Edible Yards

This week in our garden…

a metal paint bucket planted with chives, a jalapeno pepper, and silver-leaf oregano

terra cotta and metal pots work well for growing vegetables and herbs

… we’ve added a few containers of herbs and vegetables to our mix. Yes, that’s mulch in the pot – in this brutal heat, you definitely should mulch in your pot to conserve water and fertility!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my container growing workshop on Sunday and thanks to Pat and Bruno for hosting! The swiss chard-zucchini quiche was delicious and a special treat after our class. Of course, the chard and zucchini were grown in Bruno and Pat’s container garden. The class was held under the shade of a fig tree and covered the basics of growing food in containers. Here’s a re-cap:

1.Start with a plan: sketch out your space, collect containers, decide what you want to grow and whether or not they will do well in containers.

2. Almost any container will do but bigger is better in order to maximize your growing space. Terra cotta, glazed pottery, metal and wood are good choices.

3. Use a high-quality organic potting soil and organic fertilizer for best results.

4. You can grow almost anything in containers but it is wise to choose crops that are shallow-rooted (especially for small containers) such as lettuce, spinach, and radishes; quick to mature to maximize your yield; and also consider using appropriate varieties for containers.

5. Be sure to check your containers and water daily or as needed. Containers dry out much quicker than your in-ground garden beds!

Matt’s Wild Cherry is a great tomato variety for containers