Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 135
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 134700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 135 6/5/17 3:01 PMSTEP 4 Once each hole has been punched, put one end
of a^1 ⁄ 4 -in. double-barbed connector into each of the
holes. Measure and cut a piece of^1 ⁄ 4 -in. black micro
poly tubing to reach from each barbed connector to the
container, allowing a little slack in each line. Slide one
end of the micro poly tubing down over the exposed end
of the double-barbed connector.STEP 5 Attach a dripper stake with basket or a mini in-
line dripper to the other end of each micro poly tubing
by pushing the tubing down over the nipple. Insert the
dripper stake with basket into the container’s soil; or,
if you’re using mini in-line drippers instead, lay the end
of the in-line dripper on top of the soil.STEP 6 Test your system by connecting it to a hose and
turning the faucet on. Depending on the type of dripper
stakes you used, you may be able to control the flow
of water coming out of them by twisting the top of the
basket. Check the system carefully for leaks and repair
any you happen to find.STEP 7 If you’d like, connect a programmable timer
to the spigot to control when and how much water is
supplied. How long it will take to fully irrigate your
pots depends on your water pressure and how many
containers are being watered on the same line. Run a
test from time to time to determine how long the timer
needs to run before the containers are fully watered.STEP 8 To see your new irrigation system safely
through the winter, disconnect it from the spigot
before freezing temperatures arrive. Drain the system
completely, then lift it out of the garden and overwinter
it in a garage or shed. Or, if you want to leave it in
place, use an air compressor to blow air through all
the lines to make sure there’s no moisture remaining
in them.TIP: To use this DIY system in conjunction with a rain
barrel, hook it up to a small, submersible pond pump
(a 250- or 400-gallons-per-hour pump should work
just fine). Submerge the pump into the rain barrel and
plug it in. The pump will draw water out of the barrel
and send it down the irrigation tubing to water the
pots. If you need to move the water uphill, you’ll need
a more powerful pump.134Text Black4 5 6
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
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FERTILIZING
Garden centers and nurseries are beautiful places,
but they can also be very confusing. Endless
shelves and end caps overflowing with fertilizer
choices are enough to make your head spin.
By definition, a plant fertilizer is either a
synthetic chemical or a natural material added to
the soil or growing media to increase its fertility
and aid in plant growth. Your mother may have
drenched her potted plants with a water-soluble
chemical fertilizer every week, but there’s been
a major shift in thinking over the past decade.
We’ve moved away from the idea of “feeding the
plants” and toward the idea of “feeding the soil.”When you use naturally derived fertilizers,
your plants are provided with a much more
balanced nutrient source—one that provides
mineral nutrition for growing plants by feeding
the soil’s living organisms. These microscopic
organisms (most of which are fungi and bacteria)
process these fertilizers, breaking them down
into the nutrients plants use to grow. In addition,
many of these microbes live in a mutually
beneficial relationship with the roots of plants,
providing the plants with certain mineral
nutrients in exchange for small amounts of
carbohydrates. When we feed the soil, our plants
reap the benefits.Gorgeous container plants are the result of encouraging healthy, biologically active soil through
the addition of compost to the planting mix and feeding with natural fertilizers.Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete#175 Dtp: 229 Page: 134 (^) Text Black Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete #175 Dtp: 229 Page: 135
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