CORVALLIS, Ore. — Don’t let lack of yard space keep you from gardening this spring and summer. Many vegetables grow well in containers on a patio, porch, balcony or windowsill.
Small spaces make it hard to grow some larger vegetables, according to Brooke Edmunds, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. For instance, growing corn on a balcony may not be practical.
Many crops do well in containers, including lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, beans, squash, radishes, strawberries, kale, chard and spinach.
But many crops do well in containers, including lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, beans, squash, radishes, strawberries, kale, chard and spinach.
There are dwarf and miniature varieties — such as ‘Thumbelina’ carrots and other baby vegetables — that work well in small areas.
Vining crops can go in hanging baskets or large pots and be trained vertically on trellises, stakes or railings.
Sun matters. Root and leaf crops (beets, turnips, lettuce, cabbage, mustard greens) can tolerate light shade. Vegetables grown for fruit — tomatoes, green beans and peppers — need six to eight hours of direct sun each day. The more sun, the better.
Choose containers and ensure drainage
Almost any container can work: bushel baskets, metal drums, gallon cans, plastic tubs, wooden boxes and well-rinsed cutoff jugs.
Ten-inch pots suit green onions, parsley and many herbs. For deeper roots — tomatoes, peppers and eggplant — five-gallon containers are best.
Whatever you use, provide drainage. Drill holes along the side about ½ inch from the bottom, and make sure the potting mix drains well. Elevate pots on bricks or boards so water can escape.
Use quality potting mix and start right
Container vegetables can be grown from seed or planted as transplants.
Good soil helps. Use packaged potting soil or composted container mix from a garden center. These mixes are lightweight, sterile and well-draining. Do not use topsoil or general “planting mix”; both can be heavy and drain poorly.
Plant seeds according to packet directions. After planting, water gently so you don’t wash seeds out.
Feed and water consistently
Vegetables in containers need regular fertilization. A soluble, all-purpose fertilizer mixed with water is easy to use. Apply every three to four days at half-strength of the labeled mix.
Dry fertilizers sprinkled on top of the soil are a second-best option; if you use them, fertilize every three weeks. Organic materials such as compost, well-aged manures, blood meal, rock phosphate and greensand can also supply nutrients.
Regular watering is essential, Edmunds said. Containers dry out quickly, especially on concrete in full sun. Daily watering is not unusual — but don’t let soil stay soggy or pool on top. Water when the soil feels dry and continue until water runs from the drainage holes.
After spring and early summer harvests, replant containers with late-summer and fall vegetables.
Previously titled Don’t let lack of room discourage you from gardening
