Garden Anywhere Growing Ornamentals & Edibles in Containers Dara Ballow-Giffen
Garden AnywhereGrowing Ornamentals & Edibles in
Containers
Dara Ballow-Giffen
College of
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Summary Slide
1. Benefits of container gardening
2. Plant selection
3. Container selection
4. Planting
5. Resources
Benefits of Container Gardening
• Flexible location – patio, porch, balcony, driveway, rooftop
• Better control over growing conditions – water, sun, nutrients
• Fewer animal issues
• Keep edibles near kitchen
• Inexpensive to get started
• Start earlier
• Less physically demanding – no digging/tilling, can be elevated
What’s YOUR Goal?
• Add visual interest to garden or hardscape
Bliss Garden Design (houzz.com)
HomeStratosphere.com
What’s Your Goal?
• Add visual interest to garden or hardscape
• Take advantage of patio, porch, rooftop space
Robin Ritterhoff
What’s Your Goal?
• Add visual interest to garden or hardscape
• Take advantage of patio, porch, rooftop space
• Remove favored plants from critters
Craig Lewis/USFWS
WikipediaWikipedia
What’s Your Goal?
• Add visual interest to garden or hardscape
• Take advantage of patio, porch, rooftop space
• Remove favored plants from critters
• Grow kitchen garden near the kitchen
SuitePlants.com
What’s Your Goal?
• Add visual interest to garden or hardscape
• Take advantage of patio, porch, rooftop space
• Remove favored plants from critters
• Grow kitchen garden near the kitchen
• Overwinter plants inside
hgtv.com
Plant Selection
Edibles
• Select container or dwarf varieties
• Sweet potatoes are great hanging option
Images from Culinary Institute of America
Robin Ritterhoff
Plant Selection
Edibles
• Select container or dwarf varieties
• Sweet potatoes are great hanging option
Combine plants with similar light & water reqs
Succulents!
Change plants seasonally
AskWetAndForget.com
Plant Selection
– Spring
• Ornamental: pansy, ranunculus, snapdragons
• Edible: greens, peas, onions, sweet potatoes
hub.suttons.co.uk longfield-gardens.com Mississippi State Extension
JudysCottageGarden.com OweCraft.com
Plant Selection
– Summer
• Ornamental: daisies, coreopsis, marigolds, beebalm
• Edible: tomatoes, peppers, herbs
ProvenWinners.comKarensGardenAdventures.com
SongSparrow.com
Plant Selection
– Fall
• Ornamental: anemone, chrysanthemum, evergreens
• Edible: greens, kale, crucifers, carrots
AmericanMeadows.com AVSO.orgAVSO.org AVSO.org
Sunset
Phormium + Echeveria + Heucherella
Container Selection
1. Size
2. Location
3. Material
4. Drainage
How BIG should the container be?
1-3 gallonsherbs
green onions
radishes
chard
pepper
dwarf tomato
dwarf cucumber
4-5 gallonsfull-size tomato*
cucumbers
eggplant
beans
peas
cabbage
broccoli*Full size tomatoes best in larger pot
Location Location Location
– How much for what you want to grow?
• Full Sun: min 6 hrs, many veg 8+ hrs
• Part Sun: 3-6 hrs
– Mobile
• Moving inside for winter?
