Container Gardening – Maryland Grows

Dealing with Pest Issues in Container Vegetable Gardening

June 4, 2026June 7, 2026Erica3 Comments

Close up of a gey squirrel eating potted plant sitting ontop of a brick wall. — *Wildlife can be cute, but also destructive! Photo via Adobe Stock*

You’re happily growing lettuce in a salad table, watching the little seedlings get bigger, and then one day half of them have been dug up and tossed aside. Or you’re about to harvest your kale and then realize it’s full of holes and little green caterpillars. Or your eggplant leaves are suddenly nothing but lace. Maybe someone is stealing your tomatoes, or—more insultingly—taking a bite out of each of them. Or maybe everything is just… GONE.

Pest issues are not unique to container gardening, of course—all veggie gardeners deal with them. But just as containers have their pluses and minuses in every aspect of food growing, they sometimes provide specific challenges and benefits when it comes to dealing with pests – whether insect or animal.

By the way—let’s acknowledge here that the creatures we’re talking about are just trying to get along and feed themselves. They don’t know that they’re putting us to extra trouble (even if it really seems like squirrels in particular are just trolling us). It would be great if we could jall just get along without harming each other. So the proposed solutions below don’t go as far as hurting or killing anything (if you want to use pesticides against insects, that is up to you, though please be sure to carefully follow the label instructions). These methods all follow four principles: Location, Exclusion, Deterrence, and Distraction.

PART ONE: INSECTS

Here’s a typical scenario from Home and Garden Information Center’s Emily Clark-Waterson:

I planted kale in a flower box in the spring in a new self-watering flower box container, hanging off my balcony railing. It grew beautifully and I was able to clip young leaves and let them keep growing until the summer weather got too hot. I planted it again in late August for a fall harvest, except this time I started to notice some leaf damage and found a type of Imported Cabbageworm. These moved fast and left little to be harvested. They like to hide along the midribs. Lesson learned: Always cover your brassicas with insect netting or floating row cover to help prevent this. A small piece of tulle from a craft store works well, or you can purchase various-sized mesh bags to put over containers. I won’t be making that mistake again.

Kale leaves with large holes and small green caterpillars resting on the leaves — *How many cabbageworms can you find? Photo: Emily Clark-Waterson*

A small green caterpillar on the underside of a kale leaf. — *They really can be camouflaged in the leaves*. *Photo: Emily Clark-Waterson*

A larger green caterpillar rests along the midrib of a kale leaf with large holes in it. — *This one has eaten well*! *Photo: Emily Clark-Waterson*

Two containers with vegetable plants sit along a white picket fence. Each container we had a tomato cage and piece of tulle draped over it — *Prepared for pests this year with tomato cages and tulle held together with clothes pins. Photo Emily Clark-Waterson*

This is a great example of Exclusion. In fact, covering plants with materials like this solves the majority of insect problems—and it’s so much easier and cheaper in a container than covering a long row in an in-ground vegetable garden. Here are some other examples of plants in the brassica family being covered to protect them:

Fine mesh instect netting stretched over plsatic hoops that are over a container of greens. — *Insect mesh and hoops over Asian greens. Photo: Lily Bruch*

a container on the edge of a raised bed garden with a sheer cloth covering some greens growing. The cloth is draped over and tied around the conatiner with a black string. — *Floating row cover over brassica plants keeps caterpillars and other pests away. Photo: Robin Ritterhoff*

Plant covers work against other insects as well, for example, to keep flea beetles off of eggplants. But in this case, growing in containers provides another advantage, one of Location. Erica Smith has had success over the years by growing eggplant in containers on her deck, which keeps them well away from the flea beetles in the soil below. MG Robin Ritterhoff also uses this method, making sure to replace at least the top third of the potting soil every year in case beetles are lurking. But MG Lily Bruch says her eggplants still get eaten despite growing on a deck, so she uses row cover and also plants marigolds in hopes of Deterrence. Sometimes strong-scented plants either confuse or annoy insects and keep them away from your vegetables. It’s worth trying, since flowers also bring in much-wanted pollinators and other beneficial insects.

And what if the insect eating your plant is actually beneficial? MG Mary Anne Normile writes:

[It’s a tough call] when Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars feed on container parsley. I love the butterflies, but the caterpillars can denude a parsley plant in short order. No good solution unless you have another desirable (to the caterpillars) plant to relocate them to, except possibly to have a fresh batch of parsley seedlings on hand to plant for the short period after the caterpillars stop feeding and the end of the growing season.

