Vertical Interior Garden

Vegetable Container Gardening

Growing a Great Container Garden

Nothing beats fresh vegetables out of your own garden. The taste of a freshly picked tomato is pure heaven and digging your own new, red potatoes is so rewarding. But what do you do if you don't have a large yard or no yard at all? No problem! You can grow a vegetable garden in a container!

Many people think of container gardening as an easy way to grow beautiful flowers and accent patios and porches with color. But have you ever tried adding a few vegetables in with the flowers? Growing vegetables and herbs in containers is just as easy as growing flowers and you get delicious results! You can mix a cherry tomato plant in with a pot of marigolds and snapdragons. The bright red fruit is a beautiful addition to the colorful blooms. Put a couple of red potato starts in a large planter with a few flowers, the foliage of potato plants is very beautiful and you will also have a few tiny white flowers as well.
H
ow about dedicating a few planters to just produce? Strawberries often produce more fruit when planted in a container because they don't have much room to spread. Strawberry plants spread by sending out runners that root down and start a new plant. Once the strawberries run out of room to send out shoots, they put all their energy into producing fruit.  How delicious to have fresh strawberries just outside your door!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning a container garden.  

Properly prepare your pot. Your pot will need good drainage so make sure it has drainage holes drilled in the bottom. If your pot does not have drainage holes, either drill holes or create a drainage area by adding a layer of gravel at the bottom. If you have a very large pot, you can create a drainage area and eliminate the need for large quantities of soil by adding a layer of styrofoam at the bottom.  This will also make the pot easier to move around. Just remember to add enough soil for the plants to have a good root system.

Don't use garden soil. The soil in your yard is generally too heavy for container use. A container gardening needs light soil that is rich in organic material for proper drainage.  Mix regular potting soil with compost and peat moss to get a healthy soil that is perfect for containers.  It is a good idea to mix in time release fertilizer while you are mixing the soil. Most time release fertilizers last about three months so plan to add more at that time.

When you are transplanting new plants, dig the hole about twice as large as the plants root ball.  Then back fill the hole with some loose soil, this will give the tender roots soft soil to anchor in. Before you place the plant in the hole, massage the roots to break them up slightly. The plant roots have been confined to a small area while they are getting their start, however they need to break free and they need a little help from you to do that.

Give your plants a healthy start by using a root starting fertilizer as you are planting. Mix the liquid fertilizer with water and add it as you plant each new plant to your container.  Root starting fertilizers contain the proper nutrients that help to prevent transplant shock.  

Trim the plant after you plant it. This is a difficult thing for most gardeners to do. After all you just bought a beautiful, full plant at the store! You need to remember that the plant needs to put effort into building a strong root system. This is difficult if the plant is trying to maintain full blooms or large amounts of foliage as well.  A good rule of thumb is to cut off the plant by two thirds. Don't worry, your plant will grow back fuller and healthier than before.

Combine plants with similar requirements. If a plant requires full sun, don't pair it up with a plant that does best in partial shade. Careful planning will yield the best results in container gardening.  

Containers are a great way to have fresh produce all summer long. Growing your own fresh produce is rewarding and allows you to provide healthy food for your family. Give container gardening a try, you will love the results!

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Green Arbor Container Garden Essentials Sale Price: $9.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description An eco-friendly way for even the novice gardener to start cherry tomatoes, bibb lettuce, and mini bell-pappers inside and transplant into a larger container or outdoors! Great gift idea for your friend with the green thumb! Features Salad in a box! Contains 3 biodegradable pots for easy transplanting! Contains "guaranteed to germinate" a Ferry-Morse seed packet and Jiffy peat pellets for growing success!

EarthBox RB-EB-TRC-PBB Garden Kit, Terra Cotta List Price: $70.00 Sale Price: $48.45 You save: $21.55 (31%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm. This maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort! No digging, no weeding, no guesswork. Vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers grow bigger, tastier and faster in the EarthBox! The EarthBox Garden Kit measures 30" L x 13.5" W x 12" H and includes fertilizer, dolomite, two germination covers and castor wheels for easy movement. Almost any brand of potting mix for containers or hanging plants will work with EarthBox (not included), which has a large capacity of 2.5 cubic feet. Features Wheeled garden box growing kit with fertilizer, dolomite, 2 germination covers Great for cultivating vegetables, herbs and flowers on windowsills, decks, balconies Sets up in just minutes to grow anywhere, indoors or outdoors Just add planting mix, seedlings and water; includes foolproof instructions Measures 30 by 13-1/2 by 12 inches (l x w x h); 2-1/2-cubic-foot soil capacity

PotLifter 200-Pound Gardening Heavy Lifting Tool List Price: $29.95 Sale Price: $21.74 You save: $8.21 (27%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Saves your back by sharing the loadLifts objects up to 200 lbs and 30 inches in diameterPicks up flowerpots rocks heavy bags and moreWeighs only 1.5 lbsStores in handy drawstring bagSaves your back by sharing the loadLifts objects up to 200 lbs and 30 inches in diameterPicks up flowerpots rocks heavy bags and moreWeighs only 1.5 lbsStores in handy drawstring bagSaves your back by sharing the loadLifts objects up to 200 lbs and 30 inches in diameterPicks up flowerpots rocks heavy bags and moreWeighs only 1.5 lbsStores in handy drawstring bagSaves your back by sharing the loadLifts objects up to 200 lbs and 30 inches in diameterPicks up flowerpots rocks heavy bags and moreWeighs only 1.5 lbsStores in handy drawstring bag Features Saves your back by sharing the load Lifts objects up to 200 lbs and 30 inches in diameter Picks up flowerpots rocks heavy bags and more Weighs only 1.5 lbs Stores in handy drawstring bag

