Growing Vegetables in Containers: Easy and Fun for the Whole Family!
Growing vegetables in containers is exploding in popularity. Container vegetable gardens are wonderful for small space gardening on your patio, deck, or balcony.Plus, it's really easy and something the whole family can enjoy. Growing tomatoes in pots, as well as cucumbers, beans, peppers, lettuce (even melons!) is something anyone can accomplish.
It really can be a family affair because one great thing about vegetable container gardening is that kids love it! Let them have a pot all to themselves, and let them pick out just what they want to grow. Gardening side-by-side with you will make for great family stories, and wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
Here are the basics to get your started:
Sun: As a general rule, vegetables that bear fruit (peppers and cucumbers, for instance) need full sun. Growing tomatoes, for example, requires at least 6-8 hours of full sun per day.
Soil: As a general rule, you want a rich, fertile, well-draining soil for to grow tomatoes and vegetables. If you plant in a lean soil, you'll get less production. Amend your soil and see the results. A good compost or other organic material added to your container will reap benefits come harvest time.
And don't forget about drainage. Make sure your container has holes in the bottom so water drains and your vegetables and tomatoes don't get root rot. Also add a layer of gravel in the very bottom of the pot to further guard against soggy soil.
For great success in growing vegetables in containers, think about soilless mixes since they're less likely to compact in mid-summer. This helps with vegetable and tomato plant root strength, which is essential to successfully growing vegetables in containers.
You can also purchase very good regular potting mixes and amend with compost, water gels (if you want), and time-released fertilizer. Also, vegetables generally prefer a slightly more acid soil than neutral (so a bit less than 7.0).
Water gels are preferred by some because when you grow tomatoes in pots (and other veggies), you'll need to water more often than in planting beds. This is especially true of tomatoes, which are water guzzlers. Water gel crystals help cut down on the waterings. Self-watering pots are another solution to the increased watering needs.
Fertilizer: Some people use compost and manure tea, some like time-released fertilizers, and some prefer synthetics that you mix with water. You do have to fertilize vegetables'they definitely need more than simple soil to perform well. You might also think about off-week fertilizing with a weak solution that includes iron, zinc, boron and manganese.
Pots: If you're growing vegetables in containers, the good news is that vegetables are very forgiving. Really, nearly the only two requirements are drainage holes and enough room. Growing tomatoes well means at least a five-gallon container to accommodate the extensive root system.
And since so many of you will love having fresh tomatoes right outside your door, here are specific tips on growing tomatoes in pots:
5 Essentials for Success
* The ph in the soil should be around 6.5 (just a tad below neutral, the optimum level for release of those all-important N-P-K nutrients).
* Be sure you fertilize throughout the growing season (both with time-release and watered in types). Tomatoes are heavy feeders.
* Watch your watering. The soil should be evenly moist.
* Place your tomato pots in a sunny location; tomatoes need from 6-8 hours of sun per day.
* Make sure the soil does not overheat (mulch helps).
This should get you off to a great start. For more information, including great varieties of both vegetables and tomatoes you can grow in containers, visit us at Container Gardening Made Easy.
One Response
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