There is no subsection for container gardening, so I figured this is best place to post it. I normally do container gardening, and was wondering if I could use a kiddy pool for growing salad greens? (sorrel, watercress, lettuce, spinach, arugula). Wanted to try squash, cukes, and melons with kiddy pools too; or will this not work and are they too shallow?
I grow greens in circle beds made with sidewalk edging. I also grow them in those tubs for mixing concrete. There are only about 5 inches high. I would try growing vegetables in the kiddie tubs. I wouldn't put too many in them though so the roots could spread if they can't go deep. It doesn't hurt to try it and you can start with something new if it doesn't work. I grow cukes and melons up fence lines. dooley
You will need drainage, so put some holes in the bottom of the kiddie pool. Salad greens should do fine, but I think that squash, cukes, and melons all have too deep a root system to do well in such a shallow container. Have you considered 5 gal. buckets with one plant per bucket?
Well regarding putting holes for drainage, here's what I'm concerned about. Some of the kiddy pools are inflatable. Also some of the depth for them is 19" so would that be deep enough for squash melons etc.
I've never had an inflatable one. Isn't just the sides inflatable? I'd use just a stiff one myself so I wouldn't deflate it with a trowel. The deeper ones might work for the squash, etc. dooley
