Part One! Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit, and Edibles in Containers

Brilliant Ideas! Steal this One!

Growing edible plants such as vegetables, flowers, and herbs are becoming increasingly popular. Why? Because it’s simple! The edibles you cultivate Growing edible plants like vegetables, flowers, and herbs is increasingly popular. Why? Because it’s simple! The edibles you cultivate are healthier, taste better, and can often be more affordable than buying them from the store.

Not everyone has the space or desire to grow a large vegetable garden. Container gardening means anyone can grow their crops, even in a small space.  

What You’ll Need!

To successfully grow vegetables, fruits, edible flowers, and herbs, it’s essential to provide the right conditions. These plants require at least six hours of direct sunlight each day for optimal growth.

For soil, I recommend using Fafard’s Urban Garden Container Mix. This mix comprises sphagnum peat moss, black earth, coconut husk fibre, Biosol compost, lime, and organic fertilizers. It creates an ideal growing environment for your plants without the hassle of preparing your soil mix.

Additionally, feeding your container gardens is essential. A good option is Fafard’s Vegetable Organic 4-3-7 slow-release fertilizer. Simply sprinkle a few pellets on the soil surface, and as you water, the nutrients will break down and be absorbed by the plant roots.

When selecting a container for growing vegetables, ensure there are adequate drainage holes in the bottom to remove excess water. Cover the holes with a landscape fabric to prevent soil seepage. Water your containers daily, and if the weather is hot and dry, consider watering twice daily. Remember, the container soil should be kept moist, not wet. And most importantly, remember to wait until the chance of frost has passed before setting out your vegetable containers. In our area, this usually happens after the long weekend in May. This patience will ensure the best start for your plants.

   

Strawberries in a Hanging Basket. What fun!

Love Strawberries but lack Space?

Consider planting strawberries in a hanging basket for a rewarding gardening experience. To achieve the best yield, choose a couple of different varieties. June-bearing strawberries produce fruit in early summer, while ever-bearing strawberries yield fruit from mid-summer until frost. By planting one hanging basket of each variety, you can enjoy fresh strawberries throughout the summer.

How to create a Strawberry Hanging Basket!

Fill hanging baskets with Garden Container Mix to about one inch from the top of the basket. Using strawberry starter plants, place the plants around the hanging basket, evenly spaced, leaving enough room for each to grow.  You will need about five to six starter plants per hanging basket.  Make sure the plant’s roots are buried in the soil. Hang in a sunny location. Remember to check your hanging baskets daily and water if needed. You’ll know when to harvest your strawberries because the berries have turned bright red.  

Potatoes in a Bag

If you like potatoes, and who doesn’t, try your hand at ‘Potatoes in a Bag’. 

To start growing potatoes, begin with a potato growing bag (available for purchase online) or a large burlap sack. Place about six inches of container mix at the bottom of the bag. Next, add three to five seed potatoes; you can mix different varieties if you like. Space the seed potatoes evenly and cover them with about three inches of container mix. At this stage, do not water the potatoes, as overwatering can cause them to rot.

Once the foliage appears, water the plants daily or when the soil feels dry. The goal is to keep the container mix consistently moist but not overly saturated. When the stems and leaves of the potato plants reach about twelve inches in height, add six more inches of container mix around the base of the plants. This process is known as hilling, and it’s fine to cover the lower leaves and stems.

For added nutrients, mix a couple of tablespoons of vegetable fertilizer with the container mix when you hill the plants. Continue to grow your potatoes, and when the stems and foliage reach another twelve inches in height, repeat the hilling process by adding another six inches of container mix and fertilizer around the base.

The bag should now have approximately 18 to 20 inches of container mix. Continue caring for your potato plants until they begin to wilt, and the leaves turn brown; this indicates that harvest time has arrived. If using a burlap bag, you can simply cut it open along the side to collect your crop. Enjoy your homegrown potatoes!

Lettuce in a Barrel

Salad greens and loose lettuce in a barrel (or large container) means you get fresh produce over-and-over. Lettuce is quick growing, takes up little room, and is delicious.

Start with a large barrel that can hold at least 12 inches of soil. Fill it with a garden container mix, leaving about two inches from the top. Gently tamp down the soil to remove any air pockets. Take a pinch of lettuce seeds and sprinkle them over the soil, ensuring an even distribution. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of container mix, about a half inch deep, and gently firm down the seeds and soil. This step ensures the seeds come into direct contact with the soil. Water the newly planted seeds using a watering can, being careful not to wash the seeds around. Place the barrel in a sunny location and check your lettuce seeds daily.  This daily care is crucial to the success of your lettuce garden. Keep the seed bed moist, not wet.  In about five to ten days, you’ll see the lettuce seeds germinate.  When the seedlings appear and are about one to two inches tall, you can thin them out. Remove some of the seedlings until there are about 2 inches between each of the plants.

Note! Any seedlings you remove can be used to start a second or third lettuce barrel.

Make sure to water your plants regularly and check on them daily. In about four to six weeks, you can expect to enjoy a lovely crop of lettuce. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut away the largest outer leaves every couple of days; this will encourage new leaf growth.

You can start a second container (or even a third container) of lettuce every few weeks for a continuous supply of summer lettuce and salad greens. 

Use your imagination to create incredible edible containers. Growing vegetables, herbs and edible flowers is easy and fun for everyone!

Lexi Dearborn

The Gabby Gardener