|
|
|
Junior Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/4/2010 12:16:29 PM
Posts: 103,
Visits: 203
|
|
| I believe something like this was posted so if it the same please feel free to remove it. I would love to know what can be put in containers together. Can I start them now or should I wait until spring. Also Could someone please tell me other than apple trees what trees can I plant in containers. I will have a cold winter where I will most likely be hiding indoors, I am hoping to do winter (or at least) indoor gardening. Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 2:02:25 PM
Posts: 1,074,
Visits: 1,111
|
|
| How cold do you get? When is your first freeze? blueberries and small citrus trees. We put a tomatoes bush in the middle and then have pole beans around it. When we had roses I painted we used the empty molelases buckets that the cows ate out of they also made good worm buckets, too.
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/4/2010 12:16:29 PM
Posts: 103,
Visits: 203
|
|
| We have already had several frosts, it will be around -20 to -30 during the coldest times, with alot of snow.
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 2:02:25 PM
Posts: 1,074,
Visits: 1,111
|
|
| I would wait then. We live down south and the coldest we get is 19 degrees on a clear night for 3 or 4 hrs.
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/12/2010 5:11:55 PM
Posts: 240,
Visits: 225
|
|
I can tell you pretty much all you want to know if you can tell me where you are located. I've grown a multitude of plants indoor and out in USA zone 5A. Let's start by you telling where you are and what you want to grow.
It's easy from that point on.
Terry
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/4/2010 12:16:29 PM
Posts: 103,
Visits: 203
|
|
| I am in ontario canada, 2 hrs west of toronto. I am near a town called Springbrook.
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2/2/2010 8:26:59 AM
Posts: 25,
Visits: 25
|
|
| Wish I could help but I'm down south. We put citrus in pots and right now we are planting a whole lot of strawberries, in ground and potted.
|
|
|
|
|
Average Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 2:09:41 PM
Posts: 697,
Visits: 729
|
|
| I'm in Zone 4, west-central Wisconsin, so you are a lot farther north than I am. I have a sunroom and have had a potted lemon tree that produced lemons last year, but it died this year. Not sure why. This year, I am planting mustard greens in pots and will try growing them indoors - we'll see how it goes. My sunroom is not heated, so gets down to about 40 degrees in the coldest weather, so is not suitable for warm-loving plants. I wait until early April to start my tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, and I do supplement their light. If you do decide to try something this winter, you may want to start with salad greens and radishes, as they are easy to grow, if you can give them some extra light. I've found that under-cabinet fluorescent lamps work just fine for me, but the sunroom also has great southern exposure. Good luck and let us know how your experiments work out for you.
Karen
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/27/2010 12:19:46 PM
Posts: 18,
Visits: 87
|
|
About a month I ago I started some fruits and vegetables indoors for fresh produce during the winter. I got mini dwarf orange, tangerine, 3-N-1 citrus trees, and strawberries going for fruits. I took some tomato cuttings and have them going in big pots. I also started bush beans, the last cucumber seed, spinach, cantaloupe from seed.
Yesterday I received some seeds I ordered for dwarf zucchini, small cucumber, and strawberries (to replace the end of season freebie starts that didn't make it). I also started a pot of mixed leaf lettuce.
|
|
|
|
|
Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/12/2010 5:11:55 PM
Posts: 240,
Visits: 225
|
|
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. If you're near Toronto, then your hardiness zone is similar to mine in western, NY. So that means nothing outside in containers for the time being. But then, you mentioned you wanted to do an indoor garden for now.
First to address your question about trees in containers. Virtually any tree can be grown in a container as long as it gets the proper environment, nutrition and care. ( I grew bonsai trees of all kinds for almost thirty years with plenty of success). But it depends on what you want to end up with. If you want to grow trees indoors over winter, you will need to focus on tropical plants (orange, lemon, etc.). Northern trees can't be grow indoors (apples, pears, etc.) successfully because they all need a cold dormancy period in order to bear fruit. If you attempt to grow citrus indoors you'll want to make sure you get varieties that don't need pollination (although you can pollinate by hand if need be).
Container gardening indoors.
Well, I have to say next to growing plants in the ground, containers are the next best thing. I always need to have some growing things around me. Here are some suggestions and things you'll need.
1. Plenty of light. If your growing edible plants (including herbs) you will need a bright (sunny preferred) area or you can use supplemental light sources. Edible plants will not thrive in low light. (You can, though, find many ornamental indoor plants that do very well in low light if that is an option you want to consider. They can bring a lot of cheer during the cold winter months.
2. Your best bet is to start with herbs. Many grow easily from seed and you can often find starter plants at a local grocer or garden center. They do nicely on a sunny windowsill for some time although they may outgrow their space eventually. It's nice to have some fresh herbs on hand to liven up a recipe.
3. Growing fruiting plants (squash, beans, tomatoes, etc.) indoors in the north is not likely to be successful (unless you have a greenhouse). I imagine Lynn's efforts are for a warmer area where she can grow those things outdoors. You would need to provide full sun, high humidity and pollinatation in order to have healthy plants and harvest any fruit. If you have a cool room that does not freeze and has lots of light, greens (lettuce, spinach, etc) would be a good choice.
4. You can combine just about any plants together that you want depending on the size of your containers and the ultimate size of the plant. Keep in mind the different forms the plants will take so taller plants are in the middle and the smaller and cascading plants are near the perimeter. This is particuarly interesting when planting flowering containers for the summer. The most unusual combinations can be stunning.
5. If you're really determined to grow veggies indoors during the winter you can find several brands of "growing stations" on the internet. They are sort of like little environments for growing plants and most use hydroponics. They are though, depending on your financial state, somewhat pricey. Here's a sample http://www.aerogardenstore.com/promotion/index.php?promoName=catalog&pageName=compare_gardens&r=1
Now I just realized that I may have over answered and scared you away from trying. Please do try some things and let me know if you have questions. No matter what, having some plants growing inside is a great way to keep mother nature nearby while the outdoors are very uninviting.
Let us know how things progress.
|
|
|
|