Author: Maryland Grows

Welcome to the Year of Container Gardening!

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2026 is Grow It Eat It’s Year of Container Gardening! Growing in containers (pots, planters, boxes, bags, etc.) is one of the best approaches for vegetable gardening beginners. It’s also a terrific way to sneak in a few more plants even if you already have a garden. The key word in container gardening is flexibility. Nearly everyone can find a place where they live to grow something edible in a container.

Different sized containers grouped together on a deck growing a mixture of edibles and flowers like pansies and marigolds.
Container plants on my deck

Maybe you live in an apartment, but have a balcony or patio, or even just a sunny window. You might have a small backyard with no room for planting, but you’ve got a deck, or a spot on a driveway or other paved area. Some people even put containers on an accessible rooftop! (Make sure it can support the weight of multiple pots full of soil if you’re going this route.)

The other big advantage of growing in containers is that you control the soil mixture. Don’t use soil directly out of the ground for containers; it’s too dense and will be full of bugs and weed seeds. You can buy potting soil at any garden center or big box store, or if you’re ambitious you can buy the ingredients and mix your own to order. Different plants may prefer different combinations of peat or coir plus compost, perlite or vermiculite, or other materials. Commercial potting mixes are usually pretty good for all common garden plants, though.

Because you’re not adding weed seeds to your growing mix, you will barely need to weed your containers, which is a great advantage. Pest problems may be lessened as well.

There are some basic rules to follow when growing in containers:

  • Use the sun. Most edible garden plants require plenty of sunshine. Find the sunny spots in your growing area and place your pots there. If you don’t have a spot with more than six hours of sun available, you should still be able to grow some spring crops like peas or spinach (especially if the lack of summer sun is explained by trees that don’t leaf out until late spring), and lettuce grows well in only a few hours of direct sun or indirect light all day. But look around! Maybe you have a sunny location you hadn’t considered.
  • Fertilize. Container plants need nutrients, and they will only find them in potting soils for a short while. Establish a regular feeding schedule according to package directions, and stick to it.
  • Water. This is very important! Plant roots dry out much faster in containers than in in-ground or raised bed gardens. Rain doesn’t always reach the soil through the leaves of plants. Check the soil regularly to see if it’s moist, and if not, give your plants a drink. On hot summer days, you may need to water daily or even more than once a day. If you go away, arrange for someone else to keep your container garden watered.

The other important rule is to use appropriate containers. They should be food-safe (designed to hold edible crops), well-drained (make sure they have holes in the bottom and are not sitting in a saucer unless you’re prepared to empty it), and large enough for the crop.

2 large plastic garbage cans growing large tomato plants. There is a Grow It Eat it sign advertising UMD Extension resources.
These containers are definitely large enough for tomatoes!

Get bigger pots than you think you’ll need. Guidelines will tell you to use a pot of at least five gallons to grow tomatoes; unless you are growing dwarf tomatoes, your plants will be spindly and minimally productive in that size of container. For an indeterminate tomato plant, ten gallons would be better. Grow eggplants or peppers in those five-gallon pots.

Different style containers with various plants (vegetables, herbs, and flowers) arranged in a trial garden space.
A variety of container types in a trial garden

Where do you find these containers? You don’t necessarily have to spend tons of money. Check discount stores; join freecycle/buy-nothing groups; source five-gallon food-grade buckets from restaurants and grocery stores. If you’re handy, you can build your own salad table or planter out of wood. Fabric growing bags are another great low-cost option; many online gardening retailers and garden centers stock them.

What plants can you grow in containers? Just about anything, if the container is big enough. You may want to seek out vegetable varieties that are bred specifically for growing in small spaces.

Start a new adventure this year! We’ll post more about specific container plants, techniques and methods, and solving problems as the year goes on.

Year of Cantanier Gardening graphic featuring the UMD Extension Grow it Eat it program logo, and some drawings vegetables growing in raised beds and pots with a background of a suburban yard with a fence.

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Avoid the Holiday Plant Blues

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A cluster of red and white blooms display on Amaryllis stalks.
Amaryllis sport large lily-like flower clusters.
Photo:  Home & Garden Information Center

There should be a support group for those determined to keep holiday plants like poinsettias and cyclamen looking fabulous long past the holidays. We’ll call it the Post-Holiday Plant Blues Club.


Okay, some holiday plants like Christmas cactus are pretty easy. Others, not so
much. But if you’re willing to give it a go, I’m happy to give you the low-down on what each needs.

