots. Last year I purchased a few to grow Tomatoes, Herbs, and Flowers in. I cannot praise the quality, durability and design of them. They really work! The nifty part about the ones I’ve linked is that the bottom of the pots aren’t lined with a water sealant coating (the white material seen above), and it really makes them drain well. I had absolutely zero issues with root rot last year because of how well the pots drain.
I purchased a few dozen more of the fabric pots for this year. Last time I counted I think I was nearing 40 pots!
Last year I found the Next Level Gardening YouTube channel when I was exploring my planting options. He turned me on to the idea of fabric pots as well as the tomato staking system you can see in the above picture. The supports are the standard steel supports you can get at any big box hardware store. The nifty idea he came up with was to invert one, bury it in the soil when you first plant your tomatoes, and to support a second support right-side-up. It worked really well last year, and my indeterminate tomatoes didn’t have any support issues until late summer when they grew 7+ feet tall.
Next Level Gardening also introduced me to the Neptune’s Harvest Crab and Lobster Shell mix, and the Neptune’s Harvest Kelp Meal. When I planted everything last year, I used about a hand-sized-scoop of both per 5 gallon pot, erring on a little more as the pots got bigger. When I emptied out my soil at the end of the year, I was amazed at how my plants broke down everything. It was impressive to see!
When I planted my ~20 pots last year, I’d used up about 1/4 of both. When I planted ~40 pots this year, I’d used up to about 3/4 of both. So you can estimate that a 12 gallon bucket could last you a few years, or just one year, depending on your garden size.
Finally, Next Level Gardening suggested Neptune’s Harvest Rose & Flowering fertilizer, and the Tomato & Veg fertilizer. I used them periodically - about once every two weeks - after my plants really established. The idea is you use the Rose & Flowering formula when your plants are still in the growth stages, and then you transition to the Tomato & Veg formula when they’re fruiting.
I’ve hardly gone through these one gallon containers at all, so I think they could last many years if shelved properly.
~~~
So that’s all for now. It’s just ramping up into the growing season, and at the time of posting this my plants have appreciated the warmer weather, longer days and spring rain. I hope they produce well this year for my son to enjoy!
