By Carol Anderson, Master Gardener in Training

Even with a small space, container vegetable gardening can be successful resulting in the production of a wide selection of fresh vegetables and herbs for consumption available throughout the growing season. Careful planning, ensuring the proper environmental conditions are considered and adhering to the appropriate cultural conditions will all ensure success.

The first step in planning is to consider what you are most likely to consume – growing vegetables with either a low yield or low interest by you and your family will not likely inspire you to provide the proper care and maintenance to be successful. However, choosing vegetables and herbs that deliver throughout the season and which you/your family will enjoy is a good starting place. Next … consider the environmental conditions (sunlight, temperature, nutritional requirements, and watering needs) and cultural conditions (such as space needed, soil requirements and plant compatibility) as this will assist you in the selection and scope of your vegetable container garden.

A chart, such as in the example below, allows you to carefully consider the location, groupings and planting schedule for the vegetables and herbs under consideration. Keep in mind one critical factor in our climate…the growing season in our region is short (~134 days for 5a/b)  https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/ON

Two strategies to extend this season are: 1. For crops that have a longer growing season, start them by seed indoors or purchase them as a seedling/small plant (e.g. tomatoes), and 2. Plant some cold-hardy or semi-cold-hardy vegetables to extend the season beyond the first frost (e.g. broccoli, kale, radish, carrot). In addition, I recommend that herbs be purchased as small plants as they will begin to provide season-long enjoyment quickly and are quite reasonably priced.

Another consideration to increase yield is “succession planting” – a method whereby the same crop can be sown multiple times, spaced apart in intervals. This strategy can also be utilized with inter-planting whereby a row of one crop is alternated with another crop (in this case with a shorter growing season). Once the early harvest occurs, another row of the first crop can be sewn in its’ place. This allows for 2 different crops to be planted together in the same container (e.g. carrots and radishes) with successive harvests in a small space.

One of the final considerations is time…which as we all know is precious. Understanding how much time you want to invest in the garden is important. As with any vegetable garden, sowing seeds, transplanting, fertilizing, harvesting and inspecting the plants takes time. One added component with container vegetables is the need to additional watering. Depending on the weather some crops may need to be watered daily or even twice/day. If the container garden is significant, a drip irrigation system for containers (e.g. with a backflow preventer), should be considered to reduce the watering workload!!

 Table 1. Example of a Vegetables/Herbs Planning Chart

Vegetable/ Herb	Days To Germ.	Days to Harvest	Environmental Considerations	Other Considerations	Yield (kg/3m row)
Beans (Pole) (DS)	6-14	65-70	Sun; Average Moisture; Sandy well drained soil	Space seeds 6-8” around base of pole in tripod; fertilize with 10-10-10 after pods set	2.5-4.5
Kale (T)	N/A		Sun; well drained loam with high organic matter	Heavy feeder; starter and then 30-0-0	2-3.5
Tomatoes (Cherry) (T)	N/A	50-65	Sun; slightly acidic well drained soil	Heavy feeder – use starter, then 33-0-0 two weeks before first ripening and 5-10-5 two weeks after ripening; bury stem deep when transplanting	100-200/ plant
Peppers (T)	N/A	70-85	Sun; well drained loose soil; average moisture	Light feeder; transplant when soil is warm	2-8
Carrots (DS)	10-14	55	Sun; Average Moisture; Deep, well-aerated sandy loam	Sow shallow 3-5 weeks before the last frost; can be sown every 3 weeks for continuous harvest	3-4.5
Radishes (DS)	4-7	20-25	As above	Sow in early spring at 1/2”; thin to 2”; inter-plant with carrots	+++
Leaf Lettuce (T)	N/A	40-80	Sun/tolerates shade; rich well drained loam	Medium to heavy feeder; use starter and side dress if additional needed;	2-4.5
Basil (T)	7-14		Sun; Moist nutrient rich soil; well drained	Pinch central stem to encourage a bushy plant; harvest the plant often for ongoing growth	Cont.
Oregano (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun/part shade; needs good drainage		Cont.
Rosemary (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun; well drained sandy or loamy soil; drought tolerant	Light feeder: mix compost into the soil and then use balanced fertilizer as needed	Cont.
Thyme (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun; sandy/poor soil tolerated; dry conditions preferred	All purpose fertilizer in the spring at half strength	Cont.

Once you have determined your crops to be considered for your container vegetable garden, it is a good idea to identify the containers to be used and the arrangement of these containers (see Photos 1&2 below). Containers should not only be organized to maximize space and sunlight, but also to be esthetically appealing.

In the arrangement on the left in photo 1, the tall pole beans and cherry tomato plant is set at the back, with the peppers, carrots, radishes, and green onions at the front – providing a layered look and maximizing space on a deck.

Other considerations can be either a “tower” or a Living Wall whereby vegetables/herbs are stacked, utilizing only a small footprint in a small space. A Living Wall can be created whereby multiple planters are suspended by rope or chain under the edge of a deck (as long as there is full sunlight); lettuce, potatoes, and other mixes of vegetables and herbs can be placed together creating an appealing planting with various heights and trailing plants and herbs.

If you have an inclination for growing your own food, do not be discouraged if you do not have access to a traditional garden space. Small space vegetable gardening provides an opportunity to be creative, and if planned properly, you can eat healthy fresh vegetables throughout the season.