RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION MIDDLESEX COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM CONTAINER GARDENING & Horticultural Therapy F. F. PRIMICH, MD November 2011 DISCLOSURE THERE IS NO FINANCIAL INTEREST OR OTHER RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. THE SLIDE PRESENTATION OF COMMERCIAL SITES SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN ENDORSEMENT. HORTICULTURAL THERAPY The American Horticultural Therapy Association defines horticultural therapy as a process utilizing plants and horticultural activities to improve social, psychological and physical adjustment of persons thus improving their body, mind and spirit. HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Horticultural therapy is using plants and growing environments as tools to heal and rehabilitate sick and disabled people. Joel Flagler, H.T.R. RCE FS692 1
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Horticultural therapy may improve the over all well being of not only patients, but caretakers and family of patients. Horticultural therapy should not be limited to a season or location, but may be utilized year round and in almost any location (indoors and outdoors). HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Benefits of Horticultural Therapy: Physical to improve muscle function and strength. Psychological to improve mental activity and self esteem. Social to increase independence and possibly help others. HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Benefits of Horticultural Therapy: Spiritual a place and time to pray and meditate. Nutritional better tasting, fresher and safer food. Environmental a means to improve a living area. HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Accessible Gardens for Therapy: Raised beds Table planters Hanging baskets Containers of varying sizes and shapes 2
HORTICULTURAL THERAPY Horticultural therapy is not limited to the aged and disabled!!! Container Gardening Container gardening is living art that can please all human senses. CONTAINER GARDENING ADVANTAGES: CONTAINED BY THE SQUARE FOOT MANAGEABLE MINIMAL DIGGING AGE FRIENDLY = 2 102 MOBILE FOUR SEASONS GIVE A GARDEN CONTAINER GARDENING ADVANTAGES: GARDEN THEME SALAD GARDEN HERB GARDEN KITCHEN GARDEN MEMORIAL GARDEN EXPERIMENTAL GARDEN BIBLICAL GARDEN 3
CONTAINER GARDENING ADVANTAGES: BIBLICAL THEME a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, of olive trees and of honey DEUTERONOMY 8, 8 SEVEN SPECIES 1. Wheat 5. Pomegranate Trees 2. Barley 6. Olive Trees 3. Grape Vines 7. Date Palm (dwarf) 4. Fig Trees CONTAINER GARDEN PERSONAL LIBRARY *** REFERENCE BOOKS RCE FACT SHEETS GARDEN RECORDS EASY GARDENING GUIDES REFERENCE BOOK Can you be a self sufficient gardener? 4
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WEBSITES RUTGERS (NJ) www.rce.rutgers.edu www.ifplantscouldtalk.rutgers.edu www.njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs CONTAINER GARDENS IN METUCHEN CA, NH, NY*, PA, VA & WA** CONTAINER GARDENING VEGETABLES = SALAD BEANS, POLE BEETS CARROTS CUCUMBER EGGPLANT LETTUCE ONIONS PEAS, SUGAR SNAP PEPPER, SWEET RADISH SWISS CHARD/SPINACH TOMATO Area 1 5
Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 6
CONTAINER GARDENING HERBS: BAY BASIL CHIVES DILL MARIGOLD NASTURTIA ONIONS PARSLEY ROSEMARY SAGE SHALLOTS THYME BASIL, CHIVES & THYME SAGE, CHIVES & PARSLEY BASIL & ROSEMARY 7
CONTAINER GARDENING HERBS MEDICINAL: ALOE = Aloe vera HENS AND CHICKS = Sempervivum HORTICULTURAL THERAPY (Physical Psychological Nutritional) MINOR BURNS Aloe vera CONTAINER GARDENING BEE & WASP STINGS *** Sempervivum TREES: BAY, SWEET FIG, BROWN TURKEY LEMON, MEYER & CITRON OLIVE, LECCINO & SAN FERNANDO POMEGRANATE, BIG RED WONDERFUL DATE PALM, DWARF 8
CONTAINERS WOOD TERRACOTTA PLASTIC CONCRETE METAL STONE ********* GLASS LEMON, BAY & FIG GOOD DRAINAGE IS ESSENTIAL! CONTAINER GARDEN AQUATIC 9
CONTAINER GARDEN AQUATIC Water Lily, alba Cattail, mini Goldfish (Mosquito Larvae) TOOLS & EQUIPMENT TROWEL HAND FORK DIBBLE PRUNER SCISSORS KNIFE WATERING CAN SPRAY BOTTLE TOOL CARE WHEELS CAN MAKE MOVING EASIER 1. REMOVE DIRT 2. RINSE WITH WATER 3. WASH WITH SOAP AND WATER 4. DRY 5. OIL LIGHTLY 6. STORE 10
