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Veggies in pots

Last update: May 5, 2009 - 1:14 PM

Even if you don't have a garden plot you can grow your own incredible edibles. All you need is a container, plants, patience and plenty of sun.

PICK YOUR POT

• Make sure it has drain holes.

• Clean and dry it before you use it.

• Choose a pot suited to your site. Plastic is lightweight and helps retain moisture. Clay lets roots breath, but can dry out quickly in hot sun. Wood insulates from the heat, but avoid any wood that's been treated with chemicals toxic to plants. Avoid metal. It can heat up and damage plant roots.

GO BIG

When choosing a container, bigger is better. Small containers dry out quickly and plants can cause plants to become root bound. Here's a guide to what kind of - and how many - plants a pot can hold:

FILL YOUR POT

Don't use garden soil. It tends to compact and can harbor insects and diseases. Buy a mix designed for containers or make your own mix of peat moss, vermiculite or perlite and completed compost.

WHEN TO PLANT

Cool-weather veggies (peas, radishes, beets, broccoli, carrots and salad greens) should be planted early in the season. Warm-weather veggies (cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, squash and other vines) should be planted in mid- to late May. Planting too early can stunt their growth and reduce your harvest.

LOCATION, LOCATION

Most vegetables need at least six hours of sun a day. Plants that bear fruit require the most sun. If possible, pick a spot that offers some shelter from the wind.

FEED

Container-grown crops need fertilizer. Use a potting mix that contains fertilizer, mix a slow-release fertilizer into the soil when you plant or use a water-soluable fertilizer weekly. To go natural, consider using composted manure, fish emulsion, seaweed extracts or alfalfa, bone or blood meal.

WATER

Water when top inch of soil is dry. You may have to water daily while plants are developing, then twice a day when they bear fruit. Flush the soil of excess salts weekly by watering (without fertilizer) until water drains freely from the pot.

GROW UP OR OUT

Vining vegetables (cucumbers, squash, some peas and beans) can cascade over their containers or be trained to grow vertically by using stakes, a trellis or placing the pot near a railing or fence.

HOW MUCH TO PLANT

A 1-gallon pot (8 inches):

• one cherry tomato plant

• one cabbage

• one rosemary

• two Swiss chard plants

• two to three green bean plants

• two to three smaller herbs (basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley)

• four to six spinach plants or six lettuce plants

A 2-gallon pot (10 inches):

• one eggplant

• one broccoli or cauliflower

• two cucumbers

• two peppers

• four to six beets or carrots

• eight to 10 radishes

A 3-gallon pot (12 inches):

• one tomato (Patio, Jet Star, Early Girl or Celebrity are good in pots)

• one zucchini

• one summer squash

Sources: Larry Cipolla, Executive Board member of the Hennepin County Master Gardeners and chair of State Master Gardeners Advisory Board; Mary Hockenberry Meyer, professor and extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota; University of Minnesota Extension Service.

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