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
W HY G ROW F OO D I N C ONTAI NE RS ?
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.
CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION ing their own locally grown
move plants from place to
and harvested produce.
Why grow food in con- 1 place to take advantage of
Even if you don’t have the
tainers? changing weather condi-
land base to install a tradi-
Limitations to container 1 tions, such as frost adviso-
tional “in-ground” garden,
gardening ries or hail storms.
you can still enjoy growing
Getting started 2 and eating your own pro- A container garden is an
duce with vegetable con-
Cool season vegetables 2 easy low-cost means to grow
& Warm season vegeta- tainer gardening.
your own food which re-
bles
Container gardening—or quires very little mainte-
Location and water and 3 nance. By choosing attrac-
fertilizer, oh my! growing plants in above
tive containers, your con-
ground pots, baskets, or
Questions and answers 3 tainer gardening projects can
other receptacles— allows
add variety and appeal to
you to grow plants in almost
Using your harvest & 4 your landscape. Alterna-
Salad dressing recipes
any environment, such as
tively, free plastic buckets
Resource guide 4
L I M I TAT I O NS T O C O NTAI NE R G A RDE NI NG
ers require more water than 3. Certain vining crops, be-
traditional “in-ground” gar- cause of their growth habits,
Although there are advan- dens. In hot, dry, windy can’t be grown in contain-
tages to container gardening, conditions you may need to ers.
you will have more success water up to 3 times per day!
if you keep these facts in 4. Large containers can be
mind: 2. Frequent watering may quite heavy when wet.
leach nutrients from the soil,
1. Plants grown in contain- You can address these limi-
so you may need to fertilize.
tations with a little planning.
Page 2 Vegetable Container Gardening
Supplies you will need
Containers
GETTING S TA RTE D
Drill or Hammer/Nail
Soil
The majority of the items needed for a successful container garden are readily available. Fol-
Water
low these simple steps to get started!
Fertilizers
Ruler 1. Choose your container. Containers can be as simple as ice cream buckets or as fancy as a
Screen or coffee filter (optional) 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.
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!
C OOL SE A SO N V E GE TA B L E S W A RM SE A SO N V E GE TA B L E S
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
varieties described as compact, bush, tiny, dwarf, or
Cabbage—12-18” container depth
patio which are better suited for container gardening.
Carrots—minimum 8” container depth
Bush beans—minimum 6” container depth
Cauliflower—12-18” container depth
Cucumber—minimum 10” container depth
Lettuce—minimum 6” container depth
Summer squash—minimum 10” container depth
Mustard greens—minimum 8” container depth
Eggplant—minimum 10” container depth
Parsley—minimum 6” container depth
Pepper—minimum 8” container depth
Peas—minimum 8” container depth
Tomato—12-18” container depth
Radishes—minimum 6” container depth
To plant seedlings, remove the transplant from its pot
Spinach—minimum 6” container depth 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.
Page 3
L OC ATI ON AN D WAT ER AN D F ERTIL IZ E R , O H MY !
When determining where Vegetable plants require prevent fungal diseases.
to place your containers about 1 inch of water per If using a soil-less potting
keep the following informa- week, either through rainfall
mix, be sure to consider fer-
tion in mind. or watering, to ensure ade-
tilizers since these mixes
quate growth.
Vegetable crops require have very few nutrients. A
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- Don’t fertilize wilted
and be sure to move
Pour until water runs mendations. plants; water and wait
your plants to a warm
out the bottom of the for them to recover.
or sheltered location in Fertilize seedlings with
container. Organic (non-chemical)
case of frost, high a solution that has been
winds, or severe By watering at the base diluted 50% to avoid fertilizers options are
weather. of the plant, versus on burning young roots. available at most garden
the leaves, you can help supply stores.
Q UES TI O N S AN D AN SW ER S
Q: The edges of my plant Q: What is powdery mil- Q: Help, the bottom half of
leaves are turning brown. dew and how do I recognize my plant is turning yellow!
What might be causing this? it?
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. Did you know?
water your container that vented by providing your Food stamp (FoodShare/SNAP)
water runs out of the drain- container gardens with Q: How do I recognize
benefits can be used to purchase
age holes. plenty of sunlight and good insect damage on my con-
tainer garden plants? bedding plants.
air circulation. Powdery
Q: What might be causing mildew can be recognized
the leaves of my plant to by white moldy areas on the
A: Most insects cause ir-
droop after watering? regularly shaped holes in
leaves. Prune diseased
leaves or fruit. You can re-
leaves and dispose of them
A: The most likely cause of in the garbage.
move insects by hand or use
this problem is a lack of oxy- floating row covers (mesh
gen in your soil. Check to Q: My plants look long and netting) as a preventative
make sure the drainage lanky. How can I correct measure. If you do use
holes in your container are this problem? floating row covers be sure
not being blocked by soil to remove them when plants
and if necessary raise your A: Try moving your con- 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 S I N G Y OU R H ARV E S T & S ALAD D RE S S I NG R E CI PE S
Lettuce is an inexpensive, easy crop to Whisk together all ingredients in a small Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
bowl until smooth. ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
grow in a container and makes a great
base for summer salads. Add other 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
home-grown vegetables and try these
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
· 1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt chives, tarragon, basil, or dill or 2-3 ta- dissolves. Next, beat in the oil by
· 2 tablespoons mayonnaise blespoons dried herbs droplets, whisking constantly. Alter-
· 2 tablespoons ketchup natively, place all the ingredients in a
· 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, white- lidded container and shake to com-
wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a bine.
small bowl until smooth. Stir in herbs.
R E S O URC E G UI D E
Check out these local resources in Polk and Burnett Counties.
Container vegetable gardening supplies:
Abrahamson’s Nursery, Landscaping, & Design, St. Croix Falls—483-
3040
Balsam Lake Pro-Lawn Nursery, Balsam Lake—485-3131
Balsam’s Lakeside Greenhouse Nursery & Landscaping—825-2202
Bergmann’s Greenhouses, Clayton—948-2921
Dragonfly Gardens, Amery—268-7660
More information on vegetable container gardening:
Grateful Gardens, Amery—268-9293
Kent’s Perennials, St. Croix Falls—483-1775 UW-Extension Offices:
Lake Kountry, Inc., Osceola—248-3018 Burnett County (Siren)—349-2151
North Country Greenhouse, Milltown—553-0619 Polk County (Balsam Lake)—485-8600
Painted Farm & Gardens, Luck—419-1129
Polk County Recycling Center (containers), St. Croix Falls—483-1088 Local libraries, including:
Rose Garden Gifts, Floral, & Greenhouse, Frederic—327-4281 Burnett Community Library (Webster)—866-
Sunshine Gardens, Cushing—488-2864 7697
Wood River Garden Store, Grantsburg—463-2426 Polk County Library Federation (Balsam
Local hardware & grocery stores Lake)—485-8680
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.
