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 Sunday, May 11
A moveable feast
Growing edibles in containers
 “Then there was the bad weather …” begins Hemingway in his novel, “A Moveable Feast.” Though his reference is in no way related to my topic, it does remind me of one of the many advantages of growing fruits and vegetables in containers – the ability to grow a crop when natural conditions would otherwise prevent it. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to plant fruits and vegetables in containers. Simply for the beauty of it ranks high on my list, but lack of space, poor soil conditions, portability, convenience, root/runner control, and extending the growing season (early or late) are also excellent reasons for growing your own ‘moveable feast.’
Whether off-season or on-season, there are a few basic points to consider when growing fruits and/or vegetables in containers:
Do you have adequate sunlight?
Fruits, vegetables and herbs need at least six to eight hours of full sun each day. Smaller vegetables that do not produce an aboveground fruit (like lettuce, radishes and onions) can tolerate a bit more shade than high-demand crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash and fruits. Remember, too, that the greater the supply of sun (especially if it is reflecting off a concrete patio) and the bigger the plant grows, the greater its water requirement! (One word of caution about intensely-sunny patios and decks: Fully-exposed black plastic pots sitting directly on a hot surface in full sun can absorb and generate a great deal of heat. You can literally cook the roots of the plant(s) in that pot. If using black plastic, I suggest that you cover the pot with burlap, put it inside another light-colored urn, or try to shade it as much as possible.)
Choosing the appropriate container
The size of the pot should be proportionate to the size of the full-grown plant and should not contain chemicals (like lead) that are toxic to plants and human beings. Shallow-rooted, small crops such as lettuce, spinach, radishes and onions can be grown in a rather shallow vessel. Baskets, bulb pots and even cake pans work well. The larger the plant, the larger the container should be. Peppers and eggplant won’t need as large a pot as tomatoes and squash. Vines like tomatoes, cucumbers and small melons can be grown in hanging containers or trained to grow up a trellis or fence.
Aftercare
Because of the increased fertility demands of fruit/vegetable producing crops, growing large vine crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and melons in containers requires more attention and more frequent fertilization than a flowering basket does. But too much of a ‘good’ thing can be bad for vegetable production, too. If you notice extremely lush growth with little or no production, you may be over fertilizing or using a fertilizer too high in nitrogen (the first number) or phosphorus (the last number).
There are plenty of options out there to help maintain adequate moisture levels (like self-watering pots and moisture-retaining granules), but simple routine and diligence is all that’s really required. Most importantly, never allow the roots to sit in water. Fruits and vegetables actually benefit from flow-through drainage because about once a week you should ‘flush’ water through the pot to carry out excess salts that can build up due to the more frequent fertilizing requirements of container-grown plants.
A soluble fertilizer (10-20-10, 12-24-12 or 8-16-8) should be applied once a day when the plants are watered. During the peak growing season (July, August and September), I suggest that, once a month, you replace your regular fertilizer with a water-soluble fertilizer containing iron, zinc, boron and manganese, applying it according to label directions.
Variety selection
You can grow just about anything in containers, but you may have greater success with the varieties listed below because they have either been bred for container production or have a naturally-compact growing habit that makes them easier to manage. When selecting plants, be on the lookout for key words like bush, compact and space saver.
