Container gardening is a great way for beginning gardeners to start producing their own food. Jon Traunfeld from the University of Maryland Extension talks about everything you need to know, from potting soil to planting, to grow vegetables in containers. From five-gallon buckets to Earth boxes, container gardening gives you options for any budget.
Container Gardening
Microgreens: Tasty Accents from Small Spaces
My first response to microgreens was: “Why would I spend my time growing 3-inch tall plants to eat?”
Then I thought about all of the tiny leafy green plants (beet, lettuce, kale, basil, etc.) I had eaten over the years in the process of growing transplants at home and in greenhouses. And it started to make more sense: why not plant seeds closely in a container to just grow baby plants?
Benefits: When you eat microgreens you are ingesting the cotyledons, stems, and small expanded true leaves of edible plants. Some reasons to give them a try:
- High in anti-oxidants and other health-promoting substances, like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and lutein
- Can be grown year-round inside with strong natural light or inexpensive fluorescent tubes
- Great for kids at home and in school- sow seeds, watch them sprout and grow for 10-14 days, and eat!
- Wonderful assortment of colors, flavors, and textures
Adventures in container food gardening
Several years ago I had to give up my backyard vegetable garden because the trees nearby were casting too much shade. I was lucky enough to find a community garden plot, which is where I now grow my tomatoes, peppers, and other plants that really need full sun. I’ve got some fruit and herbs in the sunny but deer-infested areas that remain in my home half-acre, and I still like to have some vegetables close at hand, so in spring, summer, and well into the fall I use every spare inch on the deck for container growing. It’s not a full-sun space, but I still manage to get okay yields from my salad table and various pots.
Here’s some of what I have out there this year.
