Consider raising your favorite vegetables in containers
Updated 9:16 am, Thursday, August 16, 2012
Do you like gardening but don't have the time or space for a full-sized raised-bed vegetable garden? Consider raising your favorite vegetables in containers.
Tomatoes, herbs, carrots, beets, radishes, onions, lettuce and greens can all be grown in containers as small as five gallons.
Plant your tomatoes in August. There are “Patio” tomatoes marketed specifically for containers but I don't recommend them. The plants are very attractive, but the fruit is low quality.
Select a regular recommended variety such as Surefire, Solar Fire, 602, Tycoon, Celebrity or Dwarf Cherry Surprise (BHN 968).
Tomatoes require a container that is at least five gallons in capacity. Half of a whiskey barrel is ideal. The larger the container, the more room available for roots, moisture and nutrients.
Fill the container with potting soil. Container grown plants in potting soil are completely dependent on the gardener for nutrients and water so be prepared to fertilize and water frequently.
Irrigate whenever the soil dries to a half of an inch. Apply enough water that it runs out the drain hole. As the plant matures, and if it is hot this fall, you may have to water every day.
When you place the transplant in the container, also put an aluminum tomato cage in place to support the plant as it grows.
Several cool weather herbs can be planted in late August and September for winter production. Parsley, cilantro, dill and chives are the most common. They will prosper in containers as small as a gallon but are easiest to grow in three-gallon containers.
Herbs require less fertilization and water than tomatoes. Irrigate when the soil dries to an inch deep. The initial application of osmocote supplemented with an application of water-soluble fertilizer every month should do the job.
When the weather cools in September, carrots, onions, lettuce, beets, and radishes can be planted by seed in containers. Half of a whiskey barrel or other container planted with a single type of any of the vegetables can be very attractive in addition to providing plenty of produce.
Container gardening lends itself well to pest and disease control because it is easy to examine the plants every day. The relative isolation of the containers means that diseases aren't likely.
Most insects can be picked off by hand; children are especially good at this task. When a spray is called for, a small supply of Spinosad, neem oil, Bt and Safer soap should be all you need.
Calvin Finch is director of the Water Conservation and Technology Center, a new Texas A&M University System effort administered by the Texas Water Resources Institute in partnership with the Texas Center for Applied Technology. (www.twri.tamu.edu)