If you have room, you can plant extra herbs in the parsley family, such as dill and fennel, which the swallowtail caterpillars will also enjoy. (Also make sure to have lots of nectar-producing flowers for the adult butterflies.) You could also cover up a few of the parsley plants to keep them just for you.

When pest problems arise in container plants, make sure you address them quickly, because it’s easy to lose your entire crop in very little time.

PART TWO: ANIMALS

(Yes, insects are animals; let’s not be pedantic.)

Erica here:

This is a photo of the gate to my old vegetable garden:

A half eaten tomator sits ontop of a wooden railing of a gate. — *This is a typical squirrel move. Didn’t even eat the whole tomato and left it in an obvious place just to taunt me.* *Photo: Erica Smith*

And this year, I have a squirrel who loves Swiss chard:

Squirrel seen through a window screen sitting on the edge of a planter on a deck eating lettuce. — *It ate every single seedling out of the deck planter, leaving the lettuce alone, and then climbed into my garden and snacked on the beet leaves. Oh well, no* Beta vulgaris for me this year! *Photo: Erica Smith*

Mary Anne writes:

I have had squirrels … dig up freshly planted basil in containers. They seem to love fresh soil. They don’t eat the basil, they just dig up the plants and sometimes toss them out of the container. I replant them and sprinkle the surface of the soil liberally with cayenne (the cheapest stuff, not Penzey’s), repeated after a rain, and that deters them. Once the basil plants are large enough, the squirrels don’t bother them.

Squirrels do instinctively dig in fresh soil, sometimes burying nuts, but other times looking for food or following up an interesting smell. Lily reports that they dig up her lettuce seedlings; her solution is to cover the container with a metal grid or chicken wire.

Planter box on a deck with lettuce plants growing in it. Metal chicken wire is formed over the top. — *Chicken wire to exclude squirrels Photo: Lily Bruch*

Salad greens grow up through wire mesh in a planter box on a deck. — *Metal wire grid to exclude digging squirrels Photo: Lily Bruch*

A white flower box with salad greens sits on the edge of a flagstone path. A pink netting food tents resting rests on top of the container blocking wildlife from digging. — *Picnic food tents resting over a container is enough to keep the squirrels from digging up new lettuce seedlings. Photo: Emily Clark- Waterson*

Lest you think this section of the blog is all about squirrels, they are, in fact, one of the worst pests for container gardeners (and veggie gardeners in general). They can climb anything, and they eat a wide variety of foods. And they are determined. They may be the hardest animal to stop once they start bothering your garden. Except possibly for raccoons—and former MG Nancy Moses had both of them!

Here’s Nancy describing the year she planted vegetables in containers on her second-story deck—in a yard surrounded by a six-foot fence but that backs up to woods.

The squirrels and raccoons climbed over our chain link fence, up the 13 steps to the deck, taking over the territory as their own. The resulting poop was unpleasant! The light-weight, conniving, hungry squirrels politely climbed over the netting held up with metal stakes in each tomato-growing pot; and the raccoons knocked over the pots and anything else in their way toward achieving their goal of mass destruction and hunger gratification.

Nancy says that after that, “You could say that I quit; but I view it now as having just politely surrendered.” And honestly, how can you blame her? She tried the principles of Location—putting the pots up on a high deck—and Exclusion. Maybe the netting could have covered the plants more thoroughly, but the raccoons still would have knocked the pots over. The only real solution would have been Total Exclusion, meaning a fence that completely surrounded and covered the pots, which does not lead to enjoyment of the deck by humans.

So back to those principles. Location often works (in less extreme circumstances) by keeping plants in pots up high where some animals won’t venture. Most deer (we can never say all) won’t climb up steps and some won’t even venture close to a human home. Rabbits are short and don’t climb, so higher planters are unreachable. A balcony location keeps even groundhogs off, though probably not squirrels and certainly not birds.

Exclusion with row cover or netting can keep some less determined animals and birds away. Fences are another solution—you can fence off part of a deck or patio, or put your containers inside a fence in the yard (or use them as part of your regular veggie garden). Again, if you have serious squirrel, raccoon, or bird issues, only a garden enclosure with a roof will help.

Deterrence can mean using strong-scented plants to warn away animals that don’t enjoy those smells. It’s no guarantee, but maybe will stop the casual visitor.