– Hanging
Which pot?Material Pros Cons
Terracotta AttractiveVariety of stylesAffordable
Dries out quicklyBreakableHeavy
Plastic & Fiberglass Retains waterAffordableLight weight
Not always durable (select outdoor)Can blow overDark colors heat roots
Metal AttractiveDurable
ExpensiveHeavyRetain heat
Wood AttractiveAffordableInsulatesNot as porous as clay
Rots over timeBe aware of treated wood if growing edibles
Repurposed Materials Creative & Interesting Depends on material
Robin Ritterhoff
Which pot?Material Pros Cons
Terracotta AttractiveVariety of stylesAffordable
Dries out quicklyBreakableHeavy
Plastic & Fiberglass Retains waterAffordableLight weight
Not always durable (select outdoor)Can blow overDark colors heat roots
Metal AttractiveDurable
ExpensiveHeavyRetain heat
Wood AttractiveAffordableInsulatesNot as porous as clay
Rots over timeBe aware of treated wood if growing edibles
Repurposed Materials Creative & Interesting Depends on material
interiorfoliage.com
Which pot?Material Pros Cons
Terracotta AttractiveVariety of stylesAffordable
Dries out quicklyBreakableHeavy
Plastic & Fiberglass Retains waterAffordableLight weight
Not always durable (select outdoor)Can blow overDark colors heat roots
Metal AttractiveDurable
ExpensiveHeavyRetain heat
Wood AttractiveAffordableInsulatesNot as porous as clay
Rots over timeBe aware of treated wood if growing edibles
Repurposed Materials Creative & Interesting Depends on material
PotteryBarn.com
Which pot?Material Pros Cons
Terracotta AttractiveVariety of stylesAffordable
Dries out quicklyBreakableHeavy
Plastic & Fiberglass Retains waterAffordableLight weight
Not always durable (select outdoor)Can blow overDark colors heat roots
Metal AttractiveDurable
ExpensiveHeavyRetain heat
Wood AttractiveAffordableInsulatesNot as porous as clay
Rots over timeBe aware of treated wood if growing edibles
Repurposed Materials Creative & Interesting Depends on material
EdenEdibleGardens.blogspot.com
Which pot?Material Pros Cons
Terracotta AttractiveVariety of stylesAffordable
Dries out quicklyBreakableHeavy
Plastic & Fiberglass Retains waterAffordableLight weight
Not always durable (select outdoor)Can blow overDark colors heat roots
Metal AttractiveDurable
ExpensiveHeavyRetain heat
Wood AttractiveAffordableInsulatesNot as porous as clay
Rots over timeBe aware of treated wood if growing edibles
Repurposed Materials Creative & Interesting Depends on material
DIYNetwork.com
thecottagemarket.com
thecottagemarket.com
Let It Drain
– Prevent root rot
– Allow nutrient salts to flush
– Elevate on hard surfaces
– Sitting water in saucers > mosquitos
– Non draining containers
– Easy season changes
– Contain aggressive growers
– Combine plants with different water needs
– Fill large planter with upside down pot
Get Planting
1. Prepare the container– Sterilize 1 part bleach to 9 parts water
– Add drainage holes
– Use potting soil. NOT top soil.
2. Watering– Containers dry out more quickly than in-ground
gardens
– Water until excess comes out of bottom
– Water more if: lots of sun, hot weather, lots of wind, small container, porous container
– Other options: Self watering containers, drip irrigation
3. Feed– Frequency depends on plants. Edible or aggressive
growth require more food.
– Options:
• Mix slow release into soil when plant (2-4 mo)
• Soluble fertilizer
• Organic fertilizers
– Worm castings or Kelp can be top dressed
– Other organic meals can be incorporated before planting
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. MORE IS NOT BETTER!
3. Integrated Pest Management
***Right plant in the right place***
– Monitor
– Tolerate some damage
– Look at undersides of leaves
– Cultural vs Pest problems
– Determine threshold for damage
– Least toxic control first
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FOR PESTICIDES
Make it pretty
Combine tall + filler + hanging (thriller, filler, spiller)
Combine shapes, textures, sizes
OR
Combine shapes, textures, sizes
Odd numbers of plants
BigBadFlower.com
GildedBloom.com
HomeStratosphere.com
Robin Ritterhoff
Robin Ritterhoff
ResourcesIdeas: Pinterest, houzz
Gardening:
Grow It! Eat It!
http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
Backyard food gardening tips and info
Home and Garden Information Center
http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
Factsheets, photos, and videos
Subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
Ask gardening questions 24/7 - “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
Maryland Master Gardener Program
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
Become a trained MG volunteer!
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