I have lived in Florida for about 13 years. I grew up in a dirt farming town in semi-rural Nebraska. So, it should come as no surprise that I was dismayed at not being able to just stick a plant in the ground, and watch it grow. Unfortunately, due to our soil situation, (we have no soil, only sand) no amount of amendments seem to support proper growth. Therefore, I am taking a different approach.
For several years, I have grown my plants hydroponically outdoors, to varying degrees of success. It is all relative to the winter, and winters have been hit or miss the last few years. Last year was extremely warm. This year is more "normal". But the hydroponic approach is too much maintenance. I'm lazy. I like doing things with my family. I like eating peppers and tomatoes, not babysitting them. (I expended all of my paternal instinct on real children)
I have devised a patio system that I think will meet my needs. But after doing all of my research, I'm still just taking an educated guess, because I have virtually ZERO experience with container gardening.
My plan:
Container - 20 Gallon SmartPots
Media - 5 parts coco coir, 4 parts perlite, 1 part worm castings, Excelerite (@ 1 Tbsp/gal of container size)
Watering: rainwater from a 55 gallon catch barrel, pumped to a "top up" tank, feeding to Blumat drippers
Feeding routine - 1X per week, feed a mix of Alaskan Fish Fertilzer, (5-1-1 @ a mix of 1 Tbsp/gal) and Alaskan Kelp (@ 1tsp/gal)
Since I have a year round grow season, I do not intend to start a seasonal crop, but to grow indeterminate, using good pruning and staking techniques. For me, that would mean 2 main stems, and removal of lower foliage.
I will be raising these plants on a screened patio enclosure, as our UV ievels here are quite high. I will experiment to determine sun exposure. I have the option to slide the plants into/out of full sun, as needed, or until I find the placement that works best.
The feeding cycle that I have outlined is a veg feed, as I don't intend to set flowers all at once, since this will be an indeterminate grow.
My goal is to keep this simple, with a minimum of cost, and minimum of labor, after initial setup.
Please critique, and many thanks!
For several years, I have grown my plants hydroponically outdoors, to varying degrees of success. It is all relative to the winter, and winters have been hit or miss the last few years. Last year was extremely warm. This year is more "normal". But the hydroponic approach is too much maintenance. I'm lazy. I like doing things with my family. I like eating peppers and tomatoes, not babysitting them. (I expended all of my paternal instinct on real children)
I have devised a patio system that I think will meet my needs. But after doing all of my research, I'm still just taking an educated guess, because I have virtually ZERO experience with container gardening.
My plan:
Container - 20 Gallon SmartPots
Media - 5 parts coco coir, 4 parts perlite, 1 part worm castings, Excelerite (@ 1 Tbsp/gal of container size)
Watering: rainwater from a 55 gallon catch barrel, pumped to a "top up" tank, feeding to Blumat drippers
Feeding routine - 1X per week, feed a mix of Alaskan Fish Fertilzer, (5-1-1 @ a mix of 1 Tbsp/gal) and Alaskan Kelp (@ 1tsp/gal)
Since I have a year round grow season, I do not intend to start a seasonal crop, but to grow indeterminate, using good pruning and staking techniques. For me, that would mean 2 main stems, and removal of lower foliage.
I will be raising these plants on a screened patio enclosure, as our UV ievels here are quite high. I will experiment to determine sun exposure. I have the option to slide the plants into/out of full sun, as needed, or until I find the placement that works best.
The feeding cycle that I have outlined is a veg feed, as I don't intend to set flowers all at once, since this will be an indeterminate grow.
My goal is to keep this simple, with a minimum of cost, and minimum of labor, after initial setup.
Please critique, and many thanks!