Poinsettias

red poinsettia plants
Rich red poinsettias are a classic holiday plant.
Photo: Home and Garden Information Center


Poinsettias are tropical plants, so they like it warm and moist. Put them in bright
– but not direct – light with no drafts. Water when the soil feels dry. If your plant is
wrapped in foil, ditch the foil and set the plant in a pot so water can drain. Or poke holes
in the foil and set it in a saucer. You’ll get several weeks of blooms, maybe more if you
speak sweetly to it.

Amaryllis

Two Amaryllis bulbs dipped in wax. One is pink and the other is pink glitter.

Amaryllis bulbs often come dipped in wax for an instant gift that does not need soil or water. Typically, they bloom quickly like this. If planting, you would carefully remove the wax coating by peeling it off.
Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension – HGIC

Amaryllis sends up clusters of large lily-like blooms on thick stems. If you received an amaryllis in bud or bloom, put it in a sunny spot in a room that stays 60 degrees or warmer. Water when the top of the soil is dry. If you got an amaryllis bulb as a gift, plant it in potting soil in a container just larger than the bulb. Allow a third of the bulb to stick up above the soil, with its pointed tip – amusingly called the nose – up. Water thoroughly and move it to a sunny spot when it sprouts. Amaryllis bloom about four weeks after they sprout and keep blooming for
about a month.

Cyclamen

A Cyclamen with pink delicate frilly blooms atop variegated leaves.

Cyclamen hold their delicate red, white or pink blooms high above their leaves like fistfuls of scarves fluttering in the breeze.
Unfortunately, they are more than a little fussy. They like temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees and very bright light, conditions that are rare in most homes. Water them like a violet, from the bottom with room-temperature water. I love this plant, but we rarely have a long-term relationship. A gorgeous pink one blooms on my windowsill, mocking me with its fickleness. I look great! I flop. I perk up! I flop. Such a drama queen. But a half-price sale lured me into trying once again.

Photo: Annette Cormany, UMD Extension

Christmas Cactus


At the other end of the care spectrum are oh-so-easy Christmas cactus. They like
bright, indirect light but need more water than their desert cousins. In fact, they are
tropical epiphytes that grow in trees in their natural habitat. I water mine weekly.
Christmas cactus also wins the top prize for longevity among holiday plants. I know
many people who have had them for years, generously sharing cuttings.
I once flew Christmas cactus cuttings home in my luggage, stumping everyone at
the airport security scan. What is that?! I did a little show and tell, and they let me keep
my treasure.

A lush Christmas cactus displaying colorful magenta blooms, sitting in a bright window.
A windowsill is a good place for Christmas cactus to live as long as its not too drafty. Photo: Wilma Holdway


Unlike Christmas cactus, most holiday plants are fickle. Yes, poinsettias,
amaryllis and cyclamen can be kept year-round and forced to bloom again after varying
periods of darkness and dormancy. But honestly, I never bother.

It’s just too much trouble to track X hours of darkness for Y weeks at Z
temperatures. Plants are supposed to be fun. So, my holiday plants are just that: holiday
plants that add color and beauty to the season. I just chucked my poinsettia. Don’t judge.

However, if you love a challenge and want to try to keep these plants going, here
are some links with care tips for maximizing their beauty long-term.

Happy nurturing!

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. Read more by Annette.

Create a Stunning Boxwood Tree for Holiday Decor

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Boxwoods have graced gardens for thousands of years and become part of our holiday traditions. Native to Europe and Asia, boxwoods were used in Egyptian gardens as early as 4,000 BC. Ancient Romans and Greeks used the fine-grained wood to carve intricate combs, utensils, flutes, and, yes, boxes.


Boxwoods came to the Americas in the 1600s with European colonists. Today boxwood joins holly as an evergreen symbol of the holidays. What better way to honor its rich tradition than creating your own tabletop boxwood tree. It’s easier than you think.


You’ll need:

  • boxwood cuttings
  • pruners
  • floral foam block (the kind that absorbs water)
  • a knife
  • shallow waterproof container (which fits the end of the foam block snugly)
  • wire or floral picks
  • Your choice of decorations

Instructions:

When you’re ready to go, assemble all your supplies on a waterproof surface.