Cucumbers: ‘Salad Bush Hybrid,’ ‘Spacemaster,’ ‘Bush Pickle’
Eggplant: ‘Bambino,’ ‘Slim Jim’
Green Beans: (Pole beans give a higher yield in a small footprint) ‘Blue Lake,’ ‘Kentucky’ ‘Wonder,’ ‘French Dwarf’
Green Onions: ‘Beltsville Bunching,’ ‘Crystal Wax,’ ‘Evergreen Bunching’
Leaf Lettuce: ‘Buttercrunch,’ ‘Salad Bowl,’ ‘Bibb’
Peppers: (Sweet) ‘Frigitello,’ ‘Cubanelle,’ ‘Sweet Banana,’ ‘Apple.’ (Hot) Red Cherry,’ ‘Jalapeno,’ ‘Robustini’
Radishes: ‘Cherry Belle,’ ‘Scarlet Globe’
Squash: ‘Ronde de Nice,’ ‘Gold Rush’
Tomatoes: ‘Patio,’ ‘Pixie,’ ‘Tiny Tim,’ ‘Saladette,’ ‘Toy Boy,’ ‘Spring Giant,’ ‘Tumbling Tom,’ ‘Small Fry’
Three container combos to try
 Summer Salad Garden
A half whiskey/wine barrel is the appropriate container for this one. It is, however, not easily moved, so make certain it gets lots of good sun and some wind protection. The tomato plant can be placed in the center or toward the back of the container and must be caged or staked. Everything else can be planted around or in front of the tomato in such a manner that it receives adequate sunlight.
You will need:
1 favorite tomato variety
1 or 2 large-leaf green or red basil plants
1 sweet bell pepper plant (whichever color you prefer; most peppers start out green or ivory then turn red or yellow or orange as they ripen)
3 or more onion bulbs or plants (grouped together)
1 favorite cucumber plant (placed close to the edge of the barrel)
Soup Garden
This one is best planted in early summer and left to mature until fall. A light frost improves the taste and texture of the cabbage. You can harvest stems of celery all summer long. Take only a few outer stems and leave the center growing point undisturbed. There are both spring and fall/winter varieties of savoy cabbage; try to find a ‘Spivoy,’ which is a slightly pointed head that holds well and can be planted in tight spaces. Otherwise, use whatever you can find. The sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) ‘Blackie’ or ‘Margarita’ are the ones I’d recommend for this container (steer clear of ‘Sweet Carolina’ because it seldom produces a bulbous root). Even though they are not true (tuberous) potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), they sometimes produce an edible root that is sweet, whiteish-yellow and rather dry. It is very good cooked in soups. If the plant gets hit too hard by a frost or freeze, though, it needs to be harvested right away. Because it is the plant’s root and not a true tuber, when the plant dies, the root will soon follow if not properly handled.
You will need:
1-3 celery plants (grouped if multiples)
1-2 savoy cabbage plants
1 ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’ or ‘Margarita’)
The Garden Sage
Broccoli and kale are nutrient dynamos and sage is a lovely and delicious addition that can be used throughout the growing season. This can be planted in early spring but is also a great fall/winter pot. The sage does help protect the broccoli and kale somewhat from cabbage looper moths/larvae during the hot part of the summer, but don’t be surprised if they still do considerable damage. You can keep the moths from laying eggs by covering the kale and broccoli with a fine mesh or putting the pot on a sunny screen porch during the months of July and August; you can put the planter back outdoors or uncover in mid-September for fall harvest. To avoid cabbage looper problems, plant the container in August and it will reward you with great color and fall/winter goodness. Broccoli can be planted closely together, but it does get large. If you plant more than one to a pot, the container should be at least 14 inches across. Harvest the crown(s) of broccoli by cutting the stalk about halfway down when the buds are still tight; if they begin to show yellow flowers they need to be cut immediately (flowering actually happens more slowly in the fall than summer). The peeled stalk is also sweet and edible raw or cooked. The leaves can be trimmed and cooked like cabbage or collards. The plant will shoot smaller sprouts after the main one is cut.
You will need:
1-3 broccoli plants (depending upon the size of the container). If you like green, leafy broccoli, I’d recommend trying to find an Italian calabrese or the more familiar rabe/rapini/raab types.
1-3 flowering kale
1-3 sage plant (if using a large container, use one each silver, golden and tri-color) |
To learn how Alex is able to enjoy fresh salad greens up to a month earlier than garden-grown types, click here.
 After completing culinary arts training at Joliet Junior College and working as executive chef at the Heartland Health Spa in Gilman, Alex Panozzo returned to his roots on the family vegetable farm in Limestone. He is active with the Kankakee County Farmers Market, the local agritourism industry and the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Program.
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