Colorful wooden planters stacked agains an outside side to a building with herbs, annuals, and strawberries. — *Colorful planters hold strawberry plants up high, and a “citronella plant” scented geranium as one of the strongly-scented deterrent plants to offend visiting herbivores*. *Photo: Erica Smith*

In extreme cases, you can revert to growing only these sorts of plants. Herbs like rosemary and thyme, onions and their relatives, and hot peppers may be unattractive to animals.

There are other methods of deterrence if you want to try automatic water sprayers, constant noise, or bird scarers of various types. Avoid sprays that are meant to repel deer if they contain any ingredients you wouldn’t want to consume.

Distraction means giving our animal friends something else to think about. Some garden writers advise providing an alternate source of food, such as edible plants closer to the animal’s habitat, but be wary of bringing in an entire extended family that will reach your closer-to-home plants eventually. Also, be sure to keep compost containers secure if they hold food scraps, and keep fallen produce cleaned up. (We have not talked about rats so far in this post, and let’s not start now.) But do make sure animals and birds have a water source they can visit—sometimes they are eating your vegetables because they’re thirsty.

If possible, try to provide natural sources of food by planting shrubs and trees (preferably native to your region) that grow seeds, nuts and fruits. If you don’t have room yourself, use our resources to learn about native plants and try to convince neighbors or anyone else who controls plantings in your neighborhood to grow them.

Dealing with pests can be challenging, but it feels great when you rise to the challenge! Growing in containers can sometimes help you combat pests, such as when you can easily cover a pot or place it somewhere the pests can’t get to. And if you need to take a season off to regroup, it’s so much simpler to just empty the pots and put them away, rather than having to close down a big garden. Do some research, find some solutions, and come back refreshed to try again!

Share your struggles and triumphs in the comments—and best wishes!!

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

A Personal Experience: Learning Some Tricks for Container Gardening on the Eastern Shore

May 14, 2026May 27, 2026Maryland Grows2 Comments

Wooden planter box with a decorative chalkboard sign reading 'FRESH PRODUCE FROM LOCAL FARM' outdoors on a patio with grass and trees in the background. — *Elevated container gardens provide convenient access to fresh, home-grown herbs and greens. Photo: Joan LaHayne*

My transition from traditional, large, in-ground, tilled vegetable gardening to container gardening happened out of necessity. In 2015, my husband and I moved from Western Howard County, where we had lived on a large lot with full sun, to the Eastern Shore, with just under an acre and lots of shade/part shade throughout the yard. Most of our full sun and open space was in the front and side yard, both visible from the road. Additionally, we needed to install a sand mound septic system in the limited space we had. This would add further restrictions on what and how we could plant because deep-rooted plantings/tilling are restricted. We decided that raised beds would be a solution because they would be aesthetically more attractive and could also provide protection from roots interfering with the septic system.

Installing Raised Beds

Raised beds can be custom-built or purchased as a kit to assemble. We chose to build our own. We started with 4 plots measuring 8’x 5.5’ feet and approximately 1’ deep. The first beds were built using pressure-treated wood. The building material you decide on is a personal choice; they all have their pros and cons. New pressure-treated wood no longer contains arsenic, but we chose to change building materials when adding additional plots. A neighbor had Trex boards from a deck remodel, and we were able to recycle those for the additional plots. We filled the boxes with a mixture of compost (home-grown), leaf pro, horse manure (we live near Assateague), and existing soil. Although our first harvest was slightly disappointing, each year the soil quality improved, as did our vegetable yields. Each year, we typically add compost and manure, but a recent soil test revealed that this practice is creating an imbalance in the soil (too much phosphorus). Annual soil testing of each bed is a beneficial practice for us, and will hopefully improve the quality and quantity of our harvest. Typically, yearly testing isn’t necessary, though.

Adding Containers

After the first year, I realized I wanted more space for herbs and edible flowers, preferably planted closer to the house. We designed 2-foot-high long containers that would surround the existing concrete patio, closing it in. A gate and fire pit completed the design, resulting in the additional benefit of keeping young children and dogs safely away from the water. Because the boxes were so much higher, a barrier was needed to separate the top (1 foot of soil) from the bottom (empty). Our first mistake was not laying landscape fabric on the shelf to prevent the soil from running through the boards when watered. Once we corrected that, the soil remained in place, and the boxes retained water more efficiently. These boxes are beautiful and easily accessible. Because they are so close to the house, they are somewhat protected from winter winds and frost, often allowing greens such as kale, chard, parsley and collards to winter over. Additionally, the height of these gardens prevents animal “snacking” and makes planting and weeding more comfortable.

