Urban Plant Gardening

For some gardeners, growing vegetables in containers is essential. Urban gardening often means growing on rooftops, balconies, alleys, sidewalks, or any small space available to a gardener. Gardeners with physical disabilities find that growing vegetables in containers makes them accessible and cared for much easier. Difficult soil conditions (sand, stone, clay) make growing vegetables especially difficult. Even in urban areas, gardeners often find container gardening a way to avoid sharing their crop with deer, rabbits, and woodlice. If you're new to container veggies, or have had limited success, here are some tips to help you succeed.

Container selection

As a general rule, choose a container as large as possible. Small containers dry out more quickly and may need daily watering. Self-irrigating cultivators designed for balconies and urban patios lengthen the time between irrigations. You will need to think about the weight – once the pot is filled with moist soil and plant material, it will be very heavy. And you may want to think about appearance. What shape does it "go well" with your home and other utensils? Even canvas are good for growing vegetables. With colorful grow bags, you can add some capriciousness to your vegetable garden. Most importantly, you will need to consider the depth of the container in which you will grow. Plants with deep roots will be stunted and unhealthy if they do not have enough space. Remember that the deeper the pot, the larger the moist soil tank and the less water you need. The exception is a self-watering planter. In this case, the depth of the planting area can be kept to a minimum because moisture is provided by the water tank located below the planting area.

Where to put your planter

Most vegetables require at least six hours of sunlight per day. Vegetable and herbal salad can usually be obtained at a lower cost. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and other sun lovers will appreciate as much sun as possible. If your garden isn't exposed to sunlight, consider placing your plants on cans or adding wheels. This way they can be moved during the day or even later in the season as the angle of the sun changes.

Wind is another factor to consider. Your plants will be happier in a sheltered place where the wind does not blow and their leaves dry out. Use a building's shelter, or erect temporary windbreaks made of portable fencing or fabric. Arrange your pots so that large plants protect young ones. Gathering plants in the pot also helps raise humidity levels, making plants more productive.

If you use a trellis or any other type of support in your container, wind is a particular concern. Make sure you have a heavy bowl and/or the trellis is mounted on a handrail or other object installed upright.

How to choose a soil mixture or pot

Do not fill your containers with soil from your garden or packaged topsoil. Containers should be filled with a "soilless" potting mix that retains moisture and resists pressure. I usually mix a large amount of granular organic fertilizer and a shovel or so of compost.

Watering your vegetable garden

Vegetables require a constant supply of water to perform at their best. Inconsistent moisture causes a lot of problems, such as falling flowers, poor root growth, leaf curl, insect problems and rot. The best way to ensure your plants always have a steady supply of water is to use a self-watering pot. All that is needed is to fill the tank every few days. Plants absorb moisture as they need it.

Fertilize your vegetable plantations

Fertilizers are especially important when growing vegetables in containers. In fact, it won't work if you don't use any kind of fertilizer. I recommend mixing granular organic fertilizers into the soil when planting, then weekly feeding with water-soluble fertilizers, such as plant health care. There are several reasons why fertilizers are important. The first is that the growing medium in the container contains few, if any, nutrients. Your plants rely on you to provide the nutrients they need. Second, the plants are watered in containers a lot, and every time you water them you wash some of the nutrients out of the soil. The third reason fertilizer is necessary is that in a container garden, you pack a lot of plants in a small space. A 2× 2-inch self-watering planter may contain one tomato plant, 2 pepper plants, one basil plant, and some parsley. That's a lot of foliage and fruit that can be fed from a few gallons of "soil.

The best vegetables for containers

Potato, chard, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, Asian greens, beans. And do not forget about herbs!

Below are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth. Keep in mind that you can work less deeply if you're using a self-watering pot.

4-5": Chives, lettuce, radish, other vegetable salad, basil, coriander

6-7": Beans, garlic, cabbage, onion, Asian vegetables, peas, mint, thyme

8-9": Beans, Carrots, Chard, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Leeks, Peppers, Spinach, Parsley, Rosemary

10-12": Beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

Plant groups and companion cultivation

When combining several different types of plants in one pot, it is best to match plants that have a similar need for water and fertilizer. For example, rosemary, which loves relatively hot and dry conditions, will not be suitable for waterthirsty cucumbers. To maximize space, you may want to combine a plus plant with an existing plant. In fact, some plants grow best when they grow near a compatible companion. On the other hand, some plants don't seem to grow well when combined with certain plants.

Good companion plants:

Beans, carrots and pumpkins

Eggplant, beans

Tomato, basil, onion.

Lettuce, herbs

Spinach, chard, onion

Groups to avoid:

Beans with onions and garlic

Carrots with dill or fennel

Tomato or pumpkin with potatoes

Onions with beans and peas