Outdoor neglect grow question

[roksoc]

Hi all I am considering growing some herb outdoors by getting some fem seeds making sure they sprout then leavng them in a large bucket outdoors and letting nature take its course over the summer. Do you think they would survive without any tending to by a person from late may to mid august?

[-mu]

If you remove the bucket and plant them straight into the earth, yes. One can never predict the weather with any great certainty, though. If conditions become extreme, you could have problems, depending on the location.

The "secret" of outdoor growing is choosing a good location.

-mu

[roksoc]

Thanks mu. I have a good location in mind just wanted to know if it ws possible. To make this possible would you suggest I dig a hole and fil it with poting mix or just use the soil that is in the area naturaly(if the Ph is within range)? would it be ok to have the plant in a bucket until it has gotten to about a 1-2 feet and then transplanting it into soil or would the hock be damagung to the plant?

[-mu]

Lots of people don't feel comfortable doing a regular transplant, worrying about damaging the roots and what-not, but I've never had any such problems, the opposite, in fact. So long as you are firm but gentle, it will work fine. Even if you were quite rough, you'd only delay things by a few days, not kill the plant.

But just moving a bucket outside is no problem, either; if there are a few big holes in it, the roots will find their way, though probably not as well as they would after being transplanted. The most fertile part of the soil is usually the top 12 inches or so, so you want the plants to grow roots sideways as much as possible. Transplanting is better.

I would use the soil that is in the area (soil type/pH/drainage/etc is a big part of choosing the best location). You may have to amend it, perhaps add some lime or coffee grounds or something, but you definitely want to test it first. If you check what plants are growing there naturally, you can learn a whole lot. I used to look for strong nettle/thistle growth, amongst other things.

Some people go to town and dig in perlite and all sorts, but if your location is good, that shouldn't be necessary. I prefer zero-till (no digging) gardening wherever poossible (you don't disturb the fungi).

I'd also transplant the seedlings when they were a lot younger, say 8", but the local wildlife is a factor here. Lots to consider.

-mu