How Does My Pot Garden Grow?

My deck garden full of pots at the end of August 2016. It was a very hot summer!

How Does My Pot Garden Grow?

“…was wondering how your pot garden is doing? My mother started one this year and she is struggling with her tomatoes….” – Lisa

Hi Lisa, your Mom is not alone, this was a hard growing season for tomatoes. Between the record hot temperatures and the extremes in soil conditions – too much water one day, not enough the next – my tomatoes also did not do well.

However, now that temperatures are moderating, my tomatoes are starting to ripen so hopefully your Mom will soon get a late bounty as well.

One of my first beefsteak tomatoes to ripen this year, early September. Finally!

My green peppers and cucumbers were fried in our record heat; my eggplant start was munched on early on but seems to be making a good recovery, and my herbs are plodding along.

My eggplant has made a lovely recovery and shares a pot with purslane.

Basil, one of my favorite herbs, is growing in a pot ready to bring it in later this fall.

I actually caught myself thinking I may just stick with my deck pot garden next year instead of trying to plant a traditional garden. We’ll see, it was a humid day, the heat may have gotten to me for a minute or so but it’s not a bad idea. Planting in pots is much easier. I can better manage soil and watering conditions and better shoo away uninvited visitors.

Charlotte