I've come to the conclusion...

[Ricky Shaw]

I've come to the conclusion...

That I don't like growing squash and zuch in containers. Moreover, I don't even like to eat them much. They're spiny and difficult to water and drink ferts like there's no tomorrow, the feral cats of gardening.

[SharonRossy]

I've grown cucumbers in containers and they do really well and eggplants do better in containers than in ground.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by fonseca

Once my plants are in their final containers, they have all the fertilizer they are going to get. It doesn't wash out, it's all slow release organic meals that rely on the microbial population to become available to plants.

Primarily:
Crab shell meal
Kelp meal
Alfalfa meal
Supplemented with:
Neem seed meal
Fish meal
Fishbone meal

Not all of my containers make it through a full season without showing nutrient deficiencies, but the larger ones do. I do top dress with spent coffee and tea grounds, I guess that counts. it really encourages worm activity.

What types of containers are you using?

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

I've come to the conclusion...

That I don't like growing squash and zuch in containers. Moreover, I don't even like to eat them much. They're spiny and difficult to water and drink ferts like there's no tomorrow, the feral cats of gardening.

That's how I was with Eggplant; Grew great in containers even in my nematode infested raised bed, but other than EP Parmesan, I really didn't like eating it.
Now, for the once a year I make EP Parmesan, I buy the EP.

I also was going to try to grow zuch again and when I thought about it, I didn't like it that much.

[fonseca]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

What types of containers are you using?

Sub-irrigated:
2x 100G steel stock tanks
4x 27G tubs
10x 5G buckets

With drainage:
20x 10G growbags
10x 5G growbags
10x 5G buckets
10x 3G growbags
40x 1G nursery pots

Approximately. I'm thankful for the near daily thunderstorms over the past two weeks, because I'm tired of hand-watering. I have 2 27G tubs with cucumbers, and they start to droop even with daily watering. Need a compact/bush variety for next year.

I really want more stock tanks. I believe the reservoir holds ~14G, so even with 4 indeterminate tomato plants, I only have to water 1-2 times a week when it's in the 90s.

[Ricky Shaw]

I've come to the conclusion that I truly enjoy the time spent hand watering and pruning, and have abandoned the idea of an automated drip next year.

[Jetstar]

Ricky Shaw, I also enjoy watering my grow bag plants every day it gives me achance to examine each plants health & make sure if there is any insect problems I'm able to stop it quickly before they ruin the plant.

[Nematode]

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

I've come to the conclusion that I truly enjoy the time spent hand watering and pruning, and have abandoned the idea of an automated drip next year.

My drip is a few years old, and needs a make over.
Plugged emitters, emitters that drain when they shouldnt etc.