Edible Container Gardening 101

Edible container gardening is a great way to grow vegetables especially when there is no space for a traditional garden. If you live in a condominium or an apartment, containers can provide valuable growing options. A container on casters gives you the ability to move your vegetables to sun or shade, depending on what you want to grow and the time of year. With good, fertile potting soil and a topping of protective mulch you can get by with minimal water.

If you have never tried growing edibles in a container or have not had much success, here are five key considerations  that will greatly enhance your efforts.

POT SIZE

It is important to match the size of your pot to the types of vegetables you want to grow. Bowl shaped pots that are somewhat shallow, approximately 8 to 10 inches, can be great for growing lettuces and other leafy greens. Peppers, cucumbers, beans and larger growing herbs need a deeper pot, 12- 18 inches. Tomatoes like pots that are 18-24 inches deep and about 12-14 inches in diameter.

POTTING SOIL

I recommend choosing an organic potting soil that includes lots of good compost, organic nutrients and important beneficial soil microbiology. EB Stone’s 420 blend has all of these ingredients. Plants grow well in pots when they have a rich growing medium and regular watering. Purchasing top quality potting soil is key to growing healthy, productive plants in containers.

WHERE TO LOCATE YOUR EDIBLE GARDEN

Sunlight and favorable temperatures are also important to growing healthy plants.  Observe how much sun exposure your selected area gets.  Morning sun with shade in the afternoon is good for growing leafy greens such as lettuces, arugula or kale. Sun all day is great for tomatoes and peppers. Shade loving plants like the ambient temperature range of 56-75 degrees. Full sun loving plants are comfortable in the temperature range  of 60 to the mid to upper 80’s. You may find that you have spots in and around your home to grow a bit of both. Remember that the sunlight and temperature will vary throughout the year. So you may need to make adjustments to what you want to grow and/or move containers from season to season.

PLANT NUTRITION

Good organic potting soil will contain necessary organic nutrients. These nutrients not only provide an important food source for your plants, but also for the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Beneficial soil microbiology will help plants grow strong, nutrient dense and more disease resistant. I also recommend an all-purpose fish/kelp liquid fertilizer applied once weekly throughout the growing season to ensure that your edibles have access to a full range of organic nutrients.

WATERING

Plants in pots need regular, efficient watering as they can become dry more quickly than when planted in the ground. Water until you see it coming out of the drain hole at the bottom of the pot. This means that you have watered completely through the root zone. Fertile potting soil and a layer of mulch will help retain moisture. As you get to know your growing environment you will be able to fine-tune your watering schedule.

Once you have experienced success  with your container garden, you can take growing to the next level by planting your favorite crops in succession over the course of the growing season, which is all year in our neck of the woods!   So don’t plant everything all at once. Start a little at a time with strategic new plantings at  four, eight and twelve week intervals. Leafy greens can be successively grown every four to six weeks. Longer growing crops can be planted every eight to twelve weeks.

Now you are ready to get started or advance your edible container gardening efforts. With some good observation for growing potential in and around your home and care to provide your edibles with a good growing environment you will enjoy successful harvests well into the future.

Oscar Carmona, Healing Grounds Nursery 

Special Event: Eye of the Day will be hosting a special Edible Container Gardening Workshop with Oscar Carmona on Saturday, June 27th. For more information and to reserve your spot, please visit the event page.

Summer to me means juicy ripe tomatoes (corn and squash also make the menu often, as well). Finally, after months of insipid, tasteless impersonators, there are flavorful, luscious orbs in many shades of green, yellow and red to eat out of hand or include in salads and salsas. Growing up in the central valley of California, tomatoes were easy and plentiful. Both my dad and grandpa had prolific gardens; the days were long, the weather warm to hot and the soil rich and fertile. Just the right conditions for success.

I am not so lucky. I live just a mile from the coast and under a very shady oak tree. Not only does the oak steal the sun, its roots suck up all the moisture and nutrients present in the soil of my small garden plot. So, I have resorted to growing my tomatoes in pots. I plant them in large containers with all the nutrients and drainage they require and place them in the sunniest spot I have.

Choosing the Right Plants

Some years, I’ve started seeds of interesting or heirloom varieties. Some years, I buy already sturdy plants from local nurseries or home improvement centers. One of the characters to look for in choosing tomatoes for containers is the word “determinate.” Some tomatoes just want to keep growing and growing (like the vines some of their ancestors are). These are called “indeterminate” and are less well suited for container culture. The determinate selections have a genetic set-point that limits their ultimate size. They may still require some support, especially as they start bearing those juicy fruits, so provide a tomato cage or sturdy stake when planting to keep them upright.

Consider the Varieties

The scope of varieties is huge, both in size, color and texture. There are those designated as cherry tomatoes (some of the sweetest), perfect, one-serving patio tomatoes and big, beefy tomatoes suitable for accompanying grilled meats at the cookout. Whichever you choose, tomatoes can thrive happily in a planter if your garden plot is less than ideal (like mine). Now is the time to search out your favorites and get them started for those summer feasts. Browse  for an introduction to the wonderful world of tomatoes.

I bet if a nineteenth century man learned that in the future hundreds of books would crop up to teach people how to grow their own food, he’d laugh, and then cry. How could a practice so central to human survival for thousands of years suddenly come off as a new hobby? Well, that’s exactly what’s happened, and this trend marketing must be working, because in November my husband and I put together a raised bed, poured in some good soil, and planted kale and beet seeds. We also planted garlic cloves, and if it isn’t already obvious, we were making a “super foods” garden. We feel stronger already.

Patti Moreno, the author of Gardening By Cuisine, would certainly approve, as her book advises readers on the requirements and merits of herb pesto gardens, Mediterranean vegetable gardens, Asian stir-fry gardens, marinara sauce gardens, and other themes that lead from a seed directly to a recipe.

This fun idea of Moreno’s appeals to brand new vegetable gardeners by covering beginner’s steps for setting up an organic garden from scratch. She deals with drip irrigation (perhaps the most important thing a new gardener must embrace), soil, sunlight and pests. Before anyone has a chance to get bored, she delves into harvesting, drying, freezing and all manner of preserving. The crescendo comes with her delightful recipes for meals around the clock, detox drinks, desserts–all organized by your cuisine of choice. Thanks to her, I’ll be making a Triple Herb Potato Soup with Red Winter Kale & Manchego Cheese, with red kale I grew myself.

Gardening by Cuisine, available through , published by Sterling in 2013.