  1. Soak your floral foam in a bucket for a few hours to a day before you make your tree.
  2. Use your pruners to fill a bucket with boxwood cuttings, resting their stems in a few inches of water. When you make your tree, you’ll re-cut those stems into four- to six-inch lengths.
  3. Cut your boxwood the day before you make your tree to let the cut stems drink heavily. And yes, I said the stems, not you! Okay, a little cider is fine. Or mulled wine!
    • No – you aren’t harming your boxwoods by pruning them now. A late fall or winter pruning helps to shape them for next year. Just go easy, cutting no more than a third of the plant.
  4. Cut the sides of one end of a block of floral foam at an angle to create a tree shape, leaving a flat top at the peak. Put the wider uncut side of the floral foam into your container.
  5. Starting at the bottom, push cut boxwood stems into the foam in a circle around the base. Work your way up the foam, using shorter pieces as you go. Some find it easier to establish the base and top, then fill in.
    • Push stems into the foam only once. Moving them damages the foam. Stripping off some leaves at the base of stems helps them to go in more easily.


Tip: Stand back often as you work to look at the shape. Perfection is overrated, but it should have an overall tree shape. Fill in any gaps. When you’re done, no green foam should show.


Voila! You’ve just made your first boxwood tree.

Now comes the fun part: decorating it!


Use floral picks or wire to attach ribbons and bows, pinecones and picks, balls, beads, birds, or other baubles. My last tree wore vintage lace, star anise, berries, and strands of pearls. When you’re done – and smiling, no doubt – water your boxwood tree. Put your finger in the container and slowly water from the top until you feel water on your finger. A well-watered tree can last for a month or two.

A decorated and fully assembled boxwood tree featuring a red cardinal at the top.
Holiday boxwood trees are unique, long-lasting holiday decorations.


I tip my hat to Master Gardener Dusty Graham for teaching me how to make boxwood trees, so I could now teach you. Thanks, Dusty!


I hope you’ll try your hand at making a boxwood tree or two. They add elegance to your holiday home and make wonderful gifts.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.  Read more by Annette.

Okra is Summer

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As I write this, it’s a cold rainy day in early December, and I’m thinking about okra.

Close up of okra pods on an okra plant.

This sounds bonkers. You can’t even buy okra in grocery stores right now, and the only crop I’m harvesting from my garden is turnips. But I firmly believe that we should think about summer vegetables in the winter, at least for purposes of garden planning. The time to consider your okra seed purchase is not August, or July, or even June, when you might want to be planting it. If you’re ordering from a seed catalog (and you will get a far better choice of varieties that way, since stores usually offer one or possibly two kinds of okra seed), you need to plan ahead. Okay, maybe not as early as December. I’ve been thinking about okra because I plan to feature it in my own community garden plot next year, and I’ll also be in charge of a bed at the Derwood Demo Garden.

Frankly, we’ve underserved okra at Derwood in the past. We tend to think of it late in the planning process, or maybe not at all, and stick in about three plants in some less-than-ideal location. Okra will not be productive if it doesn’t get enough space to grow, or enough sun, and even under better conditions three plants are not sufficient for a decent harvest. Give it what it needs, however, and it will thrive. Okra is one of those rare crops that truly loves our hot, humid summers.

The other thing okra needs, that we’ve found hard to provide at the demo garden, is frequent harvesting. The pods grow fast and turn hard and inedible, and picking once a week is definitely not enough; we end up composting half our crop. We’ll need to get to the garden more often, but I doubt it’ll be more than twice a week, so as I’m looking at varieties to order seed, I’m concentrating on those that claim pods are tender even at larger sizes.

Not everyone loves okra (more on that below) but if you do, it is worth growing your own. Here are some things to think about as you peruse the seed catalogs and plan your garden:

  • Some catalogs also only have two sorts of okra available. That’s okay, they are probably well-tested ones (Clemson Spineless and Red Burgundy, I’m looking at you). But if you want to have a broader choice, check out catalogs that feature heirloom varieties, or that originate in the south, where okra is a beloved crop.
  • Read the descriptions carefully. Some varieties are meant for small gardens or container growing, and max out at two or three feet; some will be eight feet tall and three feet wide. Most are in the middle. The pods also vary considerably in length and thickness. Colors vary as well (green, red (anywhere from burgundy to orange), or green with red highlights).
  • You can start seeds either in pots or directly in the garden, but read up on seed scarification. Okra seeds are tough and will need to be soaked and/or nicked or roughened up before they will germinate.
  • Okra likes it hot, so wait until late May or early June to put it in the garden. Or later, if you’re pulling out a spring crop and have bed space available. Check days to maturity to figure out how late you can start a variety; you’ll want to start harvesting at least by mid-August, so for a 60 day crop, plant by mid-June.
  • Give the plants full sun and plenty of space (about 18 inches apart for larger varieties). They are fairly drought-resistant when full-grown, but of course they need watering well as seedlings.
  • Okra flowers are gorgeous, by the way, so make sure you enjoy them!
  • Harvest frequently. Every other day is ideal. You can save up the pods for a few days in the fridge and cook them all at once. If I’m not certain whether a pod is too tough to eat, I give it a squeeze; if it makes a cracking sound, it goes in the compost.
Okra flower on an okra plant.

