What plants grow well in cinder blocks is a question every gardener asks themselves. Growing plants in cinder blocks is an excellent home improvement technique that you can use with so many plant choices like beans, beets, carrots, and okra just to name a few.
If you’re looking to make use of your cinder blocks at home and wish to learn about the different varieties and care that are required, keep reading.
We include the best five plants to grow in cinder or concrete blocks.
Contents
List of Plant Varieties That Grow Well in Cinder Blocks
1. Arugula
You should go for arugula, if you want to create gorgeous raised beds in your garden. As a tasty salad green, arugula, a fast-growing annual leafy vegetable and a member of the mustard family, is farmed. It tastes a little spicy and tangy.
– Characteristics
The leaves are around three to six inches long and have thick lobed edges, and in rosettes, they develop. These herbs can be sown in the early spring or the late summer as a cold-season vegetable and goes perfectly in cinder blocks.
– Time of Planting
Arugula typically takes 40 days from seeding to harvest. Arugula can therefore have two seasons, one from spring to early summer and the second from late summer to fall if the timing is good. In the sweltering heat of midsummer, it won’t grow well.
As soon as the soil is suitable for planting in the spring, you can begin. Every two to three weeks, plant more seeds for a continuous yield up until the summer heatwave or the fall cold. Even a slight freeze won’t hurt arugula.
– Growth Requirement
Arugula typically takes 40 days from seeding to harvest, which would show you that they can therefore have two seasons, one from spring to early summer and the second from late summer to fall if the timing is good. In the sweltering heat of midsummer, it won’t grow well.
On the contrary, as soon as the soil is suitable for planting in the spring, you can begin your harvest and it would succeed. Every two to three weeks, plant more seeds for a continuous yield up until the summer heatwave or the fall cold. Even a slight freeze won’t hurt arugula. To help your Arugula grow stronger and healthier also add some beneficial companion plants.
2. Garlic
Garlic is an edible bulbous plant that is native to Asia and is closely related to the onion, and this is the kind of vegetable root that has been domesticated for several thousand years. It has an above-ground appearance, that of flattened, grass-like leaves, which can also be known as scapes.
In contrast, it develops a solid, paper-coated bulb underground that usually has between four and twenty cloves when they start to establish and grow out.
– Characteristics
In the fall, a month or so before the first frost is when you should plant garlic. This is the kind of root that harvesting is not a precise hardship, and this is because it will develop gradually over the next nine months or so, and by mid-spring or summer, it will produce a plentiful harvest.
They can spruce up your cinder or concrete block garden like no other. Just remember, that it can be toxic for animals so if you have pets, watch out, on the other hand it is great if you wish to keep a number of pests away from your garden.
– Time of Planting
Depending on your environment, garlic is planted either in the fall or the spring. Garlic should be planted in the north in the fall before the first frost. In warmer climes, it is better to plant garlic in the early spring; however, seed garlic needs to be refrigerated first to rouse it from its dormant state.
Start planting in the fall as soon as the soil reaches a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, because the soil has to be warmer. The roots won’t be able to stop the plants from heaving upward when the earth freezes if you wait too long. By mulching the plants with three to four inches of straw, you can help prevent heaving. They create beautiful raised beds all across gardens.
– Growth Requirements
Garlic loves light, which may seem odd for a plant that mostly grows underground. Starting with nutrient-rich soil is among the most crucial elements in producing garlic successfully. Garlic doesn’t require a lot of water, in keeping with its laid-back temperament. Make sure to avoid adding asparagus, sage and some other plants next to garlic because they are not very good friends!
3. Radish
As you couldn’t tell by now, growing a kitchen garden in your cinder blocks is quite a good idea. You probably picture a small, round, red, and acidic root vegetable when you think of radish.
This is one of the most widely consumed radishes fall into this category, though there are several types with different exteriors.
– Characteristics
They are round or oblong, hot or moderate, red, pink, purple, white, or bicolor are all possible shapes. Along with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and collards, radishes are annual vegetables that belong to the Brassicaceae family.
For a spring harvest, they are either planted in the spring or in the late summer. On the other hand, they grow quickly, which means that as little as 30 days, some of the lesser types reach maturity, which means that you might have to wait up to 60 days for the larger variety.
– Time of Planting
As soon as the ground is suitable for planting in the early spring, direct seed radishes. Because they grow so quickly, succession seeds them every week to guarantee a steady supply of radishes.
