Gardening question

[RockyBalboa]

I've never grown anything before, I'm doing this just for fun. I have two large clay pots I want to put some lettuce and tomatoes in. Can I just use regular soil? Do I buy it? I keep seeing something called Peat. And other organic soil treatments. Plus all this compost and Miracle Gro stuff.


Can I just buy a bag of soil and plant, or is it more complicated than that?

 

[Brak]

Yes, you can just put soil into a pot and plant. But you would be better off using "potting soil". Also you are a little late for tomatoes and lettuce. You might find some tomato plants in a nursery that already are setting fruit but anything smaller probably won't set fruit because it will be too warm in another month.

Potted plants need more water than those planted in the ground. You also need to make sure you get a big enough pot. Tomato plants get pretty big. They also need to be fertilized. You should talk to someone at a nursery (not Home Depot) to get set up right.

The advantage that potted plants have is that you can get them started earlier in the spring because you can protect them from the cold. If you had done this you would already been eating tomatoes. You can plant fall tomatoes in August. Good luck.

 

[RockyBalboa]

Hmm, is there anything I could plant right now?

 

[digitalhorn]

Rocky,

You in Texas? Travis County?

 

[RockyBalboa]

Yes, Austin.

 

[The Bandit]

You might ok with tomatoes, but not lettuce.

I'd suggest cucumbers, eggplant, peppers or squash.

I'd put 4-6 cucumber plants in the pot. Their vines would spread well outside the pot, but you'd get a lot of cukes to eat.

 

[AustinTejasFan]

My container "garden" currently includes squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, pole beans, and various herbs.

I use a mix of potting soil, peat moss and top soil. Water well with good drainage, feed regularly and get plenty of direct sun.

 

[digitalhorn]

Rocky,

Here's a helpful link on what to plant and when.

Travis County Planting Calendar

 

[Mrmyke709]

Not too late for tomatoes.They do very nicely in containers.

 

[brntorng]

Saw some tomato plants in large pots at Lowe's today with fruit on the vine. Definitely one of the most productive choices for container grown veggies. Just make sure they get full sun for most of the day, avoiding direct western exposure if possible, and water daily. Make sure the pot (a 5 gallon bucket is a cheap solution) has a drain hole so the soil doesn't get waterlogged. Also, consult the Travis County Extension's list of preferred varieties for our area. Just because they're sold at the nursery doesn't mean they're recommended for central Texas.