Adobe Stock / Robert
No room for a big harvest? Grow fresh fruit and vegetables in pots on trestles, balconies and sun terraces with these helpful gardening tips.
As urban gardening rose, so did the development of sophisticated tools and techniques. But for those who only have the space or time to set up a simple setup, there’s a good old-fashioned method, says Nora Melley, education manager at the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) in Wilmington: farming in pots.
You can grow almost anything in it – vegetables like peas, greens, and peppers in late winter, as well as a variety of tomatoes and fruits in spring – and they even offer a benefit that gardens don’t, says Melley, who has run organic vegetables in farms for years Pennsylvania and New York before joining DCH last spring. “Plants that grow in containers have fewer disease problems than plants that grow in the ground,” she says, pointing out that pests like insects have a harder time finding your crops on a deck than in the ground below, where they move between plants.
“Pots are also great because they can be planted earlier than in the ground,” she adds. “Plus, they’re easy to bring in when it’s pouring rain,” which could be harmful.
Farming in pots offers benefits that gardens don’t, including an earlier planting season and fewer problems with insects and diseases. / Adobe Stock / Robert
What you will need: Pots deep enough for your plant’s root structure (about 20 inches in diameter for vegetables, larger for fruits like strawberries and tomatoes); a small trowel; organic mixed soil; Organic seeds (High Mowing and Reimer are Melley’s favorite brands); and an organic pesticide such as Plantskydd. (Gardening gloves are optional, but be warned: digging in the ground with your bare hands is half the fun.)
Your seed package should include instructions on planting – when, how far, and how deep, and when you can expect the seeds to germinate. We’ll use butterfly spinach, beets, and carrots here as examples.
For spinach and beets, start by piercing the drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. (“Some containers come with saucers that protect concrete or patio floors,” notes Melley. “However, it is important that you not let them collect water, which is bad for most plants if they sit in them for long periods of time . ”) Next, fill the pot about an inch from the top with soil – so that the seeds get enough sun, but no water runs off – and make sure that it stays“ nice and loose ”instead of packing it up. For butterfly spinach, make small divots in a circular pattern, placing the next row between those on the outer row. Drop a seed into each divot and gently move the soil over it. Water so that the bottom is like a “damp, wrung-out sponge,” says Melley, before poking it with a popsicle with the name and date of the vegetable on it. “If it hasn’t sprouted in three weeks, start over and plant again.”
Adobe Stock / Peter
Pierce with carrots and fill your pot with soil as before. This time, sprinkle a pinch of seeds over it, then gently blot it off before adding a few more and spreading over a little more soil. “Carrots don’t like to dry out before they sprout,” notes Melley. You should be able to pull them up in June and then plant another round to enjoy until late summer or early fall. If they grow too close together, just weed out a few to make room.
Try planting tomatoes and other fruits by Mother’s Day and look for starter plants (available at local garden centers) that are already in bloom. For this, use a trowel to plant in the center of the pot. Tomatoes, with their huge root systems, do well in flat, wide containers. You can even combine them with carrots and other vegetables. Strawberries are pretty simple, Melley points out, and blueberry bushes add beauty to a backyard.
Chicken wire or organic sprays are available for pest control. It’s best to water in the morning, says Melley. “At night the water doesn’t dry out as quickly, which promotes fungal diseases. Plants can burn in the middle of the day. “Also note that containers use more water than a garden because it drains. “Stick a finger in the ground at your ankle,” Melley adds. “When it’s dry, it needs water.”
Store seeds in the refrigerator for future plantings. At the end of the season, you can scoop up soil and combine it with compost to use again next spring.
Have fun planting!
