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| Spring lettuce with petunias in a pot |
Saturday, March 2, 2019
There are so many new varieties out every year. There are ones that are more resistant to disease. Ones that have higher nutritional value. Ones that produce more. Ones that have improved taste. Ones that are developed for their small size and big harvests for those of us who have limited space or just want to get more for the effort. It is amazing what can now be grown in pots! Space, or lack thereof, is not a barrier to growing your own veggies these days.
We hear a lot about Monsanto and GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) and crop breeding can seem a bad thing. The difference between GMO’s and other types of crop breeding is that GMO’s bring in genetic material from other organisms in a lab, like bacteria and even viruses. The plants are engineered so that they kill insects that try to eat it.
That is only one side of the plant breeding story. There are many other natural breeding of crops today. It can be as simple as saving of seeds from the best producer of last year that many back yard gardeners do. There are also hybrids which take the best traits of two different parents into seeds. These hybrids will not produce seed that you can reuse next year and get the same vegetable as the parent.
Heirlooms and open pollinated vegetables will produce “true” to seed. The offspring will be like its parent. It isn't just the old varieties that you can save and use seeds from year to year. It is any "open pollinated", non-GMO, non-hybrid. If you find a veggie you really like at the store, it doesn't hurt a thing to save the seed and try growing it in your garden.
Through the centuries, farmers have chosen the traits they like and have built on them from season to season. This has given us Brandywine tomatoes, Vidalia onions and Jalapeño peppers. Yum!
Today's breeding has had more focus on urban and small space gardening; growing great tasting fruits and vegetables in small spaces and containers. There are lots of new compact, dwarf, bush, patio, container varieties available every year. Today, you can grow almost anything you like in a pot, even corn and watermelons!
Just be sure to match the right edible with the size of pot you have. Check the seed packet description for words like "compact", "dwarf", "container" or "patio" to know if the plant is bred to grow well in a pot. Add flowers, too. This not only adds pizazz to the container, but attracts beneficial pollinators that increase yields. A real win-win. Vegetables you can grow in pots
When growing veggies and fruit in containers, they will require more watering and more liquid fertilizer than if they were in the ground. In the summer, you may have to water some water lovers every day. Summer garden tips
To reduce watering, purchase or make pots that have a water reservoir in the bottom. A couple on the market today are “Earthbox” and “Grow Box”. With these type of pots, you can water weekly. I always put mulch on top of the soil to help keep the moisture in.
You can make your own self-watering containers using 5 gallon buckets or other plastic containers or you can buy a self watering kit to convert your existing container to a self watering pot.
Be sure to have good soil in your pots. Make sure your soil is ready to get your new veggies going as soon as you put them in the pot. If you are re-using a pot, you will need to Re-energize your potting soil! Having fertile soil with lots of minerals is not only good for the plant, but also gives you veggies with better nutritional value. You really are what you eat!
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| Pepper plant in a pot |
There are a few veggies I always grow in containers. Some, like peppers and eggplant, I grow because they seem to do better in a pot than they do in the ground. Others, like lettuce, kale, spinach, Egyptian walking onions, sprouting broccoli, beets and peas, I grow in pots because it makes it easy to harvest on a frequent basis. I can also move the greens to a cooler spot in the garden as the heat of summer moves in. I always try a compact tomato plant in a pot just for fun. They do quite well in a pot. Compact tomatoes for small spaces and pots
In Summary
1. Decide what you would like to have fresh, growing right outside your door. How to know what to grow
2. Look for dwarf, patio, compact, container seeds or plants.
3. Determine size of pot needed to support the veggie, fruit or herb. Vegetables you can grow in pots
4. Either re-energize the soil if using an existing pot or purchase organic potting soil, and add amendments as needed (fertilizer and minerals). Re-energize your potting soil!
5. Use flowers as companion plants with your veggie to make it pretty as well as more productive. Many flowers are also edible. Flowers that are edible
6. Cover soil with mulch, after plants are growing.
7. Water as needed. A self-watering pot can really cut down on the amount of watering needed.
8. Fertilize biweekly. Summer garden tips
With all the colors and varieties out there, beautiful container combinations can expand and beautify your garden space.
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