Smart Pots! Have you ever used one?
I am trying out a Smart Pot thanks to Peaceful Valley!
A Smart Pot is an aeration container used for growing in. You can grow just about anything in a Smart Pot. I am excited to try this product and share my experiences with you!
I am growing from the tan 15 gallon Smart Pot. The Smart pot is alot wider then I thought it was going to be. Which is good, means I can plant many veggies in it! One of the reasons I decided to try this product, is that I am always looking for different types of containers to grow in. One of the features about this pot that caught my eye is that it is a breathable fabric that gives good aeration to the root zone. I am always in search of products that will work well with the root system of plants. After all healthy roots make for a healthy plant. Smart Pots also release heat, stop root circling and air prunes the plants root structure.
When using containers for container gardening, use a good soil, I also added some rabbit poo to my soil mixture. When filling the Smart Pot make sure all the sides are straight. Lift the sides as you go to straighten the fabric walls. I left about a 2 inch space from the top of the soil to the top of the Smart Pot. Once your soil is to your desired likeness, add plants! Once you have added your plants to the Smart Pot slowly water to saturate the pot.
I am going to be growing Squash in my Smart Pot. I will be growing a Winter Squash from Peaceful Valley called Burgess Buttercup.
The Burgess Buttercup gets about 12 to 18 inches in height. They produce 3-5 pound fruits. I have never grown this squash and I am very excited to try it out!
Here is my completed Smart Pot! I did add a tomato plant that I will be trellising to a trellis outside the Smart Pot. I also added some Nasturtiums to hang over the edge of the pot for some added color. Depending on how wide the squashes get, I may remove a couple of them and plant around the bottom of the Smart Pot. I will keep you posted through out the summer months on how my Smart Pot and Squash is doing! Another thing I like about the Smart Pot is if I decide I don't like where it's at, I can easily move it.
Guess what???
A GIVEAWAY!!!
Peaceful Valley has also been kind enough to give away a Smart Pot to one of my readers! Are you interested, of course you are!
All you have to do to win a Smart Pot, is tell me what what you would grow in a Smart Pot and where you would put in your garden. Sounds pretty easy! I will announce the winner June 15, 2011!
I would love for you to check out Peaceful Valley!
They have wonderful products for the Organic grower! Peaceful Valley also has great blog for growing and wonderful videos to teach you about Organic gardening. Peaceful Valley originated in 1976 in a small garage. It's really a wonderful story on how they began! Check out there about Us page and get to know the wonderful people of Peaceful Valley! You can also follow Peaceful Valley on Twitter and Facebook! They love answering your questions and helping you out with all your growing needs. They also tweet wonderful things that other growers are growing. I know once you check out this wonderful company, you will love them as much as I do!
What are some of your favorite Squashes to grow?
Happy Gardening and Good Luck!!!
Peaceful Valley gave me these items to try out in my garden! All my thoughts about the products are my own. All reviews are my own from my own trials with the product.
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I'm trying a kaboka this year with seeds I saved from a winter cooking adventure!
ReplyDeleteWe bought a stock tank last year, painted it (which I now think was a mistake), and grow tomatoes, peppers, a muskmelon plant, and some lemon cucumbers. With more growing space I'd probably put in some herbs, because that stock tank is _crowded_.
ReplyDeleteHi, I've been eyeing Smart Pots for potatoes. I think I would get a better yield then the what I've been using. I don't like growing them in the ground because they are so difficult to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteP.s. those seeds look like fun, happy gardening. :-)
well.... today a pot might out smart me because I'm to totally suffering from TOO MUCH SUN! I'm addicted to the garden and being outside no mater what the elements may throw at me. I need to learn to stop and enjoy some shade and water!
ReplyDeleteSEEDS - I am totally addicted to growing seeds after 2 years of learning from everyone on #supersowsunday . I can't wait to share all the beautiful cosmos, sunflowers,zinnias that are being planted directly in the ground this week. In the greenhouse I started some fabulous tomatoes and peppers that are blooming early compared to everyone else in my gardening zone.
