Your best container garden: making the most of a small growing space

Tips for growing in pots, indoors and outdoors

Hear me out: humans are biologically linked to plants through a co-evolutionary bond.

Our very hands and sensory capabilities are shaped to attune and tend to plants. Harvesting from trees, digging, and seeding with thumb-and-forefinger precision that our pawed mammal relatives couldn’t even dream of.

All of us are descended from agronomists. All of us have indigenous ancestral origins. And yet, in just a handful of generations, the vast majority of us have been removed from those figurative and literal roots.

Maybe it is my own little bubble, but I think a lot of people out there want to get into plants. I’m sure not everyone in the world feels called to horticulture, but it’s easy to see the eager delight in people’s eyes at farmers market as they look at the produce, fresh and alive and picked the day before. They ask questions, and imagine what it might be like to farm. Even people who have never been on a farm or grown a plant, when they become parents, they will present picture books and songs about farming for their kids. It’s because these relationships with plants, animals, soil, and fungi are intrinsic to the world we want for them, even if we haven’t fully realized it for ourselves.

All that said, I am a soil-first farmer. We are double-certified, with MOSA and Real Organic Project, the latter of which requires that the food is grown in a living soil system (rather than hydroponics or container-based systems). However, the barriers for people to achieve long-term soil stewardship are plenty. Anyone who rents, moves around a lot, has soil contamination, or doesn’t even have access to outdoor growing space such as an apartment know this well. Folks with mobility needs benefit from a higher, reachable growing surface. And, if it weren’t for my first container herb garden way back in high school, who knows where I’d be right now.

The truth is, there are ways to grow things in containers that work. You can have happy, healthy plants that will thrive and produce a harvest for you, even out of a container. And, even as a full-time farmer, I do still use containers for certain plants that can’t handle our low, wet soil conditions (lavender and rosemary, I’m looking at you).

Here are some best practices to keep in mind for your best container garden:

1. Containers: make sure those suckers are bigger than you think they need to be. A small pot may be cute, but save those for your succulent house plants because most vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers will end up strangled without adequate root space. Focus on functionality first and then find solutions for aesthetic value. Think: 5 gallon bucket with drainage holes drilled in the bottom. You can get food-grade buckets for cheap, and they are pretty much the minimum size I would use for a highly productive crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. Remember that a happy plant in a plain looking pot is better than a miserable plant in a beautiful one.

2. Aeration: this is a big pitfall for many. Containers don’t have the benefit of soil microbes and invertebrates aerating the soil with tunnels and movement, so you will need to use a good potting mix with perlite added for adequate oxygen. I also have had amazing results from using the Earthbox (no affiliation), which provides a literal air chamber underneath the potting mix with a tube coming out of the top for circulation. They are on the expensive side, but if you’re working with a small space, it may be worth the investment. If not, add some large size gravel or stones to the bottom of the pot to create air pockets, which encourage the roots to fully reach the bottom of the container. If you’re growing inside, make sure there is good air flow above as well. You don’t want mold or plant diseases to proliferate in your house!

3. Placement: Make sure your plants get the required amount of sun. A southern-facing porch or patio is ideal for heat-loving nightshade family crops (tomatoes tomatillos, groundcherries, peppers, eggplants). Most plants will be more productive when placed in a warm micro-climate. Pay attention to where the snow melts first and that will often show you a good spot for our container garden. If you’re growing indoors, pick the sunniest window. Grow lights may also be beneficial to supplement light.

4. Watering: In general, containers need more watering than in-ground beds because they don’t have the deep reserves of moisture that soil holds. Still, pay attention to crop-specific needs for water: let your Mediterranean herbs like lavender, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and basil dry out in between waterings, whereas tomatoes and cucumbers ripening fruit will need more water.

5. Invest in GOOD QUALITY potting mix, or make your own out of coconut coir, worm castings, and perlite. The potting mix industry is extremely unregulated. The one and only time I bought a bag of potting mix from Steins, we were out of our bulk stuff we get from Vermont Compost (highly recommend them if you can get it). I found what I believe was literal parts of a couch ground up into it. There were wood splinters, metal tacks, and upholstery in there. The plants that I used it on all died in short order. Make sure that you don’t waste your time and money on trash in a bag, masquerading as potting mix! Certified organic potting mix helps, but still research the company to make sure its reputable. And be mindful that big-name brands like MiracleGro that aren’t certified organic will contain synthetic fertilizers that are not in accordance with organic certification.

6. Don’t forget to include a reservoir for water under the pot. Many times, the water just flows down the edge of the pot, not even touching the majority of the roots. This is because the potting mix doesn’t have the structure that soil has for percolating water. Even if you have a shower setting on your hose or watering can, it may not distribute evenly where you plant needs it. However, if you have a half-inch to one-inch deep reservoir under it, the water will be re-absorbed from the bottom over time. If not, then it will likely all drain away the minute you applied it. Especially if your potting mix was extra dry when you watered it.

For Milwaukee Area Growers:

If you’re in the Milwaukee area, consider planting your containers with certified organic seedlings selected for performance in our temperate climate by us farmers at Winterspring Farm. You can order online today to reserve your favorites. Pick-up and in-person shopping is available on the farm, May 16th.

Here are my top picks for container growing, based on the seedlings we offer:

1. Lettuce. With naturally shallow roots and compact structure, lettuce is a popular and easy-to-please choice for containers.

2. Strawberries. New item! These certified organic starts are hard to find but we got them. Place in a wide pot, like a trough or square/rectangular container to increase the surface area. They will send out runners which you can then propagate later.

3. Cherry tomatoes: easy, prolific, and less prone to splitting and disease compared to big beef varieties. We have a few different cherries to choose from, but the classic red sweetie cherry is always a hit.

4. Picnic sweet peppers. These delightful mini peppers come in red, orange, and yellow. Perfect for small spaces, and take less time to ripen than larger fruits.

5. Herbs. A lot of herbs will work in containers: basil, chamomile, cilantro, dill, parsley, lavender, lemon verbena, mint, sage, oregano, and more.

6. Edible flowers: Nasturtium, violas, borage, calendula.

7. Cut flowers: Nicotiana, strawflower, bachelor’s button

And remember, if your intention is to support beneficial pollinators, ALWAYS buy certified organic transplants and/or seed to avoid systemic noenicitinoid pesticides.

I hope this helps bring you a little closer to the plants you enjoy, and that you are able to get as much satisfaction out of your container garden as you would an in-ground garden. Start with where you are, and what you have. Get to know each plant on at a time. Once you know them, you know them like an old friend.

Cheers and happy planting!

Farmer Rox