Growing Vegetables in Containers

If you have limited space and time but still want to try your hand at growing vegetables, think containers

If you have restrain space and sentence but still want to try your script at arise vegetables , suppose containers . No thou is necessary ; a terrace , deck , window box , or even a fire evasion will do . All you ’ll need is a duet of containers , some soil , seeds or seedling , and a little plant food . Your immediate payment outgo will be minimal , and you ’ll have the satisfaction of growing something tasty to run through .

You wo n’t be alone . According to a 2009 National Gardening Association Survey , about one-half of all food gardening menage ( 48 percent ) grow intellectual nourishment in containers . I ’ve always been sanctify with enough blank for an in - ground garden , so I never had to “ fall back ” to produce vegetables in containers , but this twelvemonth I decided to explore the theme .

I latterly attend a seminar on the matter atHollandia Nurseriesin Bethel , Connecticut , an establish family - owned business concern with gorgeous exhibit gardens and Akko of greenhouses with flats of annual , perennials , and vegetable as far as the eye can see . Owner Eugene Reelick took an hour out of his busy 24-hour interval to explicate the fundamentals . Here ’s what I learned .

Location , locationVegetables take 6 to 8 hours of sun per day . For heat - have it away plants , a south or southwesterly picture is best . To keep lettuces rich in the summer , a southeastern exposure gives them light early in the day and keep back them out of the strong good afternoon sunshine . Of course if your container lowly enough to carry , you could move from place to place , as necessary .

choose a container

Somewhere out there in the marketplace , there ’s the perfect container for you in the fabric , Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , size , and price range you try . Ceramic , plastic , terra - cotta , wood — the list goes on . you may purchase a container that ’s lilliputian , or you may get one that requires a forklift to move . you’re able to even get a rail plantation owner with a bottom that ’s configured to posture snugly on a 2×4 or 2×6 deck rail . Or you could simply recycle something you already have , such as a whiskey plantation owner , garbage can , joint - chemical compound bucket , baskets , or windowpane box .

Whatever container you apply , just verify that it has drain mess at or near the bottom and that it ’s deep enough for what you need to grow . Lettuces and herb require the least profundity ; tomatoes , peppers , eggplant , broccoli , and cukes the most .

territory selection is criticalA high - calibre potting soil is your best stakes , and Reelick recommends Hamptons Estate Professional Potting Soil . Another good choice is a commercial soil - less mixing . Topsoil alone is too hard and should be void . And it never hurts to add some compost . To retain moisture , Reelick evoke adding some Soil Moist to the bottom of the container to help retain moisture .

Plant from seed or seedlings

Either will work . Nearly any vegetable can be grown in containers ( Reelick would n’t suggest try corn whisky , Cucurbita pepo , or watermelon ) , but it ’s best annul “ mammoth ” varieties . Stick with “ patio ” tomatoes , Asian - style brinjal ( long and skinny ) , and bush squash . Anything grandiloquent will need a treillage or stakes and a thick container .

For seeds , make a shallow Great Depression in the soil , sprinkle in some seeds , track lightly with gumption , and water . For seedlings , plant and urine . Be prepared to thin when the seeds sprout .

Water and fertilizeIf your containers dry out out completely , your flora are toast . Soak the containers before they reach that condition . Self - watering containers are sell by Gardener ’s Supply and many other garden sites . For fertilizing containers , Reelick swear by Osmocote and Jack ’s Classic Plant Food .

Do n’t forget to harvestWhen the nutrient is ready , do n’t let it go to waste . Pick leafy lettuce by the foliage , and the plant will develop more . When the radishes are pull , you could plant something else .

In the twilight , put your container garden to bedEach class you ’ll want to put a fresh soil mix into your containers , so you need to empty them before spring bowl around . With ceramic containers , it ’s important to do this in the fall if you live in a stale climate , or the containers may crack .

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Photo: Debbie Baxter

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