Featured Products
Dynamic Design 20-inch Metro Planter
Dynamic Design EcoGardener™ 12-inch Cambridge Planter
If you love the taste of fresh vegetables and herbs, but don’t have enough yard space to garden, container gardening may be the solution for you. All you need is a windowsill, doorstep, patio or balcony and you’ll have enough room for a container garden. Growing food crops in containers also is very popular among people who have the space, but who want just a small, manageable garden.
Containers lend themselves well to most crops that can be grown in larger, in-ground gardens. Many type of crops are especially well suited for container gardening, such as lettuce, tomatoes, eggplants, beans and herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano and cilantro. Some plants even have varieties designed specifically for container growing. These varieties will be marked on the plant labels.
Generally, a five-gallon container, such as the 20-inch Metro Planter, is better for planting and provides the space necessary for root development and growing space. If you must select a smaller container try the EcoGardener 12-inch Cambridge Planter. You will need to plant fewer plants per container.
No matter what size container you use, don’t crowd the plants and be sure to follow the spacing guidelines on the plants. Always select wide mouthed containers no matter what the size. Place your containers where they will get 6 to 8 hours of sun daily.
Containers allow you to plant combinations that are both edible and attractive. For example, try creating a salad container planting different colors of leaf lettuce, a bush cucumber, and a dwarf patio tomato. You can even plant root vegetables such as onions, carrots, radishes, and beets if you use a container that is 10 to 12 inches deep.
To ensure success of your container garden, be ready to water daily if necessary since the soil dries out much more quickly in containers than for plants in the ground. Water with drip irrigation or by hand whenever the soil is dry to the touch 2 to 3 inches below the surface. Fertilize every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer for vegetables, or add controlled-release fertilizer at planting time, supplemented with a water-soluble fertilizer when needed.
Harvest your plants frequently to encourage increased production.
