1. Vegetable
Container
Gardening
So
you
want
a
vegetable
garden
but
you
don’t
have
a
big
yard
—
or
a
yard
at
all.
What’s
a
gardener
to
do?
Container
gardening!
Some
of
the
advantages
to
container
gardening
are:
• Easily
utilize
small
spaces
• Mobility
• Adding
visual
beauty
to
your
space
• Fresh
vegetables
Getting
started
is
easy.
One
you
determine
what
vegetables
you
want
to
grow,
you
need
to
decide
what
containers
you
want
to
use.
Fortunately,
with
the
variety
of
containers
available
at
garden
centers
and
box
stores,
you
should
be
able
to
easily
find
containers
that
work
for
you
while
providing
the
look
and
feel
you
want
for
your
space.
Keep
in
mind
what
your
plant
will
look
like
full-­‐grown.
You
can
check
the
seed
packages
for
information
on
size
when
grown
as
well
as
other
needs,
such
as
staking.
You
also
want
to
ensure
your
vegetables
have
enough
room
so
you
maximize
your
harvest.
Remember
that
some
plants,
like
pole
beans
or
most
tomatoes,
will
need
staking
or
some
type
of
trellis
support
so
be
sure
to
incorporate
those
needs
in
your
container
space.
Options
include
the
ever-­‐popular
terra
cotta
pots,
hanging
baskets,
tubs,
urns,
and
pretty
much
anything
that
can
hold
enough
of
the
soil
mixture
and
provide
appropriate
growth
space
for
your
plants.
A
relatively
new
option
for
container
gardening,
Smart
Pot
Aeration
Containers,
have
become
especially
popular
for
root
plants
such
as
potatoes
and
carrots.
Made
of
fabric,
they
come
in
a
variety
of
sizes
to
accommodate
almost
any
vegetable
you
want
to
grow.
Once
you
have
decided
on
your
vegetables
and
containers,
it
is
time
to
move
on
to
the
soil
mixture.
Keep
in
mind
that
containers
are
prone
to
drying
out
quickly,
so
moisture
and
nutrient
retention
in
your
soil
mixture
is
key.
In
addition,
your
containers
should
have
holes
in
the
bottom
or
sides,
as
well
as
a
small
layer
of
coarse
gravel
to
ensure
good
drainage.
This
will
help
keep
you
from
overwatering
your
plants
in
an
attempt
to
keep
your
soil
from
drying
out.
One
suggested
soil
mixture
combines
all
the
ideal
qualities
listed
above:
1
bushel
each
of
vermiculite
and
coconut
fibers
(coir),
1
¼
cups
dolomitic
lime,
½
cup
20%
superphosphate
and
1
cup
5-­‐10-­‐5
fertilizer.
(Please
note
that
you
should
rinse
the
coir
overnight
before
use.
The
batch
may
contain
a
large
amount
of
salt
you’ll
want
removed
prior
to
use.)
After
all
components
are
mixed,
soak
for
one
day.
The
mixture
can
be
used
as
is
or
mixed
one-­‐to-­‐
one
with
bagged
loam
or
finished
compost.
(We
do
not
recommend
using
garden
loam
as
it
may
carry
pathogens.)

2. If
you
prefer
a
simpler
mixture,
combine
1
part
bagged
loam
or
sterile
potting
soil,
one
part
coir,
and
one
part
perlite
or
vermiculite.
This
mixture
will
require
fertilizing.
Ensure
you
choose
a
fertilizer
suited
for
the
plant
or
use
a
general
garden
fertilizer
and
follow
the
instructions
for
application
and
frequency.
Last,
but
not
least,
there
are
bagged
soilless
mixtures
available
and
many
contain
fertilizer,
making
management
of
your
container
garden
a
bit
easier.
Feel
free
to
experiment
with
your
soil
mixtures
to
find
the
one
you
like
the
best.
Make
sure
your
mixture
has
the
necessary
moisture/nutrient
retention
and
good
drainage.
You
may
find
that
your
potatoes
work
better
with
a
soil
mixture
that
is
different
from
what
your
tomatoes
like.
It
is
recommended
that
you
not
use
peat
moss
in
your
soil
mixtures.
While
it
is
an
ideal
organic
component,
the
harvesting
techniques
are
an
ecological
concern.
Coir,
a
by-­‐product
of
the
coconut
industry,
is
renewable
and
does
not
have
the
same
negative
ecological
impact
as
peat
moss.
Once
your
plants
are
potted,
place
where
they
will
get
the
appropriate
amount
of
sunlight.
That
will
vary
from
plant
to
plant
so
ensure
you
check
the
seed
package
for
best
recommendations.
Now
all
you
have
to
do
is
a
little
bit
of
maintenance
and
impatiently
wait
for
your
harvest!
References:
Growing
Vegetables
in
Containers
UNH
Cooperative
Extension
Fact
Sheet
Container
Gardening
UNH
Cooperative
Extension
Fact
Sheet
Coir
is
sustainable
alternative
to
peat
moss
in
the
garden
Oregon
State
University
Extension
Service
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/coir-­‐sustainable-­‐alternative-­‐peat-­‐moss-­‐garden