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1.
Considering Creative Containers Think
about drainage and porosity when you choose containers.
For plants to have healthy roots, soil needs to drain well. If
a container lacks holes or other methods for drainage, water can
build up and roots can smother. On the other hand, if a container
dries out too quickly, plants can suffer. Because porous materials,
such as unglazed terra-cotta and wood, dry out faster than materials
like plastic, they have to be watered more often, but they have
the advantage of keeping plants from getting waterlogged. (Large
containers of either type retain moisture better than smaller
ones.) The materials you choose may depend on your climate, the
plants you're growing, and your willingness to water.
Here
are some points to ponder as you plan:
Think small. When perusing seed racks, packets, and catalogs, have your young detectives identify words and phrases that fit the small-space bill: compact, bush (especially with squash varieties), for containers, tiny, dwarf, and so on. Consider climate. Make sure to pay attention to planting dates based on your climate and frost-free period as you would with any outdoor garden. The benefit of containers is that you can move them in or under cover if frost or cold temperatures threaten (assuming they're not too heavy). Select
for sunlight.
Choose plants according to the amount of sun available in
your prospective container garden location. Most vegetable
and herb plants you're likely to grow need at least six hours
of sunlight each day. Leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage,
and lettuce can tolerate a bit more shade; flowers vary. Check
catalogs, seed packets, and the chart
below for sunlight requirements. (If students experiment by
moving containers to maximize their daily sunlight, they'll
also learn something about the relationship between the Earth
and the sun!)
 Consider
companions.
Plan to
put plants with similar needs (e.g.,
sun, shade, water, or fertilizer) in a given container. You
might also grow deep-rooted plants with shallow-rooted ones
because the combination will make better use of nutrients
and water.Think about going vertical! Some schools, particularly those in urban areas, have saved space and created delightful nooks by growing container plants vertically. Consider creating garden vessels for vining plants such as pole beans, cucumbers, gourds, morning glory, clematis, sweet potato vine, star jasmine, or passion flower. Challenge students to create a trellis or supports and to figure out how to keep an upright plant jungle well-watered and fed. Do they notice any patterns in how plants climb or how tendrils function? Can they coax the plants to change direction?
Delve
into design. If you want to introduce an artistic dimension
to your container project, have
students think about the shapes, textures, and colors of potential container
plants and flowers. Do they envision a riot of color or soft, calming
hues? Some plants, like snapdragons are tall and spiky; others, like
impatiens, form round mounds; and plants like lobelia are long and trailing.
Coleus have striking foliage. Students might want a blend of plants
with complementary (or contrasting) qualities. Or, they might keep it
to just a couple of compelling companions: tall pole beans surrounded
by cascading nasturtiums, for instance. Older students can conduct research
on garden design to learn about basic principles before tackling their
own creations.
The
chart below features information on varieties,
container size, spacing, and light requirements for container-grown
vegetables, flowers, and herbs. If
you have a container that won't hold onto soil or water well,
such as a woven basket or old boot with holey soles, you can line
it with thick plastic, bubble pack (used for shipping), or a plastic
milk jug or soda bottle, and punch drainage holes in the lining
with a nail or pencil. Wire hanging baskets lined with sphagnum
moss retain moisture, but also enable water to naturally drain. Note: If you're using containers that have previously been used to grow plants or had unusual substances in them, clean them with an environmentally friendly disinfectant or soak them in a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts warm water before planting.
Feed
'em and reap.
Don't be misled by that phrase. Plants actually produce their
own In the heat of the summer, your students may want to experiment with these other tricks (or invent their own) to conserve moisture and keep the soil (and thus, the roots) cool. Consider the following:
Surely, your
young scientists will devise other means of keeping precious container
plants cool, well-watered, and otherwise content. Consider challenging
them to design a system for ensuring that plants have enough water
to manage through long weekends. They might, for instance, run a
cotton wick (such as a mop strand) from a water-filled container
up through the bottom holes in a pot, just beneath the roots.
Special Container Projects (next page) >>
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Contents
Pg. 1: Container Gardens Considering
Creative Preparing
Pots and Plants
for Container Gardens Creative
Container Container
Gardening Tools Growing
Classroom Herbs Making
a Water Garden Container
Tomatoes  Garden
Mosaics filled
with actual school garden plans, stories of how students participated
in the design process, how-to
information, and resources. You'll find details in our Gardening
with Kids Store.
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The
larger the container, the larger the plant (or number of plants)
you can grow to maturity. Take vessels for veggies. A half
barrel planter can accommodate large tomatoes, squash, or eggplant,
with room to spare for small crops such as carrots or lettuce.
Five-gallon containers are fine for dwarf tomatoes, peppers, beans,
and other vegetables and herbs. You can raise a mini salad or
herb garden in an 18-inch (diameter) pot. Soil depth is also important.
Deep-rooted plants like tomatoes need at least 12 inches of soil,
but radishes can get by with as little as 4 inches. Windowboxes
should be at least 9 inches deep. (See the 
food
through photosynthesis. However, you'll need to provide mineral
nutrients via a water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks.
Some gardeners prefer to fertilize with a dilute solution every
other time they water. Others add a dry controlled-release fertilizer
at planting time and supplement it with liquid after a month or
so. Consider using organic
fertilizers such as compost or compost tea, fish emulsion, or
liquid seaweed.
Your keen observers may want to try some different fertilizers
and schedules, collect data, and try to explain their results.