Garden Mastery Tips
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April 2005 |
Vegetable Container Gardening
If you are like a lot of folks, you have a limited area in which to vegetable garden. Consider raising fresh, nutritious vegetables in containers. A windowsill, deck, patio or porch will provide space enough for a productive mini-garden. It is important to have at least six hours of sun per day. Some plants require more, some less.
Choosing Containers
Anything goes as a container, but shape is an important factor. The top should be wider than the bottom, for ease of emptying at harvest time. Terracotta pots are the most popular and work well because they are porous so both water and air can penetrate. This prevents over-watered plants from drowning. However, you need to water these pots more often because they dry out sooner. If you decide to use wooden whiskey barrels, redwood planters, metal buckets or old kettles, remember to drill holes for drainage. Whatever you choose, allow the plant's root ball 2 inches of space on the sides and 6 inches at the bottom. Remember to raise containers off the porch or patio by using bricks, flat stones or pot feet. If you do not like the color of your containers, consider painting to coordinate with surroundings. For a more aged look to your stone or terracotta pots, brush them with buttermilk or yogurt and place in the shade for a few weeks. This will encourage algae and moss growth.
Choosing and Buying Plants
Many vegetables can be grown quite successfully in containers, such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, onion, greens, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and turnips. Certain varieties are better suited for container growing than others. When selecting plants, consider the size of pot you intend to plant it in. Make a list of plants you want to grow and stick to it. It is easy to get carried away. Check leaves for signs of pests or disease. Look at the bottom of the plant to determine whether it is root-bound or not. Select only the most healthy specimens.
Potting your Plants
Plan out your containers' arrangement carefully before hand, to allow for a pleasing and harmonious group of differing sizes, shapes and textures. Be sure you know which direction the sun faces. Put your large containers in place before filling. Then fill in with smaller pots in front. Plan to hide any unsightly walls or other items. Think about taller plants in back, as well as climbers, while focusing on trailing plants and short ones in front. Don't worry if the pots look a bit bare when first planted; they will fill out quickly.
Choosing the Growing Medium
An important factor to consider when deciding what medium to grow your vegetables in, is to be sure it is free of disease and weed seeds. Synthetic soils are best for this. These mixes can be made of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, pumice and other media. They hold moisture and nutrients, while allowing good drainage. Most are lightweight, as well. Since these mixes are sterile, it is important to provide appropriate nutrients for your plants. Another benefit of synthetic soil in containers is that it warms up faster than soil in the ground. This will enable you to get your peppers or tomatoes off to a faster start.
Feeding & Watering Container Plants
Some folks prefer slow-release granular forms of fertilizer that are mixed into the soil before planting, followed by periodic liquid applications. Others prefer dry organic mix added at planting time. Both work great. What is important is to follow the package directions for application frequency and quantity.
Proper watering is critical to successful gardening. Container pots dry out more quickly than plants in the ground, therefore they need to be watered daily. If at all possible, avoid watering foliage, since wet leaves encourage disease growth. If you partner different plants in a single container, consider their individual watering and fertilizing requirements.
Overwintering
Plants are not the only things that need protection. Some containers, especially terracotta pots may crack if exposed to repeated frost and rain. Try turning the pot on its side and wrapping with burlap sacking. This gives excellent protection through the winter. Or bind plastic bubble wrap around them. Most vegetables are annuals and many will have been harvested from the containers by winter. Any vegetables remaining in pots to overwinter, such as broccoli, are hardy enough to survive cold and frost.
| Vegetable | Type of Container | Recommended Varieties |
| Beans, Snap | 5 gal window box | Bush Romano, Bush Blue Lake, Tender Crop |
| Beans, Lima | 5 gal window box | Henderson Bush, Jackson, Wonder Bush |
| Beets | 5 gal window box | Little Egypt, Early Red Ball |
| Broccoli | 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub | Green Comet, DeCicco |
| Brussels Sprouts | 1 plant/5 gal pot; 2 plants/15 gal tub | Jade Cross |
| Cabbage | 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub | Dwarf Morden, Red Ace, Early Jersey Wakefield |
| Chinese Cabbage | 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub | Michihili, Burpee Hybrid |
| Carrot | 5 gal window box at least 12 inches deep | Short & Sweet, Danvers Half Long, Tiny Sweet |
| Cucumber | 1 plant/gal pot | Patio Pik, Spacemaster, Pot Luck, Burpless, Liberty, Early Pik |
| Eggplant | 5 gal pot | Slim Jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty, Florida Market, Long Tom |
| Lettuce | 5 gal window box | Salad Bowl, Ruby, Romaine, Bibb, Buttercrunch |
| Onion | 5 gal window box | White Sweet Spanish, Yellow Sweet Spanish |
| Pepper | 1 plant/2 gal pot; 5 plants/15 gal tub | Sweet Banana, Yolo Wonder, Long Red Cayenne, Red Cherry, Jalapeno |
| Radish | 5 gal window box | Cherry Belle, Icicle, Scarlet Globe |
| Spinach | 5 gal window box | Dark Green Bloomsdale |
| Squash | 2 gal pot | Scallopini |
| Tomatoes | Bushel baskets; 5 gal pots | Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Sweet 100 Patio, Burpee's Pixie, Toy Boy, Early Girl, Better Boy VFN, Small Fry, Spring Giant |
References
Atha, Anthony. The Container Kitchen Garden. Published by Collins & Brown Limited, London House.
Swezey, Lauren Bonar. Garden and Outdoor Living: Veggies in Pots. Sunset Magazine, April 2004:61-62
Cotner, Sam. Vegetable Gardening in Containers. The Agriculture Program of the Texas A&M University System. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.html
Bass, Larry. Container Vegetable Gardening. NC State University Horticulture Information Leaflets. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8105.html