All right, but isn’t okra slimy? Or, to use a perhaps even less attractive word, mucilaginous? It certainly can be, if it’s not treated right. Maybe in soups and stews that’s okay, especially in whatever favorite okra dish you may have grown up with, but if the sliminess turns you off, here are some ways to mitigate the mucus.

  • Young okra is great eaten raw in a salad, with dips, or as a snack while standing in the garden, and it’s fresh and crunchy and not slimy at all.
  • Traditional breaded and fried okra is terrific and if there is slime, you don’t notice it. Probably you don’t want to eat it this way every day, but it’s a fantastic treat. You can also use an air fryer to avoid all that oil.
  • If you’re frying okra without a crisp coating to distract you, here’s a secret: keep it dry. Wash it and then rub it thoroughly in a dish towel to get rid of any moisture. Make sure the cutting board and the knife are dry before cutting into the okra. You can either toss it in oil and seasonings before putting it in the pan, or place it in an oiled pan and season there, but make sure no water-based liquid touches it. The slime doesn’t develop in its absence. Air fryers work here too.

I hope you’ll join me in thinking about okra for next summer!

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Gardeners Give Thanks for a Garden’s Gifts

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Gardeners are a grateful lot.  Why? We toss a handful of seeds in the soil and up come all manner of flowers and food. The sticks we plant turn into roses. Acorns become oak trees. It’s all quite miraculous. Granted, in between there’s a bit of work. We water and weed, hoe and mulch, and spend an inordinate amount of time on our knees. Perhaps it’s that prayerful stance that graces our harvests.

Perhaps it also helps us to accept the vagaries of wind and weather, rain and frost that would make lesser humans weep. We know, somehow, not to toss in the trowel when things go wrong. It’s character building, I’m told. Tomorrow the sun will shine.  The frost will nip only the outer buds.  The torrential rains eventually end.  When disaster departs and we are left with dew-dazzled leaves, the warmth of the sun, and the smell of musty earth, we are grateful.  It could have been worse. 

A close-up image of a bee on a sunflower flower feeding on nectar and covered with pollen grains.
A bee dusts itself with pollen as it feeds on nectar in a sunflower
Photo credit:  Joan Willoughby

So, we celebrate the first handful of fresh peas, the juicy tang of a tomato. We savor the wine-tinged nectar of a grape and the heavenly scent and squish of the first strawberry. My, but there is so much to give thanks for that feeds both body and soul. Beauty abounds in a garden. It stirs the breeze with a butterfly’s wing. It hums with a pollen-dusted honeybee.  It sings in birdsong and glows in a lemon-yellow tulip. As gardeners, we are front row center to all this loveliness.

A close-up of a monarch butterfly feeding on the nectar of a milkweed plant.
A monarch butterfly sips on a native plant at the Boonsboro Library pollinator planting. 
Photo credit:  Jackie Schwab

And we appreciate the mental and physical workout that gardening provides. Bending and stretching to pull weeds, tie up vines, and turn compost is good exercise. No gym can compete with the fresh air and sunshine we get in tending our plots. We also value the lessons learned. What’s that bug? What caused those spots?  What tree would work best there?  What shrub?  We look it up, phone a friend, or Ask Extension. We never stop learning.

A smiling woman working in a garden.
UME Master Gardener Tracy Barlup helps with a restoration planting at Kiwanis Park’s Monarch Waystation. Photo credit:  Ann Aldrich

Gardening friends are a godsend.  They bring a sympathetic ear, a scrap of advice, a tender cutting, and abundant camaraderie. Most of my closest friends are gardeners, and I value them dearly. Together we live the seasons. Spring brings rain. Summer brings heat. And fall brings the avalanche of harvest.  Bushels of potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and squash fill our larders and set our canners boiling. We gladly share our bounty with friends and family. 

