Project Green Thumb: Container Gardening

Gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh produce. You can control every element of your food--the soil, the fertilizer, and the variety. It's a wonderful way to incorporate truly local, organic food into your daily diet. However, not everyone has the space to have a traditional in-ground garden. That's where container gardening comes in!

Container gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Some people simply have a few pots of herbs, while others use old wine or shipping crates to create a larger garden. (Christina has a very large raised container garden, which you can learn more about here and here.)

Veggies that do well in container gardens: 

Lettuces 
Swiss Chard 
Cherry Tomatoes 
Fennel
Radishes 
Onions
Herbs 

Tips to keep your container garden thriving: 

1. It is more "stressful" for plants to grow in containers than in the ground, so they will dry out more quickly. Make sure to water them more often than you would a regular garden plant. 
2. Because they are deprived of the natural nutrients found in the ground, they will also need to be fertilized more often. Most experts recommend using fertilizer every third to fourth watering. 
3. Make sure to give potted plants plenty of room to grow. It's tempting to crowd them to make them look more full, but that will also cause them to be "stressed." 

Here are two great resources for starting your container garden! 

How to Build a Container Garden out of Recycled Shipping Pallets 

How to Start a Container Garden (includes in-depth tips about items to plant, and how much soil/water each individual plant needs) 

Already have a container garden? About to start one? Send us your photos and we'll feature them on the blog!