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Vegetable Container Gardening

Container gardening is an easy way to grow healthy food if you are cramped for growing space or the soil is not suitable for growing. Container sizes, shapes, and types vary widely. Containers can be round, square, rectangular, window boxes, or hanging. They can be purchased or home made from wood, ceramic, clay, or plastic. Avoid wood types that have been chemically treated-they might kill the plants. Redwood and cedar are very rot resistant and can be used without paint or varnish. Bushel baskets, half barrels, wooden tubs, or large pressed paper containers are ideal for growing tomatoes, squash, pole or bush beans, and cucumbers. A good practice is to make your container twice as wide as deep (8" deep=16" wide). This helps the roots to spread out and absorb nutrients.

Container sizes should be between 4 and 30 gallons to allow for proper root growth. Deep rooting plants need deep containers. Smaller pots will dry out quicker in strong sunlight as will dark colored pots that absorb more heat. With home container gardening, fresh, healthy vegetables can be grown inexpensively in containers virtually anywhere -- at the edges of parking lots; along railroad tracks; on back porches; on rooftops; in patios; in driveways; in vacant lots between buildings; in brown fields or areas where there is a concern about soil pollutants; in areas where soil nutrition is lacking -- just about anywhere there is a bit of space, sun and access to water. You can check commercial planter styles here: Planters and Supplies A children's wading pool can be used as a larger inexpensive gardening container. With more room for the root systems to spread out, expect higher yields per plant. Although seeds can be used as a starter in container gardens, better results are obtained by using plants in most cases.

Container gardening is actually a balancing act between adequate drainage and moisture retention. Adequate drainage is needed to prevent root rot. Four-six holes 3/8"-1/2" in diameter should be drilled through the bottom of the container for drainage. The bottom can then be lined with newspaper or small stones such as pea stone to help prevent soil loss. Moisture retention can be aided by adding about a one inch layer of sphagum moss to the bottom of the container over the paper or rock. A one inch layer of compost or composted manure can be added before topping with dirtless starter soil mixed with a little lime to lower the natural acidity of this mixture. Save an inch or two at the top for adding more compost or mulch as the plants progress. A number of container gardeners have reported excellent results from layering the entire container.

Plants should be watered daily during hot sunny weather. Choose a fertilizer that has trace elements added--your potting soil will be lacking in trace elements. Fertilizer should be applied once a week. The safest method is to use a liquid fertilizer mixed with your watering or a compost tea. Container gardening has several advantages over conventional gardening. You will have less of a weed problem and the weeds will be easier to remove from the loosely packed potting mix. You will have less pests to control. Smaller containers can be easily moved inside for protection from severe weather. Most containers are reusable. Container gardening is a proven, easily workable technique for anyone that prefers their own fresh and healthy vegetables.