Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Michael N. McIntyre

Urban Regional Extension Agent

Natural Resources/Home Horticulture

July 21, 2009

Container Gardening Ideal for City Dwellers

For decades, the focus of development in most parts of the country was on the suburbs. Cities faded while suburbs grew. But in the last few years, this pattern has changed. With suburbs running out of developmental land and many people tired of long commutes, the city’s potential is being recognized again. Developers are building apartments in downtown areas that once went dark when offices and stores closed for the day.  The limited land available is generally used for parking lots, pools, storerooms, or lawns, but there is a way for city dwellers to exercise their green thumbs.  Container gardening is a great way to grow fresh vegetables and herbs when space is an issue.

The key to any healthy plant is healthy soil with the right structure and texture. Begin by preparing compost, mainly of decomposed leaves. Compost helps to improve the structure of clay and sandy soils, making it loamy in nature. To this mixture add well decomposed farm animal manure. If you are getting an offensive odor, that means it needs to decompose a little longer. Mix the compost and the manure together, and then add a little lime. The soil has now been amended and is ready to be placed in a container.

In selecting a container, the rule of thumb is the bigger the better. A bigger pot holds more soil and nutrients, and your plant roots have more room to grow. Tomatoes, squash, and eggplant need at least a 5-gallon pot. Plastic pots are less expensive and easier to move around.

Clean your container with water and a brush dipped in a 10 percent bleach solution. Chlorine bleach will kill any existing disease-causing organisms. If your containers are new, naturally, there is no need to clean them. Add a layer of rocks below the container so that the soil does not wash away and excess water can properly drain. Most containers have drainage holes. If your container is not draining properly, unclog the drainage holes. Inadequate draining allows water to remain between the spaces amid the soil particles. This causes water logging that prohibits plant roots from getting essential oxygen and provides a habitat for fungus.

Now your container is ready for planting. Make sure your plant is firm in the soil. Add more soil if necessary to ensure firmness, but do not compress the soil, which forces the air out. The container should be filled with enough soil to accommodate the longest plant roots. Add some mulch, pine straw, or grass clippings around the plant to keep the soil moist. Container gardening allows you to move your plant around to make use of sunlight or to bring it inside during a frosty night. Just remember to water it regularly to fully establish roots. Enjoy the harvest in just a few short months.

For more information on container gardening and our new and exciting rainwater harvesting program, contact Michael McIntyre at 259-1265 or mnm0001@aces.edu.

References

Galloway, W. E. (2008, May). Pot perfected. Organic Gardening, 55(4), 60-64.

Green, C. (2006, April 9). An outburst of development in a small city in Alabama. New York Times. National Perspectives. Retrieved June 11, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/realestate/09national.html.

Email address: mnm0001@auburn.edu

Phone: (251) 937-7176

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.