Veggies in Containers

I have been asked to conduct a series of seminars in some of the communities that we develop that covers growing veggies in containers. Many people in this area would like to grow veggies but a lot of them don't have the room due to very small lots.

I have tomatoes covered but does anyone give some advice on varieties of cucumbers, sweet peppers and eggplant that would do well in containers or pots (excluding EBs)

Thanks
BB

Hi BB, I had good luck with eggplants growing in a container on my deck. No flea beetles, not a one, and easy picking. Peppers did OK and basil was prolific.

You might check your local library to see if it has a copy of "Bountiful Container" by Rose Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey. It covers most everything edible that can be container-grown.

Another resource is a company that specializes in selling container-grown veggies:

http://www.containerseeds.com/

Thanks to both of you

Hey Rose:

Did you start your mater seeds yet?

BB

No BB, no seeds started yet, despite my best intentions. I have my set up ready in the kitchen but have been procrastinating. I'm going to NY to visit my sister on Saturday, so I figured it was better to wait til the end of next week when I get back. That way the cat feeding neighbor won't have to deal with seedlings. BTW, look for me in the audience of the Martha show on Friday, February 2. I'll be somewhere in the blur of red, since it's national wear red day.

What part of NY?

Don't want to hijack your container thread. I'm heading up to Nyack, in Rockland County very near The Tappan Zee Bridge.

It's going to be windy.

Don't get blown off the low end

LOL

BB

Raised beds are, essentially, container gardens. ;) So, there's about a bazillion people out there, that container-garden their veggies (and may not even know it, heh). While I'd never claim to have grown "all" veggies, all of the veggies I've grown have been in containers, at maturity, at one time or another. They all seem to make good container plants, and can make for some striking accents (and centerpieces!). Who hasn't put small chard or kale in a combo pot in the fall? =) Even corn will grow well in a container (if you feed it enough), but you'd need one heckuva big pot to grow enough to produce any ears. Grown as an annual, in the background, it works well (as most ornamental grasses do). Tomatoes do great, in a pot, especially with a tall trellis to climb. I grow some sort of pepper or two, in a pot, every year. They've all produced as well, if not better, than their counterparts in the garden. Pick a flavor. =) I'm considering arboring cucumbers over a bench, for a change, this summer.

If raised beds are an option, they'll get much better use of the same amount of space with them, than containers. Otherwise, pots will work fine. There are "bush" varieties of cucumbers, if a trellis is isn't available. They only vine about 3', so they'd be well-behaved as a trailing plant, in a container.

HTH,
Eggs

another 2 cents about containers. I have read that if the containers are black, are placed on concrete or asphalt, the root zone can get far too hot for the plants to thrive, especially in the deep south. I would think the main things are adequate water, very good drainage, good soil tilth, and some sort of temperature regulation. Folks have been growing plants in anything that will hold dirt for a long time. I've seen coffee can gardens filled with abundant flowering geraniums on many a porch railing. Good luck with your classes.

Thanks Eggs

I used terra foods organic soil amender. My plants grew larger and veggis tasted richer. Couldn't believe the difference.

I have black plastic tree pots free from a local garden instillation company ready to roll in the spring.
I plan to plant any kind of eggplant in them, an a few types of peppers. There are only a few peppers that I have found would outgrow the pot: a bolivian chili which gets shrubby, and the italian "sheep nose" or "mushroom" pepper. Almost any sweet pepper or small ornamental hot pepper would be really nice in a pot.
In the spring in containers I like to mix some arrugula and garden cress. Then in another shallow wide pot I'll throw in some cut and come again mesculin mix. You get fancy salad!
I've grown all sorts of root vegetables in large containers like the purple top turnips (for tops and roots), radishes, beets and carrots. You can get the soil rather nice and sandy and loose in the containers and they do better than directly planted in our soils.

Have fun with your class.

GGG

Thanks TripleG

BB

I remembered seeing a link earlier in the summer with some container gardening. I'm hijacking Herbie's link so you can see all the cool stuff he grew... here you go:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/620593/

GGG, I would love to hear more about the Beets, Carrot, Turnips etc that you grow in containers, I would love to do the same on my deck this year...I have grown tomatoes and peppers and herbs, so now I am wanting to add to what I can use in the kitchen...LOL When do you plant them and where do you get what you plant...do you actually do them from root cuttings or seeds or what...boy am I dumb or what..lol and most of my mama's family were farmers...but I wasn't exposed to much of it...lol