Container gardening is an increasingly popular alternative to backyard gardening. People choose container gardening for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you live in an apartment or condominium and cannot use the surrounding property for a personal garden. Maybe you do not want to reduce the size or alter the appearance of your yard by carving out a portion for a garden. Sometimes, the mere convenience of having vegetable plants close by is enough reason for many to decide on container gardening for their porch or patio.
It is very important that the area of the porch or patio that you will be using for your container garden get plenty of full sunlight. You must also take into consideration the types of containers you will be using for your vegetables. All containers must have enough holes in the bottom to provide adequate drainage when the plants are watered. One of the best ways to provide proper drainage is to put coarse gravel or marble chips in a bowl or tray and place the container on top. This allows the excess water to drain through the container into the bowl or tray rather than gathering at the roots, which can cause root rot. The bowl or tray will also protect the floor of the porch or patio from water damage.
You should size your container according to the type of vegetable to be grown. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, cabbage, and cucumbers do well in 5-gallon pots; snap beans, beets, lettuce, radish, and spinach do well in 5-gallon window boxes ~ just be sure the window boxes have a minimum depth of 8”. You should follow the suggested planting distance between plants. Larger tomato and pepper plants do best with only one plant per container, unless the container is exceptionally large. The same is true for squash and eggplant.
The soil for your containers should be a lightweight potting mix. Heavy soil from the yard is generally not a good choice for your container. Container soil must be light and porous, as the roots of the plants require both air and water to flourish. A heavy soil becomes too compact and may actually suffocate the roots; or it can be non-porous enough and cause the water to settle at root level, eventually drowning the roots.
Watering your container vegetable is one of the most important tasks you will perform. Container soil dries out much quicker than deeper soil. You should water your container garden with a watering can or with a light sprayer attachment on a hose. You should water enough so that the water runs out the drainage holes, but not so much as to create a reservoir in the trays. Check your containers at least once a day in cool weather and twice a day in hot weather. Ideally, soil should be mildly damp ~ not too wet, not too dry.
If you use a light potting soil that already has fertilizer added, you should not have to re-fertilize for 10-12 weeks. If your plants are still going strong after this, you can use a water-soluble fertilizer to keep the plants blooming and hardy. Do not over fertilize, as this can burn and eventually kill the plants.
With a little TLC, your container vegetable garden can yield a nice supply of veggies for your summer meals. A container garden is a nice alternative to a traditional garden, and is especially nice for those who do not have land available for a yard garden. A container garden on a porch or patio keeps the vegetables conveniently close for easy harvest; and, at the same time, creates a sense of accomplishment that only ‘getting back to basics’ can provide.
©2009, KH Adams, Trumbull, CT