A red concrete block patio showing container beds and a covered firepit around the edge. A lawn and wooded area in the background. — *Adding the gate and firepit completed our patio space to be a functional area to relax and harvest fresh produce! Photo: Joan LaHayne*

Wooden raised container beds lining a patio area in an L shape. a metal spiral staircase is also shown leading down to the patio. — Fresh spring greens emerging in the raised containers are a welcome sight. Photo: Joan LaHayne

Watering

All of the beds require more water than traditional in-ground gardens. We have still not figured out an easy soaker system, but my husband loves to water, so we monitor the beds closely and water as needed. Our goal this summer is to install soaker hoses on the first two beds, utilizing water from a rain barrel nearby. We have added a few more raised beds along the property line where we have access to maximum sunlight but are far from a water source. One contains asparagus plants that require little water (because harvested early in the spring) and the others are used for root vegetables. Eventually, we will try to find a better way of getting water to those gardens as well.

Limited Space Solutions

The most consistent challenge of container gardening for me has been limited space. Working as a volunteer in a local community garden has allowed me to learn tricks on how to maximize yields by observing the gardening practices of others. I noticed many different ways my fellow gardeners added structures to allow vines to climb. I loved the idea of an arch that would provide a shady pathway through the garden. My husband constructed a 10’ archway using heavy reinforcement wire that was secured to the outer boards of 2 parallel beds. The resulting design was successful! Last year’s cucumber, butternut squash and spaghetti squash plants found their way up and over the arch, producing fruit that dangled from above. Harvesting was made easy and the display was beautiful.

Large wooden raised beds in a lawn with a metal fencing arch connecting them. THere is a shed in the background and some crops growing in the beds. — *Adding the metal fencing arch between the beds helped with the limited space in the raised beds. Photo: Joan LaHayne*

Container gardens are beneficial in many ways. They can be placed in a variety of spaces throughout the yard and can be dismantled and moved if growing conditions change (increasing shade, for example). Because of the limited square footage in each, weeds are much easier to control. No tilling necessary. If animals are taking too much of your harvest, raised gardens can easily be fenced or built higher to keep plants out of reach. Container gardens can be incorporated into already existing or planned flower beds, creating interest and beauty, as well as expanding pollinator habitat. Although I continue to learn gardening tricks and practices, I have found container gardening to be an ideal solution to growing vegetables year-round here on the eastern shore.

By: Joan LaHayne, Master Gardener in Worcester County, Maryland.

Gardening with Life Changes: a reflection on growing in containers

May 1, 2026April 29, 2026Emily Clark Waterson2 Comments

Calico cat resting inside a large pot with plants and colorful garden decorations on a balcony — *Zelda the cat loves to lounge amongst the plants in the sun, despite the attempted deterrence of forks, chopsticks, and watering bulbs. Photo by: Emily Clark Waterson*

I imagine for many gardeners, life changes may also come with garden changes. For instance, maybe you relocate and the sunny plot you once had is now a tree-covered shady oasis. Maybe the time you were able to devote to your garden shifts with the expansion of your family. New babies are a welcome addition, but boy, do they take a lot of time! Believe me, I know! That first week the weeds took over. Your job may change and now you have a longer commute or different work hours. You may decide to introduce a new pet that loves to dig or doesn’t respect that new shrub you are trying to establish. I have experienced many of these changes, which have allowed for a variety of gardening scenarios. Each life change has brought a new gardening challenge to explore and I welcome them all!

How it started…

I started my mid-Atlantic gardening life in 2011 with about 1/3 of an acre in a typical suburban neighborhood. I grew up in Northern New York (mostly zone 3-4) and then spent a few post-college years in the Southwest, so I found it exciting to learn about the planting palette of the Piedmont Region. At the time, I was working at a local garden center. That employee discount was a big bonus! I transformed a lot of turf and compacted construction soil into vibrant garden spaces. They showcased native plants, various edibles, and some fun non-invasive ornamental species. I introduced multiple trees to the barren backyard. I built some raised-bed veggie gardens and I finally found a happy spot for rhubarb to grow, after relocating it about five times. (Rhubarb prefers cooler climates but there are some heat-tolerant varieties if you’re like me and can’t live without it!) I also added the all-important gardener’s gold: a compost pile.