Additionally, you can replant them in the late summer or early fall, at least four to six weeks before the first fall frost. Stop planting when springtime temperatures hit 65 degrees since the plants will bolt in the heat, because this is the ideal time for it to thrive.
– Growth Requirements
Typically, radish plants require one inch of water per week. A radish’s flavor can be ruined by going to seed when the soil is too dry or too wet, and both conditions can lead to the roots splitting and rotting.
Radish plants require full sun, which generally entails at least six hours of direct sunshine daily. These rooted vegetables would thrive on rich, loamy, or sandy soil that drains well and has a pH range of slightly acidic to neutral. When you provide it with these requirements, you will see them grow well in the cinder blocks.
4. Onions
The common onion is a biennial bulb that is related to chives, shallots, and other related bulb growing plants too. They have modified leaves with multiple layers that feature hollow, tubular, blue-green leaves that arise from a bulb.
The bottom of the bulb has a thin network of roots that extends upward; as the plant matures, the bulb may partially push above the earth.
– Characteristics
These bulbs have a moderate growth rate and should be planted in the spring. Seeds, transplants, which are through seedlings that have just sprouted, or sets can all be used to plant them, basically smaller bulbs that are about to begin their second, final year of growth. Be aware that because of their chemical composition, onions are poisonous to pets.
– Time of Planting
When the soil thaws and the temperature is still over 28 degrees Fahrenheit in the spring, plant onions. The optimum locations include neutral pH, loose soil, and ample sunshine. To give the developing plants freedom to spread, space onion rows at least one foot apart and leave at least six inches between each plant for ideal growth inside cinder blocks.
Typically, what you should do is to plant the onion seeds indoors about six weeks before the soil temperature outside reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seedlings outside when the soil temperature is around this temperature if you are starting from scratch with them.
– Growth Requirements
For healthy growth, onions require full sun—at least six hours of direct sunshine daily. The more sunlight, the better for onions. The secret to growing onions well is having good soil.
The soil needs to have a lot of organic matter and be very well-drained, even if it is sandy. Onions require frequent water to support the bulb swelling. Per week, give them one inch of water.
5. Spinach
It is quite evident that leafy greens are some of the best candidates to be planted in cinder blocks because of the unique characteristics that allow them easy growth. Spinach is no exception.
– Characteristics
Spinach thrives in cool climates, moreover they come in a wide range of variations with regard to appearance. The leaves are typically smooth and range in color from medium to dark green.
In warmer conditions, spinach plants will develop little yellow-green blooms on spikes before going to seed. Spinach plants have an upright growth pattern. After being sown as a seed, spinach grows quickly and can be harvested in as little as one month. It grows best when planted in the spring or fall in most regions.
– Time of Planting
For spinach to mature from seed to maturity, it needs around six weeks of cool weather. As soon as the soil is suitable for planting in the spring, you should do so in your garden beds. For seeds to germinate, the soil must be colder than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have six weeks where the soil temperature will stay over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you can plant in the fall as the weather cools. To increase your crop, you can also reseed every few weeks in the spring or fall. Spinach is an ideal candidate for raised bed gardening.
– Growth Requirements
Spinach should be grown anywhere from full sun to some shade. Loamy, organically rich, well-draining soil is ideal for growing this nutritious green leaves. Moreover, it favors a soil pH that is rather neutral, and in order to keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged, water spinach frequently. In warm weather, regular watering is necessary to prevent bolting.
Conclusion
If you have a small yard, cinder block gardening is a fantastic option. They make gardening simple and enjoyable, and they are inexpensive and simple to find. But, before you plant any of the plants above in your cinder blocks, just remember:
- Cinder block raised gardens will always flourish when you grow leafy greens inside of them. Spinach and arugula need comparatively little upkeep to thrive.
- Onions will need that extra time to grow. But, it is important to remember that they can be toxic for pets.
- If you’re looking to grow something quickly in your cinder block gardens, radishes are the option for you.
Cinder blocks are a practical and inexpensive gardening choice. They can be used to build walls, pots, and raised garden beds. These blocks are very enduring and simple to keep clean.
https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/how-to-grow/growing-arugula#:~:text=Arugula%20grows%20fast.,days%20of%20spring%20or%20fall
https://www.growveg.com/guides/6-top-tips-for-growing-garlic/#:~:text=Fall%2Dto%2Dspring%20is%20the,cold%20weather%20stops%20their%20growth.
https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/how-to-grow/growing-spinach#:~:text=When%20is%20the%20best%20time,is%20a%20cool%2Dweather%20vegetable.
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