Mini-Garden Stacker- Stackable/Hangable All Season Planter- Indoor/Outdoor Stacking Flower Pot- Great Gardening Gift Idea For A Gardener - Color: Tuscany List Price: $42.95 Sale Price: $34.95 You save: $8.00 (19%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Great For the Creative Gardener! Stackable. Portable. Hangable. Includes Hanging Chain. All-Season Planter. Imagine on your deck, balcony, Window Sill, Countertop or in your home entryway a cascade of colorful flowers, tasty herbs, strawberry patch or tomato patch beautifully displayed in a planter that Features Holds Nine Or More Plants - Self Watering Stackable Or Hangable - 11 Inches In diameter - 2 Feet Tall - Includes Hanging Chain Indoor / Outdoor Use - All Season - 1 Year Limited Warranty Collapses for Easy Storage - UV Protected Durable Plastic - Available in Four Colors Fun Way to Garden Indoors Or Out with Limited Space. - Perfect Gift Idea

Frame It All Raised Vegetable Garden 4 Foot x 8 Foot List Price: $120.00 Sale Price: $112.19 You save: $7.81 (7%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Growing vegetables in this 4' x 8' X 6" high, easily accessible Raised Garden is a joy and relieves stress. A ‘Frame It All’ raised garden greatly improves your odds of harvesting a bountiful crop of healthy, robust vegetables and plants. The strong durable composite timbers are hollow and retain the heat of the sunshine to difuse the heat throughout the night to and keep the soil at a constant temperature. Manufactured from 60% recycled, post-consumer plastic and 40% wood flour, the Eco-friendly durable composite wood grain plastic timbers, which never rot, splinter or lose their color - which just weathers naturally like real wood, locate into brackets on the joint stakes, which are hammered into the ground. Raised gardens are easy to manage by people of all ages. No back-breaking effort is required to teach even the youngest children the joys of growing and gardening. Kit contains 6 Stacking Joints, 6 Composite Timbers, and all necessary hardware. Features Outdoor raised garden adds color and beauty to your décor Made using 60-percent recycled post-consumer plastic and 40-percent wood flour Assembles in minutes Includes 6 stacking joints, 6 composite plastic timbers, and all necessary hardware 96 x 48 x 6 inches; 32 pounds

Carrot Baby Little Fingers Heirloom Seeds 400 Seeds Sale Price: $1.59   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Reaching only three inches long this carrot will get your children eating their vegetables. Enough seeds for one fifteen foot row. But if you plant every other week you will have a long season of fresh carrots. Features This is a great container carrot only 3 inches long. Never let carrot plants dry out as this causes cracking. Enough seeds for one 15 foot row. It is very fun vegetable for children to grow Daucus carota var sativa

Easy Gardener 40200 Decorative Plant Protector Bags - 2 pack Medium List Price: $10.99 Sale Price: $9.35 You save: $1.64 (15%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description The Decorative Plant Protector Bag is a green, woven fabric bag that fits over most shrubs, bushes, and potted plants. It has a subtle leaf pattern that will blend into the surrounding landscape.Each plant bag will protect plants from frost. Simply cover the outdoor plant, shrub, or tree with the bag in the evening and then remove the plant bag in the morning after the sun is up.They also will extend your vegetable harvest. When using this plant bags for garden frost cover you will continue to enjoy tomatoes and other crops well after others have stopped.How to cover plants for frost protection :Slid the bag over the plant Secure shut with drawstrings Each plant protector bag is reusable for yearly protection, if it becomes worn out they are recyclable. Features Frost Protection Protects plants from damaging weather Covers plants quickly and easily Reusable and recyclable

Ruby Red Rhubarb Heirloom Swiss Chard Seeds 100 Seeds Sale Price: $1.89   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This variety is pretty and sweet. To jump start germination, soak the seeds for a day before planting. Features This Swiss Chard has the bonus attribute of being a container vegetable. You want to sow Chard directly in your garden considerably after your last spring frost. The flavor will be enhanced if you let it mature in cool to cold weather. All chard needs is 60 days to harvest. Beta vularis Ciscla group

Farmers Market Cut and Come Again Lettuce Blend Seeds 2000 Seeds Sale Price: $2.79   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description mix of four varieties to create the most appealing and varied salads. The mix contains Tango which is frilly and light green, Little Gem, Cimarron which is crimon, and Outredgeous (yes that is how it is spelled) which is deep burgandy. This is a cut and come again mixture. Stagger the sowings for long harvests. As with all lettuces they are best grown in the cool of spring or autumn. If you must grow them in the heat find them some shade. 2000 seeds per packet. Features Blend of 4 different textures and colors. Tango, frilly and light green, Little Gem just wonderful Cimarron which is crimson and tangy Outredgeous (correct spelling) a deep burgandy

Container Tomato Seeds - Super Bush Sale Price: $3.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This scrumptious hybrid is specially bred for high yields of heavy fruits with juicy-sweet, rich tomato flavor on space-saving 3 foot plants. Perfect for pots and patio containers. Features Sow Seeds Indoors: Feb. - Mar. / Days To Germinate: 7 - 14 Days / Transplant Outdoors Full Sun: April - June / Transplant To Harvest: Approx. 75 Days / Net Wt: .10 Grams / Seeds Per Pack: Approx. 30