THANKS for having this fun giveaway Jenn!
Jeannie, Kaboka sounds like an interesting squash! We may have to trade squashes!
ReplyDeletePatricia, These smart pots would be great for herbs. They have many different sizes for different needs! Every year I run out of space. I keep adding space, yet still run out!
Bren, you are too cute! Gardening is addictive. I am one of those people to. It could be pouring rain and I will be out their pulling weeds! I am very addicted to seeds too! But, I am always finding some I don't have! I wish I had enough land to grow everything. I did manage to grow about 100 different seeds this year! I look forward to seeing all your garden shares!
Good Luck to those who have entered so far!
Kristi, They have a really big Smart Pot that would work great for potato's! I don't like growing mine directly in the ground either, makes it harder to find them!
What a great idea! I already have cherry tomatoes growing in two bags of potting soil on top of each other so I couldn't do that. I think it would be kind of late to start squash?! Because I love to grow crook neck. Haha I am probably spelling that wrong. Potatoes or herbs would be an option too! Can't wait to see how your does!
ReplyDeleteI'd plant bush beans in it and place it where I can have it under eye all the time. With the drought we're in here in our part of NC, the deer are coming out of the woods. Yesterday, they visited my veggie garden and put quite a hurting on my beans and even topped several tomato plants *grrrrr*
ReplyDelete~Tom
Hi Jenn! Those smart pots sound wonderful! In fact, I have a million and one things that I would like to grow in them. I'd definitely grow some of those beautiful nasturtiums to trail down the sides but my main crop would have to be peppers! You know how much I love them and with the smart pot, it would be so much easier to move them to covered area to over winter them. :) I also think strawberries would be a great crop for the smart pot.
ReplyDeleteI would plant a beautiful heirloom white pumpkin in it, as I learned just yesterday on #seedchat that you can eat the greens, too! It would go on my patio right in the little spot the dog uses as her pass-through to trample my strawberries!
ReplyDeleteCandy, I am just starting squash here. We have had such crazy weather. I have also done the plant in soil bags method. It worked out pretty good!
ReplyDeleteTom, Those pesky deer! Beans would work well! Maybe I will add a few beans!
Romi, Smart pots would be ideal for overwintering or even using in a greenhouse. I am going to purchase a few that I can carry in and out of my greenhouse! They also have some with handles!
LJ, Thanks for stopping by! I didn't know you could eat the pumpkin greens either! Always learn something new on the twitter chats!
Just in case you want to see our Smart Pot potato growing experiment, you can check it out at: http://bit.ly/jrX1Lo. This year I have 'German Butterball' potatoes and 'Aunt Ruby's German Green' tomatoes side-by-side in the Smart Pots. But there's always room for one more!
ReplyDeleteWith our lettuce season about to wrap up already (yes, it is THAT hot) we have recently purchased some Jericho slow bolt lettuce seeds. I would love to give some a go in the Smart Pot. I mean, is there anything better than what would look like a HUGE salad bowl on your porch?
ReplyDeleteI grow greens in mine. Right now I have some lovely lettuces and mizuna which is one of my favorite greens. I put shadecloth over them by putting wire hoops in each one.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, A huge bowl of salad on the front porch sounds pretty rad!
ReplyDeleteLisa, wire hoop shadecloth's sound like a wonderful idea!
I would plant a tomato. There's never enough room for all the tomatoes I want to try.
ReplyDeleteI'd put a tomato plant and maybe some basil. We need lots of tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a smart pot! I do all my gardening on my parent's deck in containers since I don't have a yard and the deer eat everything in there's. There are so many things to grow, but I would start with some lovely little eggplants and then try a cauliflower plant later in the year. I have trouble with the romenesco cauliflower and I'm wondering if a this would be the solution! Glad I found your blog! -Tara
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