Two 4 by 8 foot raised beds in wooden frames sit along side a fence in a backyard with a path around them lined with bricks. — *Newly built raised bed vegetable gardens waiting to be planted. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Two toddler aged children sitting on the grass in a backyard holding beets — *My forever garden helpers in 2017 with our beet harvest. Photo Emily Clark Waterson*

A sunny garden bed with various trees, shrubs, and flowers with a fence in the background and grass in the foreground. — *The full sun backyard garden bed was added to soften the corners of what was once a rectangular plot of grass. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

How it changed…

A recent life change had me relocating to an apartment, resulting in a drastic reduction in my gardening space in 2023. But when life gives you a balcony, you start container gardening! I can’t live without dirt under my nails, or in this case, potting mix. Therefore, the balcony had no choice but to come alive with shades of green! It faced east and also received some shade from a large deciduous Magnolia. This was a change from the full sun, southern-facing backyard I was used to.

I scoured my local thrift stores for plant containers or something that could be repurposed as one. If I could drill a drainage hole, it would be fair game! Fun plates became container saucers to put underneath draining pots so they wouldn’t drip on my downstairs neighbor. Surprisingly, I found self-watering containers for a low cost at a dollar store. To further save money for plants and seeds, I used recycled food containers for seed starting. I optimized space by thinking vertically and splurged on a self-watering railing box. Adding hooks for some hanging plants was a must, too!

I’m a self-proclaimed native plant nerd, so there had to be some natives incorporated. I missed popping out my back door to my herb garden. Being able to clip whatever aromatic additive I wanted for an evening cocktail or our dinner was such a luxury. So, ignoring the eastern-facing orientation, I planted sun-loving Mediterranean herbs in various pots. I love fresh salad greens to harvest in the cut-and-come-again method. With the shadier location, this meant I was able to grow them all summer long in the railing box. Despite the lower light conditions, I tested a spicy pepper and a few cherry tomato plants as well. Guess what? They all grew!

A rectangular plastic container filled with soil with small seedlings emerging, sitting on a railing. — *A repurposed food container and lid growing arugula seedlings. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Green lettuce plants growing in a black oval planter with soil and wood mulch on a balcony railing. — *Having fresh green lettuce growing along the balcony railing was great to snip leaves off and have it grow back. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A view of a balcony with many potted plants and a tree in the background — *A midsummer view of all the plants in the balcony garden. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Tomato plant reaching over a balcony railing to the roof line, held up with twine. — *Due to the lower light conditions, the tomatoes grew a little spindly, but still produced. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A hand holding 3 red cherry tomatoes with a tomato plant in the background displaying many green tomatoes. — *Tomato harvest with more on the way! Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Challenges

Every gardener knows there is always something to learn from. Here are some challenges I faced:

Every gardener knows there is always something to learn from. Here are a couple of challenges I faced:

Cats – We love our cute kitties, who we rescued from a sewer drain at 4 weeks old, but cats and potted plants are a tough combination. Living in 900 square feet, it was important stimulation for them to explore the balcony and get some outside time in a safe setting where they couldn’t hunt wildlife or get hurt. Link liked to eat radish tops, and Zelda nibbled all the Carex (sedge) in my native plant container. (Yes, Link and Zelda – named by my 2 pre-teen boys who like to play video games.) Any open soil became a convenient litter box, so I learned to keep it blocked or covered. Chopsticks from the occasional takeout became repurposed soil blocking stakes. Any container not large enough or heavy enough had the potential to get knocked over (and many did). We learned to live with the nibbling, and I grew lots of wheat grass for them to keep them from eating MY plants. It didn’t totally work, though.

Heat and watering: Containers dry out much quicker than soil in the ground. I used many watering bulbs or those terra cotta watering spikes with bottles to help keep plants watered on the hottest days of the summer. If you have access to a hose bib, you can invest in a small drip irrigation system set on a timer, which would be more regulated for water hogs like tomatoes.

Plant waste: Where does it go to decompose? I didn’t want to add more waste to the garbage bags we had to haul out to the dumpster, and for environmental purposes, composting is preferred. I ended up using a 5-gallon bucket to collect spent potting mix, leaf clippings, and deadheaded flowers. On occasion, I added old potatoes, moldy fruit, or veggie scraps to balance the greens and browns. They slowly broke down, and if it didn’t get reused, at least it was easier to carry down 3 flights of stairs. My city had a compost collection service that you can sign up for, but unfortunately, they didn’t pick up from the apartment complex.

