week end gardener

Growing up in a steel town, I did not have the resources to do experiments that would make my garden vegetables grow and bear a decent product. However, I did have my grandpa, he grew up through the depression so he knew how important it was to have your own garden. However-most of us are what I call a week-end gardener. We do it for joy not survival. He would sometimes give me advice on how to plant different plants. For example, I love to plant tomatoes because they grow good in my area. I remember my grandpa telling me to dig a hole large enough for the root ball, about double the size, and fill it up with humus. later found out that what he meant by humus, he had a stock pile of dirt that he called the dump, his compost pile. We would throw perishable items in it. That stuff was top Shelf. Today I use potted plants because I do not have the time to build and weed a big garden, besides I only have a 3 person household. I do not grow plants from the seed like grandpa, I go to the garden shop and get pre-potted plants but I still use some of the tips that he taught me along with other tips that I gathered from Friends. In addition to adding humus, their are many products on the market that act like humus and work just as well, I use a root starter or liquid plant food to give the plant a good start. Dry general purpose fertilizer works well but be careful when applying and mixing into the soil because too much will burn the plant. Be sure to keep the plants watered, I use a pot with a false bottom so water will drain out helping avoid over watering. Well draining soil is important- Not sure why- I was just told that and it seemed like a no brainer to me. The final thing that some people do is dust their plants with a combination of insecticide and/or fungicide. I never do this unless absolutely necessary. Since I plant in pots, I hardly ever get infestations. I've never used fungicide so I'm not sure how it helps or what the results are. My rule of thumb is try to use as many organic elements as possible and stay away from unknown chemicals, If I cant pronounce it- I don't use it. If you have questions on how to plant things- please leave a comment and I will get back to you with my opinion.
Happy Gardening....