With the arrival of warmer weather, we are all eager to begin our spring planting. We dream of beds with beautiful flowers and kitchen gardens with pick-at-the-peak-of-ripeness homegrown vegetables.
If your vegetable gardening is limited by a lack of space or an unsuitable area, consider the possibility of raising fresh, nutritious, homegrown vegetables in containers. A window sill, a patio, a balcony, or a doorstep will provide sufficient space for a productive mini-garden.
Almost any vegetable that will grow in a typical backyard garden will also do well as a container-grown plant. Vegetables which are ideally suited for growing in containers include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes and parsley. Pole beans and cucumbers also do well in this type of garden, but they do require considerably more space because of their vining growth habit.
The amount of sunlight that your container garden spot receives may determine which crops can be grown. Generally, root crops and leaf crops can tolerate partial shade, but vegetables grown for their fruits generally need at least 5 hours of full, direct sunlight each day, and perform better with 8 to 10 hours. Available light can be increased somewhat by providing reflective materials such as aluminum foil, white-painted surfaces, or marble chips around the plants.
Variety selection is an important consideration. Most varieties that will do well when planted in a yard garden will also do well in containers. Some varieties of selected vegetables which are ideally suited for these mini-gardens include:
Tomatoes: Patio, and Tiny Tim
Peppers: Yolo Wonder, sweet pepper Karma hybrid, and, Jalapeno
Eggplant: Florida Market and Black Beauty
Squash: Dixie, Gold Neck
Leaf Lettuce: Buttercrunch. Black seed Simpson, and Bibb
Green Onions: Beltsville Bunching
Green Beans: Topcrop and Greencrop
Radishes: Cherry Belle and Scarlet Globe
Parsley: Evergreen and Moss Curled
Cucumbers: Burpless, Liberty, and Early Pik
For attractive and versatile containers, mix herbs and annual flowers in with the vegetable plants. Herbs such as lavender, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and chives require a loose growing medium, and dry conditions. Plant them together in porous clay pots and add some sand to the mix. Or how about a Summer Salad container? Plant a tomato, a cucumber and some parsley or chives all in a large (24-30") container. They grow well together and have the same water and sun requirements. By late summer they might not be very pretty, but they'll keep producing into the fall. You may also want to mix bedding plants in with vegetables.
Once you figure out what you want to grow, you must find proper containers. The size of the container is determined by the size of the plant. Almost any type of container can be used for growing vegetable plants. For example, try using bushel baskets, drums, gallon cans, tubs or wooden boxes. Pots from 6 to 10 inches in size are satisfactory for green onion, parsley and herbs. For most vegetable crops such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, you will find that 5-gallon containers are the most suitable size. They are fairly easy to handle and provide adequate space for root growth.
Regardless of the type or size of container used, adequate drainage is a necessity for successful yields. It is advisable to add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of the container to improve drainage. The drain holes are best located along the side of the container, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch from the bottom.
Your plants will need a good growing medium in order to flourish.. Synthetic "soils" are best suited for vegetable container gardening. These mixes may be composed of sawdust, wood chips, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite or almost any other type of media. Regardless of what mixture is used, it must be lightweight and free of disease and weed seeds. It should not only hold moisture and nutrients but also must drain well. Many synthetic "soils" are available from garden centers. It’s highly recommended to include some
compost in the growing media for your containers. It can be added up to equal amounts with soil-less media.
Let’s see, we have plants, containers, and growing media – it’s time to get started. Cover drainage holes with mesh, gravel, paper towel, or a coffee filter, to prevent soil from washing away. Fill containers to within one inch of the top. Prior to planting, use a trowel or your hands to thoroughly work water into the growing medium. This is especially important for soil-less mixes containing peat moss.
Arrange your plants without crowding them.
The next consideration is fertilizing. If you use a soil mix with fertilizer added, then your plants will have enough nutrients for 8 to 10 weeks. Otherwise, choose a slow release fertilizer or a liquid solution and use according to label directions.
Watering is the next important factor. Proper watering is essential for a successful container garden. Generally one watering per day is adequate. However, poor drainage will slowly kill the plants. The mix will become water-logged and plants will die from lack of oxygen. If at all possible, avoid wetting the foliage of plants since wet leaves will encourage plant diseases. Pots in containers always require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. As the season progresses and your plants mature, their root systems will expand and require even more water. Don't wait until you see the plants wilting. Allowing plants to wilt will drastically reduce both quality and yield. Check your containers daily to judge the need for water. The best way to water is with a watering can or sprayer attachment on a garden hose. Be sure the water is cool before applying it to the vegetables, particularly if the hose sits in the sun. Hot water does not stimulate root development; rather it will kill young roots and leaves.
For an attractive display, arrange your pots around a chair or bench in a pleasing layout that will be easy to water and harvest. Put big pots for tall plants in back, step down to combinations of herbs and flowers, and finish with a shallow bowl for salad greens. Also consider mixing in a few containers of annuals for extra color all summer long.
You’re sure to enjoy your easy-care, home-grown vegetables for months!