How it’s going…

Another life change has now brought me back to a yard. Since we are renting for now, I will continue container gardening, but with much more space! [Insert grow bags!] And just in time for our Grow it Eat it Year of Container Gardening! I’m excited about what this growing season will bring!

Thus far, I have overwintered spinach from the balcony garden; how it survived multiple freezes and probably fully frozen potting media, I have no idea, but that’s why plants are so cool! We’ve planted arugula and some mixed salad green seeds that are starting to show signs of life, peas that can climb our porch railing, and plenty of culinary herb transplants from the local garden center. I needed something instant to harvest!

A container sitting on porch steps showing a small Thai basil plant in the back and basil seedlings in the front. — *Thai basil transplant and basil seedlings are popping up. April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Herbs in a container with a road in the background. — *The sage overwintered but we just added thyme and oregano. Chive seeds were planted in the empty space. April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

*Overwintered spinach made the move with us and is reviving its growth in the railing box. Arugula seedlings are just starting to come up as well. Date: April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

We have a bit more sun now, and the kitties are confined to their screened-in “catio”, so some challenges have been addressed. My native plant container that Zelda liked to lounge in succumbed to heat and lack of watering while on vacation and then the freezing temperatures over the first winter, so I replanted with more drought-tolerant native shade perennials late last fall. Happy to report that they all survived and are returning vigorously! I’ve added a container variety of thornless raspberry, Bushel and Berry® Raspberry Shortcake®, to experiment with and excite our kids. Tomatoes, carrots, Thai peppers, and container-sized cucumber varieties are to come! We’ll see what our yields will bring and what interesting native plants I can add to aid in pollination and beneficial insect populations. Now, to just keep the cats from eating the house plants….

A container with various green plants in different textures with a white picket fence in the background. — *The re-planted native plant container features: Zigzag Goldenrod, Appalachian Sedge, Woodland Stonecrop, Christmas Fern, Alumroot, and a hidden Common Blue Violet.* *Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A close up of flowers on sedge blades with a ceramic green bird in the background. — *The Appalachian Sedge in bloom! You can see the violet blooming in the background. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

3 containers with different young shrubs inm a corner of a yard against a white picket fence. — *The new Raspberry Shortcake in the white container (right) and young native woody plants: Red chokeberry* *(center), and saplings of Spicebush and Redbud* *(left)*. *Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Takeaways:

Just because you don’t have a plot of land doesn’t mean you can’t grow something!
Lack of full sun does not equal zero veggies – I had that cherry tomato producing well into late October!
Challenges provide good, thought-provoking scenarios that keep you interested in growing! Don’t give up if a few plants die.
Cost doesn’t have to be a deterrent either – a gallon milk jug with drainage holes and the top cut off worked great for leafy greens.

A wicker basket with many red, orange, and green tomatoes, and 2 purple peppers. — *The last harvest from the balcony on November 10, 2025! Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

An apartment building showing 2 balconies with a finger poiting to the top floor. Plants can be seen growing and trailing over the edge. — Our balcony was on the 3rd floor. The vine is a stowaway Creeping Cucumber that must have traveled with another potted plant and ended up growing down to the 2nd-story balcony! Photo Emily Clark Waterson

Wherever life takes me next, I know my garden will follow. We’ll continue to grow and adapt to our new environment, and no matter what, harvest something we can eat!

Happy Spring!

Additional Resources:

Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables

By Emily Clark Waterson, Certified Professional Horticulturist & Coordinator, University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center.

Spring Crops in Containers

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026EricaLeave a comment

Lettuce and arugula seedlings growing in a terracotta-colored rectangular planter — *Salad greens like lettuce and arugula are easy to grow in various sized containters Photo: Erica Smith*

Maybe your first thought on starting a container vegetable garden was “I can grow tomatoes!” Which is great—but tomatoes are a summer crop and it’s not time to put them outside yet. You can start your garden even earlier, though, with spring plantings.