TOOL CARE (ABUSED) 1. CLEAN RUST 2. SHARPEN 3. OIL 4. STORE BASIC PLANT NEEDS SOIL WATER FOOD LIGHT PLANTING MEDIA SEED STARTER SOIL PROFESSIONAL POTTING MIX COMPOST PEAT MOSS & VERMICULITE POTTING MIX, PEAT MOSS, COMPOST & PERLITE FOOD POTTING MIX ******** SOILLESS vs. GARDEN SOIL 11
WATER MORNING BOTTOM RESERVOIR FREQUENCY (?) WATER MORNING BOTTOM RESERVOIR FREQUENCY (?) SELF WATERING CONTAINERS BLOSSOM-END ROT = CALCIUM DEFICIENCY & WATER (+/-) 12
FOOD COMMERCIAL: WATER SOLUBLE RAPID GRANULES SLOW SALT COMPOUNDS BIND PLANT NUTRIENTS FOOD ORGANIC (NATURAL SOURCES): COMPOST* GREEN MANURES FRESH MANURES 1 2 COMPOSTING: Grass (green), Leaves (brown), Aeration, Moisture & Time 13
COMPOST *** 1. ODD YEARS 2. EVEN YEARS 3. 3 RD YEAR 4. 4 TH YEAR Rapid vs. Slow Composting LIGHT FULL SUN SHADE 14
BASIC PLANT NEEDS TEMPERATURE DISEASE CONTROL PEST CONTROL BASIL TEMPERATURE COLD HOT RCRE: ifplantscouldtalk.rutgers.edu 15
PEPPER DISEASE & PESTS CROP ROTATION VS CONTAINER ROTATION 16
SICK PLANTS DISEASE TRIAD 1. HOST 2. ENVIRONMENT 3. PATHOGEN PATHOGENS BACTERIA FUNGUS VIRUS TOMATO FUSARIUM WILT (F) VERTICILLIUM WILT (V) TOMATO: Anthracnose Fruit Rot *** SOIL FUNGI *** USE RESISTANT PLANTS RCE: FS 547 17
CONTAINER GARDENING DECONTAMINATION: 0.5% SODIUM HYPOCHLORIDE *** BLEACH SOLUTION (5.25%) 10% WILT FUNGI ENTER PLANT VIA ROOTS STEMS LEAVES WATER CONDUCTING VESSELS BECOME PLUGGED & DISCOLORED MAKE FRESH DAILY! PESTS INSECT ANIMAL HUMAN COMPANION PLANTING ******** LETTUCE & ONIONS TOMATO & MARIGOLD BEANS & RADISH CUCUMBER & RADISH 18
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Deer and Lyme Disease TOMATO MONSTER 20
PROPAGATION SEEDS (sexual) CUTTINGS (asexual) LAYERING (asexual) - DIVISION - OFFSET HOME NEWS TRIBUNE HOME & GARDEN January 17, 2008 CONTAINER GARDEN PLANNING *** SEED CATALOGUES GARDEN RECORDS GARDEN DIAGRAM RCE - FS129 SEED TESTING EGG BOX PAPER TOWEL PERMANENT MARKER SPRAY BOTTLE WINDOW GREENHOUSE HEATING PAD 21
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LETTUCE & ONION SETS 23
BASIL & ROSEMARY CUTTINGS PROPAGATION CUTTINGS = EASY *** BASIL & ROSEMARY PROPAGATION: CUTTINGS = DIFFICULT BAY 24
BAY HARVEST & STORAGE CONTAINER GREENHOUSE FRESH DRYING FREEZING Container (24 x10 x10 ) Screen Base Plastic Leaf Bag FRESH SALAD SHALLOTS TOMATO, LETTUCE, PEPPER, BEET GREENS TOMATO (RAINBOW) & BASIL 25
PARSLEY CONTAINER GARDENING MOVING INDOORS: 1. PRUNE AND SHAPE PLANTS 2. SEARCH FOR INSECT PESTS 3. ADD CONTAINER MIX AND/OR REPOT PLANTS 4. PREPARE FOR TRANSITION 5. INITIATE DORMANT CARE 6. SEEK APPROPRIATE SITE FOR PLANT KEEPING RECORDS BOUND JOURNAL LOOSE LEAF JOURNAL FILE FOLDERS COMPUTER JOURNAL 26
KEEPING RECORDS ANNUAL INDIVIDUAL PLANTS CUTTINGS PLANT ROTATION RECORDS: ANNUAL RECORDS: INDIVIDUAL PLANTS 27
CONTAINER GARDENING RECORDS: PLANT ROTATION TRY NEW PLANTS TRY NEW IDEAS TRY NEW LOCATIONS BE INOVATIVE EXPERIMENT!!! 2005 EXPERIMENT *** UPSIDE-DOWN TOMATO PATIO DETERMINATE 2006 EXPERIMENT - BEETS 28
2007 EXPERIMENT ******** OLIVE TREE 2006 EXPERIMENT LIMA BEANS GETHSEMANE: Garden of Olives EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT 2008 Bay Tree Cuttings: Heel vs. Terminal Container Greenhouse 2009 Bay Tree Cuttings Lemon Tree Cuttings Olive Tree Cuttings Pomegranate Tree Cuttings Rosemary Cuttings 2010 Grape, Concord seedless Date Palm, dwarf Blueberry (3 varieties) Citron Cuttings & Storage of plants in garage 29
EXPERIMENT TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS Potatoes Aquatic Garden (Plants & Fish) Biblical Theme (Spiritual) 2011 1. Pick a good site. 2. Start with good soil and keep improving it. 3. Plan carefully. 4. Start small. 5. Grow only what you like to eat. 6. Select crop varieties with care. TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS 7. Water only when necessary, then water deeply and early in the day. 8. Visit your garden every day. 9. Make sure you ve correctly identified the cause of a problem before applying a treatment. 10. Maintain good garden sanitation. UNHCE Life is Beautiful! finis 30