Southern California Container Gardening

After light, the next important ingredient for growing a balcony container garden is water.

Ask NASA, when they’re searching for life, they are searching for water.

The tricky part about a container garden is that we’ve restricted the plant’s roots by placing them within the confines of plastic (my favorite), wood, or otherwise, so that they can no longer “branch out” to find water on their own when they have to. That means its up to you to give them the water when they need it!

Oh, and not too much, cause see, the leading cause of death among container plantings is probably too much water, not too little. (The best way too prevent this is drainage… more later when I talk about soil and planters.)

But wait, it should be easy to tell when I’ve given too much or too little water, right? Well, um, no. Often the exact same physical symptoms can reflect either too much or too little. Yellowing of the leaves is a common one you all must have faced… This is both symptomatic of too much and too little water.

And so there are wive’s tales (that work). Drop your thumb, up to the knuckle, into the soil… Does it feel wet? (Don’t water). Dry? Then water.

You may also use one of those moisture meters available everywhere. They often go from dry to wet on a scale of 1-10. A consistent 5 is a winner, but whenever you water, it will will likely temporarily be a 10.

When watering dried potting soils, it is necessary to understand that Peat mixes, the most common form of potting soils, are like a dried out sponge when left without liquid. I can spray my dried out kitchen sponge with a full blast of water from my kitchen sprayer thingy and the water will just bounce off. Then later, if I do it again, less will be bounced off, and importantly, more will be absorbed. The exact same thing is true with potting mixes.

Often the literature on the web says to water your pot until water flows out of the bottom (you did include drainage, right?) But, if your soil is like a dried out sponge, than at first it won’t absorb anything, and water will quickly flow along the edges of the pot and out into the yard, or patio, or whatever, giving you the impression that you have watered enough.

But, If water comes out too fast, take a break, come back, and then add a little more. You probably have a dried out sponge.  Give it some time and then approach again… water should flow at a decreased rate, indicating the potting mix is ready to absorb again.

Finally, lift the pot, does its weight indicate that it is significantly hydrated?  If there is some heft, relative to its size, then the soil is adequately moist. Proper drainage (more on that later) will insure you from watering too much.

It is hopeless to try to grow a balcony garden with significant yields of your favorite vegetables without first understanding that their environment is the most important influence. You need light. Sure, you can grow herbs and greens in areas that receive speckled sunlight, even some greats such as onions and garlic can frolic without full sun. Still however, the first, and primary ingredient towards growing your bounty, is your light. Some pages say you require 6-8 hours of Direct Sunlight. In my opinion, you can get by with 5 or 6, but I still enjoy significant yields in areas that receive less.

Now, a little about direction. In the northern hemisphere, the best exposure to sunlight occurs when the plant has a southern facing. This is because the sun rises in the southeast, and sets in the southwest. All the time, the south is blazing.

The best way to determine where your plants should sit, is to watch the sky and the sun. At various times of the day, you should walk out to where you want to place your garden, and look to which spots receive the most light. Place the most intense sun loving vegetables in the most sun exposed spots. In my experience, tomatoes, watermelon, and corn get the most value from these spots.

You have to understand you’re particular growing environment to understand how and when to plant. Its what stonehenge  is about… Its all about understanding the sun and its position relative to your crops. Spend a day on your balcony, or yard, and watch the light.