by Arlene Miles

Created on: June 19, 2009

If you live in a condominium or townhouse or even in an area where the soil is poor, you probably think that having a vegetable garden is impossible. That couldn't be further from the truth. With today's variety of space-saving plants as well as the quality of potting mediums found in stores, you can easily grow mouth-watering vegetables this summer on your patio or deck.

Taking care of container-bound vegetable plants is similar to planting a vegetable garden in the ground. You still have to fertilize and water (the latter more frequently) your plants, and yes, even weed the soil when weed seeds land in the container and begin to grow. However, certain factors, such as selecting the proper size containers are crucial to ensure success.

Container gardening has advantages over traditional in-ground gardening. For one, containers are a great way to introduce children to gardening. Beyond that, pest management is easier as the limited amount of space allows you to see insects more readily.

Here are a few tips to ensure a successful season of container vegetable gardening.

Containers

Almost any type of container may be used for a patio, deck, or balcony garden, even bushel baskets, old trash cans, traditional planter boxes and pots, and the like. Make sure, however, that an item repurposed into a container garden has adequate drainage for your plants. This may mean creating holes at the sides of the container near the bottom. Do not use ceramic containers with no drainage holes at the bottom. Place an inch or two of gravel at the bottom of the container before putting in soil will also help with drainage.

When considering size, the general rule is bigger is better to allow for adequate root growth. Many vegetables will not do well if their roots are restricted. They will not be as vigorous or as productive. This is especially true for cucumbers and squashes. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and eggplant like larger containers with a capacity of four to five gallons. Peppers and chard do well in three gallon containers, while greens that have shallow roots do better in flatter containers of at least 20" in diameter.

Potting Soil

Horticulturalists vary on whether soilless or partial soil potting mixes should be used in container gardening, but virtually all agree that 100% garden soil should not be used as it is often too heavy, dense, and compact, and may harbor weeds or harmful organisms. It also dries out more quickly. Many garden centers sell soilless

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