Container gardening has grown rapidly in recent years. Burpee.com is offering compact and dwarf varieties intended to succeed in small spaces. Containers make it easier for you to control the soil, light, water and fertilizer.
Bigger containers are better. The greatest challenge of container vegetable growing is watering, since soil dries out faster in pots than in the ground. A larger volume of soil won't dry out as fast, but be sure that any container has holes so excess water can drain away.
Self-watering containers have a reservoir beneath the soil topped with a grid through which the roots can reach down to the water. With these containers you won't have to water as often, but you still have to fill the reservoir daily.
Spread mulch over the soil in pots just as you would in a garden.
Herbs are easy to grow, especially if you begin with transplants. They add a fresh-grown taste to almost any meal, but remember that all herbs need full sun. Some, such as rosemary, prefer dryer soil and fewer nutrients.
With pots, you may be able to finesse a sun shortage. Place a wheeled pot trolley (available in garden centers) under a large pot and move it to follow the sun.
Baby greens, such as lettuce and spinach, are simple to grow, Sow seeds right in the pot. They take a week to sprout, but then will quickly reach a harvest size of three to four inches. Everybody loves tomatoes, but they take some work. For pots, find dwarf varieties that only grow to a certain size and bear all their fruit in a few weeks.
Buy transplants rather than trying to start them from seed. You need a large container, at least the size of a five-gallon bucket. Self-watering containers are wise because they even out the water and fertilizer supply and deter cracking, but you still will need to water frequently in summer. Provide a cage for all but the most dwarf determinate tomato varieties. Or install sturdy stakes when you plant and tie new shoots to the stakes.
x0516-121.txt