Veggies in pots: no ground to garden? Grow summer crops on a patio or deck - Garden and Outdoor Living

Sunset, April, 2004 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

Growing vegetables can bring out the farmer in you. You till the soil and tend the plants, then reap the rewards when the plants bear fruit.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Even if you don't have much gardening space or sunny ground, you can still experience the pleasure of harvesting your own vine-ripened tomatoes and other crops. All you need is a generous-size container, good potting soil, and a suitable spot--a patio, deck, or corner that gets at least six hours of full sun a day.

If you do have actual ground for growing, containers can still help you overcome problems like poorly drained soil, pests such as gophers, and soil-borne diseases such as fusarium wilt, nematodes, and verticillium wilt. Also, since soil in pots warms up more quickly in spring than it does in the ground, you can get a tomato or pepper off to a faster start. And tall pots make it easier for gardeners with limited mobility to tend crops without kneeling or squatting.

Vegetables in containers add visual punch to the landscape. Choose large, decorative containers and surround them with smaller pots of colorful flowers, and you'll have attractive focal points--and a bounty of vegetables--all summer long. Garden designer Rosalind Creasy of Los Altos, California (650/948-1588), even displays potted vegetables such as golden squash and fiery red peppers in her front yard (pictured above).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Soil preparation and plant care Potting medium. Use a high-quality mix containing peat moss and perlite. Blend in a complete fertilizer, either a dry organic product--such as one containing alfalfa meal, bonemeal, kelp meal, or other natural nutrients--or a controlled-release type that supplies nutrients over a three-to six-month period.

If you plan to water pots by hand, add soil polymers such as Broadleaf P4 (available at most garden centers) to the mix before planting to help alleviate the wet-dry cycle. As the soil dries out, these small crystals, which absorb a hundred or more times their weight in water, supply moisture to the roots.

Feeding. If you use an organic fertilizer at planting time, supplement it with weekly applications of fish emulsion or reapply dry organic fertilizer according to package directions. If you use controlled-release fertilizer, give vegetables a boost by applying fish emulsion every two to three weeks.

Watering. The best way to water vegetables in containers is with drip irrigation operated by an automatic controller. For each container, install a circle of inline emitters over the soil or distribute three or four 1/2-gallon-per-hour emitters over the soil surface (use more for very large pots). Set the controller to water often enough to keep the soil moist (in hot climates, that might be daily or every other day).

If you hand-water, never allow the soil to dry out completely.

Pests. If aphids, mites, or whiteflies attack, spray them with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Handpick and destroy tomato hornworms.

Harvest. Pick crops when they're ripe: beans before the seeds swell inside the pods; cucumbers and squash when fruits are fully expanded but not seedy; eggplants while skin is shiny; peppers when fully grown and showing appropriate color (green, red, or another shade); tomatoes when fully colored (red, orange, or yellow).

Sources

Most nurseries and garden centers sell seeds and seedlings of common summer vegetables. For unusual varieties and potato tubers, try these specialists. The Natural Gardening Company (www.natural gardening.com or 707/766-9303) sells certified organic seeds, potato tubers, and seedlings of eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. Seeds of Change (www.seedsofchange.com or 888/762-7333) sells certified organic seeds, potato tubers, and seedlings of peppers and tomatoes. Territorial Seed Company (www.territorialseed.com or 541/942-9547) sells seeds, potato tubers, and seedlings of eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes.

RELATED ARTICLE: Choose the right container

Vegetables will grow in any container that provides drainage, but choosing the right size is critical. The larger the plant's root system, the deeper and wider the container should be. Pots made of thick plastic or glazed terra-cotta retain moisture well, as do wood tubs. In hot climates, choose light-colored pots. Avoid small, unglazed terra-cotta pots; they dry out too quickly.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RELATED ARTICLE: Best crops for pots

Any vegetable that grows in the ground can be grown in a container. But some crops, such as corn and pumpkins, may not be worth the effort. You don't have to stick with so-called patio (dwarf) varieties. Most standard-size vegetables are suitable for container culture. For beans and carrots, plan to sow seeds directly in the soil-filled container. Grow other types of vegetables from seed, or purchase ready-to-plant seedlings (see sources, below left). Eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes started from seed take about eight weeks to develop seedlings ready for transplanting.

CROP       PLANTING DETAILS        NOTES

Beans      Pot depth: 14-16 in.    Pole beans are more productive over
           Soil temperature (at    the long run than bush beans (which
           planting time): At      produce their crop all at once).
           least 60[degrees]       Train the 6- to 8-ft.-tall vines on a
           Spacing: Direct-sow     trellis or tepee made from bamboo
           seeds 2-3 in. apart.    poles. Try 'Blue Lake Pole', 'Helda'
                                   romano, or heirloom 'Kentucky
                                   Wonder'.
Carrots    Pot depth: 9-14 in.     Choose a deep pot for carrots with
           Soil temperature: At    long roots, such as 'Nantes' half-
           least 55[degrees].      long type (7 in. long). Shallower
           Spacing: Direct-sow     pots are adequate for shorter carrots
           seeds 1/2-1 in. apart;  such as 'Short'n Sweet' or round ones
           thin seedlings 1-2 in.  like 'Thumbelina' (shown). Don't let
           in. apart.              the soil dry out.
Cucumbers  Pot depth: 18 in.       Bush types like 'Bush Champion' and
           Soil temperature: At    disease-resistant 'Salad Bush' take
           least 70[degrees].      up half the space of trailing types.
           Spacing: One plant      'Lemon' cuke (shown) also bears well
           per pot.                on a trellis.
Eggplants  Pot depth: 14-16 in.    With their colorful fruits and
           Soil temperature: At    attractive foliage, eggplants have
           least 70[degrees].      outstanding ornamental value. Try
           Spacing: One or two     'Black Beauty', an American heirloom
           plants per pot.         with bulbous, purple-black fruits, or
                                   'Little Fingers' (shown), an Asian
                                   type with slim fruits.
Peppers    Pot depth: 14-16 in.    Choose from an amazing array of
           Soil temperature: At    colors, shapes, and heat levels, from
           least 60[degrees].      mildly spicy 'Anaheim' to searing hot
           Spacing: One or two     'Thai Dragon'. Among sweet peppers,
           plants per pot.         try 'Ariane' (shown), an orange bell,
                                   or 'Giant Marconi', a long, red one
                                   that's great for grilling.
Potatoes   Pot depth: 18 in.       Potatoes are productive if there's
           Soil temperature: At    ample room for tubers to develop.
           least 45[degrees].      Bury seed potatoes in an 8-in. layer
           Spacing: Plant tubers   of soil at the bottom of the pot. As
           6 in. apart.            plants grow, pile more soil up to the
                                   top set of leaves. Try small- to
                                   mediumsize 'All Blue', 'Red Pontiac',
                                   or 'Yukon Gold'.
Squash     Pot depth: 18 in.       Summer squash is more productive than
           Soil temperature: At    winter squash. Grow compact varieties
           least 60[degrees].      like 'Gold Rush' yellow zucchini,
           Spacing: One plant per  'Spacemiser' green zucchini, or
           pot.                    'Sunburst' scallopini (shown).
Tomatocs   Pot depth: 18 in.       Use small wire cages or stakes to
           Soil temperature: At    support determinate types (2- to 3-
           least 60[degrees].      ft.-tall varieties that produce their
           Spacing: One plant per  crop all at once); try 'Bush
           pot.                    Celebrity'. Use sturdy 5-ft.-tall
                                   cages for indeterminate types (tall
                                   kinds that produce fruits all season)
                                   such as 'Early Girl' (shown).