April, week 3 in The Simple Home
By now you have probably had enough time to think about what you want to plant and where it will grow and hopefully you've gathered a few containers and some growing mix. Depending on what you're hoping to grow, you might also have a trellis or bamboo and string and you might have thought about fertiliser and a few tools. I hope you find second hand items and can keep your setup costs as low as possible because gardening can become expensive and it doesn't have to be.
Containers and potting mix
Types of containers
Look around your home, garden and garage, as well as your local recycle centre, to
see if you have any suitable containers. Most of them need to be big. If you restrict the root growth of what you’re growing, it will also restrict
your crops, so large containers are better than small ones. Of course you can grow a few herbs in small containers, or plant then around the edge of larger containers. Look for old rubber tubs, an old slightly rusty wheelbarrow, boxes made from untreated
wood, polystyrene troughs or metal containers. Most of the recycled containers
won’t last a long time because they’ll be sitting in the sun all year long. But
that doesn’t matter. You can change containers when you change seasons and
start planting again. Keep that in mind and as you go through the year keep an open eye for follow-up containers. And if you have any good ideas for containers that you're using at home, share them with us here.