A carton of chicken eggs and harvested vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, and butternut squash, on a table outdoors.
A celebrated harvest at the Master Gardener
demonstration garden. Photo credit: Ann Aldrich

Who among us is able to get through a holiday season without giving a few gifts from the garden? Jars of jam, tins of lavender cookies, homemade applesauce, and herbal liquors are wrapped with care. We give of ourselves and our gardens. So, in this season of thankfulness, we gardeners are especially grateful.  For we touch the earth and it gives back so much.  Food.  Beauty.  Knowledge.  The fellowship of gardening friends.  We grow with our gardens and count ourselves richly blessed. 

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.  Read more by Annette.

Root Crops in the Fall

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Radish, golden beets, and white turnip

If you’re seeing all kinds of lovely root vegetables at farmer’s markets this time of year, start planning now so you can grow them yourself next fall! I am so glad I decided to put in seeds for beets, turnips, and radishes back in August. These are all super-easy crops to grow, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Here are the steps from thought to harvest:

  • Plan ahead! Buy your seeds for fall planting when you get the ones for spring and summer, because they may be hard to find later on. (Autumn root crops are usually grown from seed; buying plants is a waste of money since you only get one root per plant.) Radishes, beets, turnips, and carrots are all good choices.
  • Make space. Allowing room for fall crops can be difficult in a small garden. If some of your summer crops are not looking too great, take them out and prepare the bed for fall seeding. Or plant a bed with a summer cover crop or a quick-growing crop you know you’ll be removing soon, such as bush beans.
  • Prepare your soil. Root crops like a loose soil – try inserting a trowel into the soil, and if you have to force it in, you will not get a great root harvest. Add some compost! Raised beds provide the ideal environment, since the soil seldom gets compacted. Make sure your planting area gets plenty of sun.
  • Know how long your root crops will take to mature. It’s disappointing to not get edible roots because you didn’t allow enough time. Check HGIC’s planting guides for general information on timing, and also check the seed packet which will give you specifics for the variety you’re growing. Root crops are hardy and will tolerate frosts, so you can plan harvest for anytime from early October to late November, but the later you start the seeds, the slower the plants will grow. (This has more to do with the amount of sun than the temperature.) For a crop that lists 60 days to maturity from seeding, plant in mid-August (you’re allowing an extra week or two for the fall slowdown). Quicker crops like radishes can be planted in succession from late August to late September. Most root crops will sit in the ground just fine in cool weather, so you can harvest them as you need them.
  • Plant as directed. Don’t worry too much about spacing since you will be thinning later on.
  • Keep paying attention as the plants grow. Water regularly if it doesn’t rain, and take out weeds as soon as you can recognize which are the desirable plants. If your soil is low in phosphorus or potassium (which is unlikely), you may need to fertilize, but regular additions of compost through the year usually do the trick with these quick-growing crops. Thin the seedlings when they are several inches high – this means pulling out the plants in between a final set that are several inches apart. Think about what the roots will look like in maturity (what they look like when you buy them), and allow that much room plus a bit extra between plants. I find it easier to thin in two stages, taking out bunches when the plants are small and then a few more as they mature. You can eat the thinnings in salads, if you wish; they’re all edible and delicious.
  • Harvest when ready! All of these root crops will show some of the root portion above the soil, so you can check on size without pulling them out.

In practice, I’m often not on top of thinning, and it was hard to water enough this year with our persistent drought. So some of my root crops, especially the beets, are smaller than they should be. (On the other hand, some of the radishes are enormous.) But even with mistakes I manage to get good results! Try root crops next year and harvest some treasure from underground.

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Little Beetles Are All Over My House!

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Q: What should I do about Asian beetles? There are hundreds of them on my house.

Multicolored Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis) vary in color and the number of spots.
Photo: Gyorgy Csoka, Hungary Forest Research Institute, Bugwood.org

A:  There are multiple species of insects in our area that are native to Asia. The ones on your house are Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles (ladybugs). These beneficial insects are looking for a sheltered place to spend the winter. For this insect, or any other insect trying to enter on chilly nights, all you need to do is seal any gaps, cracks, or other access points. There is no effective repellent, and while the insects won’t harm people or damage the home itself, they can be a nuisance when they find their way in, since they are trying to find shelter for the winter. Check the window screening for tears that need to be repaired, and the door weather stripping for any gaps or worn-out pieces that require replacement.

By Miri Talabac, Horticulturist, University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center. Miri writes the Garden Q&A for The Baltimore Sun and Washington Gardener Magazine. Read more by Miri.

Have a plant or insect question? The University of Maryland Extension has answers! Send your questions and photos to Ask Extension. Our horticulturists are available to answer your questions online, year-round.