Vegetable Container Gardening - Polk County

Vegetable Container Gardening

A how-to guide from the Seed to Stomach Project—Empowering
people in Polk and Burnett Counties with the skills to grow their
own food in limited spaces and turn it into healthy meals

WHY GROW FOOD IN CONTAINERS ?

CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION Many folks find enjoyment your porch or patio. Gar- can be decorated to provide
dening in containers also for a lower-cost attractive
in gardening and enjoy eat- allows for the ability to container.
ing their own locally grown move plants from place to
Why grow food in con- 1 and harvested produce. place to take advantage of
tainers? Even if you don’t have the changing weather condi-
land base to install a tradi- tions, such as frost adviso-
Limitations to container 1 tional “in-ground” garden, ries or hail storms.
gardening you can still enjoy growing
and eating your own pro- A container garden is an
Getting started 2 duce with vegetable con-
tainer gardening. easy low-cost means to grow
Cool season vegetables 2 your own food which re-
& Warm season vegeta- Container gardening—or quires very little mainte-
bles nance. By choosing attrac-
growing plants in above tive containers, your con-
Location and water and 3 ground pots, baskets, or tainer gardening projects can
fertilizer, oh my! other receptacles— allows add variety and appeal to
you to grow plants in almost your landscape. Alterna-
Questions and answers 3 any environment, such as tively, free plastic buckets

Using your harvest & 4
Salad dressing recipes 4

Resource guide

L IMITATIONS TO CONTAINER GARDENING

Although there are advan- ers require more water than 3. Certain vining crops, be-
traditional “in-ground” gar- cause of their growth habits,
tages to container gardening, dens. In hot, dry, windy can’t be grown in contain-
you will have more success conditions you may need to ers.
if you keep these facts in water up to 3 times per day!
mind: 4. Large containers can be
2. Frequent watering may quite heavy when wet.
1. Plants grown in contain- leach nutrients from the soil,
so you may need to fertilize. You can address these limi-
tations with a little planning.

Page 2 Vegetable Container Gardening

Supplies you will need GETTING STARTED
Containers
The majority of the items needed for a successful container garden are readily available. Fol-
Drill or Hammer/Nail
Soil low these simple steps to get started!

Water 1. Choose your container. Containers can be as simple as ice cream buckets or as fancy as a
Fertilizers cedar planting box. Choose the size of your container based on which vegetables you’d like
to plant following the guidelines below, which are based on the depth of the container.
Ruler
Screen or coffee filter (optional) 2. All containers need drainage holes. Use a drill or a hammer and nail to make 3-5 evenly
spaced holes in the bottom of the container. An optional piece of screen or coffee filter can
be placed in the bottom of the container over the holes to keep soil in the container.

3. Fill the container with soil, being careful to leave about an inch of headspace to allow for
water to collect.

4. Plant your vegetables. Use the guidelines
below to determine what time of the year to
plant certain vegetables.

5. Maintain your vegetable plants with proper
watering and fertilization (see page 3).

6. Enjoy your harvest!

COOL SEASON VEGETABLES WARM SEASON VEGETABLES

Vegetables that do best when planted in the spring or As the name implies, warm season vegetables require

fall are called cool season vegetables. Follow the direc- warmer soil temperatures for survival. These vegetables
tions on the seed packet for information about planting should be planted after all danger of frost has passed
space and depth. Cool season vegetables include: (generally May 17-23 in Polk and Burnett Counties).
Due to our short growing season, eggplant, pepper, and
Beets—minimum 6” container depth tomato should either be started inside or purchased as
Broccoli—12-18” container depth transplants (not seeds). When purchasing seeds, look for
Cabbage—12-18” container depth varieties described as compact, bush, tiny, dwarf, or
Carrots—minimum 8” container depth patio which are better suited for container gardening.
Cauliflower—12-18” container depth
Lettuce—minimum 6” container depth Bush beans—minimum 6” container depth
Mustard greens—minimum 8” container depth
Parsley—minimum 6” container depth Cucumber—minimum 10” container depth
Peas—minimum 8” container depth
Radishes—minimum 6” container depth Summer squash—minimum 10” container depth
Spinach—minimum 6” container depth
Eggplant—minimum 10” container depth

Pepper—minimum 8” container depth

Tomato—12-18” container depth

To plant seedlings, remove the transplant from its pot
by gently pulling near the base of the plant stem.
Loosen the soil around the roots and plant the seedling
at its original depth in your container.