Here are a few of the spring crops you can grow in containers:

Lettuce and other salad greens
Asian greens like bok choy and komatsuna
Other smaller brassicas like kale and collards
Peas
Root crops like beets, radishes, and carrots
Potatoes
Many herbs

The only spring crops I would hesitate to grow in containers are large brassicas like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, and even those could be planted in containers—it’s just that you would only plant one per pot, which might not be worth the effort, unless you have space for a lot of pots, no in-ground garden, and a real love of fresh-grown cabbage.

I’m also not a huge fan of potatoes in containers, because they don’t usually produce very much and it doesn’t seem worth the space and expense when potatoes are so cheap to buy. Nevertheless, I’m going to give it another try this year, just so I can report back here!

Here are some tips on planting spring crops in containers:

In some cases it may be more practical to start with transplants rather than planting from seed. This allows you to get the spacing just right and eliminates tedious thinning of extra seedlings. It’s also much faster. But seeding also works fine.
Consider the shape of the container when choosing a crop (or vice versa). Crops you want to harvest a lot of, like lettuce or radishes, will work better in a wider container. They also have shallow root systems, so the container doesn’t have to be very deep. Whereas if you’re going to grow carrots, make sure you have a container several inches deeper than the expected carrot length.
The usual container growing guidelines apply: use lightweight potting mix rather than real soil from the ground; water frequently; apply fertilizer as needed.

Here are some photos of spring crops growing in containers:

Pea plants in a black fabric grow bag with sticks for them to grow up

Lettuce, arugula and chard in a raised planter with legs

Seedlings of lettuce and brassicas in a square white raised planter

Photo collage from left (click image to enlarge): peas in a fabric grow bag (a great inexpensive option for lots of crops); chives in a rectangular planter (herbs are wonderful container crops); lettuce, arugula and chard in a raised trough planter on my deck; various spring greens in a keyhole garden, which has an area in the middle meant for creating compost to feed the plants. Except for the trough planter, all of these are from the Special Projects area at the Derwood Demo Garden.

This does bring up a question: what counts as a container? The raised keyhole garden and raised trough planter in the photos are much larger than the typical pot or planter, and may be closer to a raised bed. There’s certainly a fuzzy line between the two types of gardening.

To my mind, a container is an object that holds growing medium more likely to be potting soil than real mineral soil from the ground, and that could sit on a deck, patio, or driveway rather than being situated in a typical vegetable garden layout. I definitely consider my trough planter to be a container, if a very large one. The keyhole garden is an edge case, maybe more of a raised bed the way we use it at the Derwood Demo Garden in Montgomery County, Maryland. But it could be a patio planter, so I’m happy to regard it as a container as well.

In any case, it’s time to get those spring crops growing if you haven’t already! Happy spring!

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

Related information:

Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables

Welcome to the Year of Container Gardening!

February 4, 2026Maryland Grows3 Comments

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.

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

Make and Plant a Bucket Garden

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023Maryland Grows2 Comments

If you don’t have space for an in-ground garden or access to a community garden, planting in 5-gallon containers can be a great option for making a “bucket garden” along a sunny walkway, balcony, or porch. In this video, Extension Specialist Jon Traunfeld demonstrates how to make a self-watering container garden using 5-gallon buckets and a few basic materials. You can get these buckets for free from restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. They are used for shipping food products and then they are usually thrown away afterward. This is a great way to give them a second use!

Tomatoes, peppers, and basil are some of the most popular plants to grow in a bucket garden. It is too late to start those plants this season, but in late summer, you can still plant kale and other leafy greens, carrots, beets, and perennial herbs. Use our Vegetable Planting Calendar as a guide.

Instructions for the self-watering bucket garden are also available on the University of Maryland Extension website, on the self-watering containers page.

By Christa K. Carignan, Coordinator, Digital Horticulture Education, University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center. Read more posts by Christa.

Container Gardening with Ashley Bachtel-Bodkins – The Garden Thyme Podcast

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Listen to podcas t

In this month’s episode, we are talking about container gardening with Ashley Bachtel-Bodkins, Senior Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator for the University of Maryland Extension in Garrett County. If you are limited on space and time, a container garden may be a perfect way to add in the garden you’ve always wanted. We talk about picking the correct size container for your plant needs, drainage tips, and growing media.

We also have our:

Native Plant of the Month (Sweet Bay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana ) at 26:00
Bug of the Month (Spongy moth, Lymantria dispar) at 30:45
Garden Tips of the Month at 38:45.

If you have any garden-related questions please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture; Rachel Rhodes, Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County); and Emily Zobel, Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc