Container Gardening

Many people who live in an apartment, condominium, or mobile home do not grow a vegetable garden because space is not available for a garden plot. Lack of yard space is no excuse for not gardening, since many kinds of vegetables can be readily grown in containers. In addition to providing five hours or more of full sun, attention must be given to choosing the proper container, using a good soil mix, planting and spacing requirements, fertilizing, watering, and variety selection.

Containers are available in many different sizes, shapes, and materials. All containers, whether clay, wood, plastic, or ceramic, should have an adequate number of holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Additional holes should be drilled or punched in containers that do not drain quickly after each watering. Drainage is reduced when the container is set on a solid surface such as a cement or patio floor. Raising the container one or two inches off the floor by setting it on blocks of wood will solve this drainage problem.

The size of the container will be determined by the vegetable grown. Generally, most vegetables grown in the soil can be grown in containers as long as ample space is provided for root development. Shallow rooted crops like lettuce, peppers, radishes, and herbs need a container at least 6 inches in diameter with an eight inch soil depth. Bushel baskets, half barrels, wooden tubs, or large pressed paper containers are ideal for growing tomatoes, squash, pole beans, and cucumbers.

The do-it-yourself individual can make a planting medium by mixing equal parts of sand, loamy garden soil, and peat moss, mixing with a generous amount of homemade compost if available.* Some gardeners recommend that the mix be heated in an oven for 1 hour at 210o F to kill any bacteria, fungi, insects,or weed seeds.

Planting and spacing requirements for most vegetables can be found on the seed packet or plant tag. A container can sustain only a certain number of plants, therefore, it is important to limit the number of plants based on the container size and the eventual size of the plant at maturity. Always plant more seed than needed in each container, because there is seldom 100% germination and emergence. After the seeds have sprouted and foliage of seedlings is touching, thin plants to the desired number.

Watering is one of the most important jobs a container gardener will perform. Some vegetables need watering every day, depending on container size and weather conditions. 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.

Plant breeders have helped to make container vegetable gardening more practical by breeding plants with compact growth habits and relatively high crop yield. Almost any vegetable can be adapted to container culture. The following is a listing of some of the common container-grown vegetables, container sizes, and recommended varieties:

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
Eggplant	5 gal pot	Slim Jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty
Lettuce	5 gal window box	Salad Bowl, Ruby
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
Radish	5 gal window box	Cherry Belle, Icicle
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

 

A Note About Indoor Gardening

In colder climates, container gardening can also be done inside during the winter months. Of course, the main issue is sufficient sunlight. Containers placed in a south-facing window may get the necessary 5-6 hours/ day of sunlight, depending on how many sunny days you have in your region. Supplementing the sunlight with grow lights works very well as long as you remember to turn them on. By harvesting only the outer leaves of the beet greens and lettuce, the garden pictured above provided me with greens throughout last winter.

Here are a few vegetables to consider for indoor growing:

Cherry tomatoes, determinate vines                           Gypsy peppers

Hungarian sweet peppers                                            Various hot peppers

Short-vined cucumbers                                                Spinach

Leaf Lettuce of all types                                              Bush beans

Endive                                                                         Small-rooted carrots

Small-rooted beets                                                       Radishes

Miniature cabbage                                                       Bunching onions

Swiss Chard