L OC ATI ON AN D WAT ER AN D F ERTIL IZ ER , OH MY ! Page 3

When determining where Vegetable plants require prevent fungal diseases. Don’t fertilize wilted
plants; water and wait
to place your containers about 1 inch of water per If using a soil-less potting for them to recover.
keep the following informa- week, either through rainfall Organic (non-chemical)
tion in mind. or watering, to ensure ade- mix, be sure to consider fer- fertilizers options are
quate growth. tilizers since these mixes available at most garden
Vegetable crops require have very few nutrients. A supply stores.
at least 6 hours of direct Thorough, infrequent 10-10-10 (N-P-K) fertilizer is
sunlight per day. watering stimulates root suitable for most vegetables.
growth better than fre- Check the fertilizer label for
Check the weather daily quent small watering. specific application recom-
and be sure to move Pour until water runs mendations.
your plants to a warm out the bottom of the
or sheltered location in container. Fertilize seedlings with
case of frost, high a solution that has been
winds, or severe By watering at the base diluted 50% to avoid
weather. of the plant, versus on burning young roots.
the leaves, you can help

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: The edges of my plant Q: What is powdery mil- Q: Help, the bottom half of Did you know?
Food stamp (FoodShare/SNAP)
leaves are turning brown. dew and how do I recognize my plant is turning yellow! benefits can be used to purchase
What might be causing this? it? bedding plants.
A: The yellowing of the
A: The build-up of fertilizer A: Powdery mildew is a
bottom half of a plant could
in the soil medium may be fungal disease that thrives in be caused by overwatering
your culprit. To address this cool damp conditions. or nutrient deficiency. Let
problem halt fertilizing and Knowing these facts, pow- the mix dry out a little or try
be sure that each time you dery mildew can be pre- using a fertilizer solution.
water your container that vented by providing your
water runs out of the drain- container gardens with Q: How do I recognize
age holes. plenty of sunlight and good
air circulation. Powdery insect damage on my con-
Q: What might be causing mildew can be recognized tainer garden plants?
by white moldy areas on the
the leaves of my plant to leaves. Prune diseased A: Most insects cause ir-
droop after watering? leaves and dispose of them
in the garbage. regularly shaped holes in
A: The most likely cause of leaves or fruit. You can re-
Q: My plants look long and move insects by hand or use
this problem is a lack of oxy- floating row covers (mesh
gen in your soil. Check to lanky. How can I correct netting) as a preventative
make sure the drainage this problem? measure. If you do use
holes in your container are floating row covers be sure
not being blocked by soil A: Try moving your con- to remove them when plants
and if necessary raise your flower to ensure pollination.
container off the ground tainer into an area that re- Don’t remove bees and but-
using boards or bricks. ceives at least 6 hours of terflies which provide bene-
direct sun per day. ficial pollination services.

U SI NG Y OU R H ARVES T & S ALAD D RESSI NG R ECI PES

Lettuce is an inexpensive, easy crop to Whisk together all ingredients in a small Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
bowl until smooth.
grow in a container and makes a great ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
base for summer salads. Add other Buttermilk Ranch Dressing 2 teaspoons brown sugar
home-grown vegetables and try these 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
tasty dressing recipes for a healthy ½ cup buttermilk ½ teaspoon salt
meal or side dish! Be sure to store all ¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise ½ teaspoon pepper
harvested vegetables in the refrigerator ½ teaspoon garlic ¾ cup olive oil
and rinse them before using. ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper Beat vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, and
Thousand Island Dressing 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as pepper in a bowl until sugar and salt
chives, tarragon, basil, or dill or 2-3 ta- dissolves. Next, beat in the oil by
· 1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt blespoons dried herbs droplets, whisking constantly. Alter-
· 2 tablespoons mayonnaise natively, place all the ingredients in a
· 2 tablespoons ketchup Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, white- lidded container and shake to com-
· 2 teaspoons white vinegar wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a bine.
small bowl until smooth. Stir in herbs.

RESOURCE GUIDE

Check out these local resources in Polk and Burnett Counties.

Container vegetable gardening supplies:

Abrahamson’s Nursery, Landscaping, & Design, St. Croix Falls—483- More information on vegetable container gardening:
3040
Balsam Lake Pro-Lawn Nursery, Balsam Lake—485-3131 UW-Extension Offices:
Balsam’s Lakeside Greenhouse Nursery & Landscaping—825-2202 Burnett County (Siren)—349-2151
Bergmann’s Greenhouses, Clayton—948-2921 Polk County (Balsam Lake)—485-8600
Dragonfly Gardens, Amery—268-7660
Grateful Gardens, Amery—268-9293 Local libraries, including:
Kent’s Perennials, St. Croix Falls—483-1775 Burnett Community Library (Webster)—866-
Lake Kountry, Inc., Osceola—248-3018 7697
North Country Greenhouse, Milltown—553-0619 Polk County Library Federation (Balsam
Painted Farm & Gardens, Luck—419-1129 Lake)—485-8680
Polk County Recycling Center (containers), St. Croix Falls—483-1088
Rose Garden Gifts, Floral, & Greenhouse, Frederic—327-4281
Sunshine Gardens, Cushing—488-2864
Wood River Garden Store, Grantsburg—463-2426
Local hardware & grocery stores

Your School District’s Community Education Office

This publication was created by members of UW-Extension’s 2009-2010 Polk-Burnett Leadership Academy as a final graduation project. To
obtain a tool kit for hosting a container vegetable gardening class, please contact the Polk County UW-Extension Office, 485-8600.