Successful veg container gardening (CT-Zone 6)?

[cjcouple]

Hi all - I'm desperate to get container gardening to work for me. haha  I'm in a condo so no personal yard, my deck has a LOT of sun from 11a on in summer so that should not be an issue.  The rules are not super strict so I can also probably put a few containers out front along my garage area if needed.  Its full sun in mornings for the first half of day.  (to be clear the sun rises along my front door and sets on the deck/back side).   

I absolutely love all vegetables!  
I'd love some resources to figure this out.  Farm stands and farmers markets are so expensive here so any help would be appreciated so I can eat fresh veggies without breaking the bank every July-Sept. I've looked into a CSA but these are so hard to get into and are not super nearby (I'd need to drive at least 20 mins to pick up - if I can even get into one) 

I'm pretty sure the seeds need to be started soon and I'm very motivated. I'm willing to invest in some supplies as well.  (sun lamp or specific planters etc.) 

I'm looking for ANY veggies.  Any thoughts on what you think would be most successful? Any experience on what you've had success with?  thanks!!   

[7costanza]

I’m not in your zone but check out square foot gardening! In my limited gardening experience it seems like the best way to get a huge crop from a small space, and it’s very easy to follow once you have it set up.

[joy]

Have you heard of the show “Grow, Cook, Eat” ?

The hosts live in Ireland and focus on successful growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables both in the garden AND in containers. The container part is excellent because they are real about what can be successful in containers (potatoes! Even a pumpkin!) and what will really not be (strawberries, man…). They give you tips to get it to work, tell you what time of year to plant, how to care, etc.

It’s an incredibly useful show full of information.

[chedifuen]

Honestly, this year I wouldn't worry about investing in seed starting supplies. Starts are so cheap in the spring and they'll give you more instant gratification. Check out green stalk towers. I have a couple mixed in to my gardening space and I really like them!

Green Beans, Zucchinis and Cucumbers are my best recommendations for new veggie gardeners. They're super easy, produce well, and can be direct sown.

[mrsukyankee]

I would look up gardeners on Youtube that are in your area that also have container gardening videos. This will give you ideas of when to plant what. Best thing I ever did two years ago.

[cjcouple]

Jan 23, 2024 10:07:21 GMT -5 joy said:

Have you heard of the show “Grow, Cook, Eat” ?

The hosts live in Ireland and focus on successful growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables both in the garden AND in containers. The container part is excellent because they are real about what can be successful in containers (potatoes! Even a pumpkin!) and what will really not be (strawberries, man…). They give you tips to get it to work, tell you what time of year to plant, how to care, etc.

It’s an incredibly useful show full of information.

I'm definitely checking that out!! Thats exactly what I need. what can be grown in a container, etc.

[cjcouple]

Jan 23, 2024 10:25:33 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

I would look up gardeners on Youtube that are in your area that also have container gardening videos. This will give you ideas of when to plant what. Best thing I ever did two years ago.

good idea.

[mrsukyankee]

Jan 23, 2024 10:25:41 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Jan 23, 2024 10:07:21 GMT -5 joy said:

Have you heard of the show “Grow, Cook, Eat” ?

The hosts live in Ireland and focus on successful growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables both in the garden AND in containers. The container part is excellent because they are real about what can be successful in containers (potatoes! Even a pumpkin!) and what will really not be (strawberries, man…). They give you tips to get it to work, tell you what time of year to plant, how to care, etc.

It’s an incredibly useful show full of information.

I'm definitely checking that out!! Thats exactly what I need. what can be grown in a container, etc.

Just be careful with the starting dates that the Irish person gives as those will likely be very different to you (I can start growing all crops in London well before anyone in Ireland can.)

[sproctopus]

Are you in Central CT? I could recommend a nursery for starts I use. Seeds are not for me, lol. The light conditions, maintaining humidity, not overwatering and then hardening...bah humbug. I do a lot of container gardening and follow a woman on Tik Tok who does square foot gardening and it's such a great way to maximize plants while having them benefit each other (either through nutrients or pest control).

[joy]

Jan 23, 2024 10:28:14 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Jan 23, 2024 10:25:41 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

I'm definitely checking that out!! Thats exactly what I need. what can be grown in a container, etc.

Just be careful with the starting dates that the Irish person gives as those will likely be very different to you (I can start growing all crops in London well before anyone in Ireland can.)

Yes. They do give you temps to look for and ways to adapt based on where you live.

[Patsy Baloney]

Lettuce and herbs are also great for containers. If you have deeper/longer containers, you can try out radishes and carrots! All are direct sow seeds.

A lot of people have success with bigger stuff like tomatoes, but the only one I’ve ever gotten much off of was one specifically for small container gardening. I feel like it was called a Tom Thumb maybe? I’ve also gotten peppers to do well. But they can be divas, so I would pick up starts if you want to try them.

[kitty]

We did this many years ago when we lived in a condo. We used the book “The Bountiful Container” by McGee and Stuckey as a guide. www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/161184

We grew lettuce, small tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber (bush type) and herbs. It was so long ago that I can’t tell you details about our yield but I think it was okay - not amazing but not a total dud. I did have to pollinate the zucchini and cucumber by hand. I used a qtip but a small paintbrush would work too. You want to try to transfer pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers. If I were condo gardening again, I would probably also plant some flowers known for attracting bees in the same area as my veggies.

At our house, I’ve dabbled with growing potatoes in bag: www.gardeners.com/how-to/potato-grow-bag-instructions/7099.html

which could work well for your space. I ordered my seed potatoes from mythicfarm.com/.

[meanie]

I am in MA but similar zone, 6A

I start my seeds in late Feb/early March using a shop light on a wire rack. There are lots of fancy gardening specific seed starting setups but they are not necessary. I use Solo cups with a hole punched for drainage and plastic seed trays to water.

Planting is in June, there seems to always be a late cold snap in early June but if you do smaller planters that you can bring in that shouldn't be an issue.

I like MIGardener for seeds, they run sales pretty often for $1 packs of seeds. Seeds from big box stores will work just fine too but there are lots of fun seed companies that sell varieties the big stores don't carry.

If you are tight on space then skip anything in the squash family, those get huge. Cherry tomato varieties are my favorite, they ripen fast and produce a lot. Snap peas are fun because they have a really short maturity time and produce a lot if you are able to put up a small trellis. 

Roots&Refuge is my go-to YouTube channel, MIGardener also has a lot of informative videos.

If I had limited space I would focus on what plants produce the most in a small area (tomatoes, snap peas, beans, lettuce, eggplant, peppers, etc) and then find varieties that are not in stores. You can buy a basic tomato anywhere, but you can grow something that looks cool and has exactly the flavor/texture you enjoy most.

[tiki]

I'm in MA so fairly similar growing season. I would recommend starting with cherry tomatoes, herbs (basil, mint), and whatever kind of peppers your family likes. Those all grow well in containers, produce good harvests, and are easy to buy as starter plants for from your local garden center. You can start from seed next year if you really want to, but I always find I get way too many seedlings for the limited growing space I have and letting all the extra plants go is no fun.

ETA: I don't recommend trying to grow watermelon, zucchini, squash, or cucumber in containers unless you don't mind your deck turning into a jungle.  They just need too much space (like 4-6ft diameter) for each plant, and also need just an incredible amount of water to keep from wilting in the heat of summer. 

[gardengal]

I agree w pp to just get starts/baby plants in spring, save direct sow things like lettuce. And, this may sound obvious, but plant what you eat! Herbs give a lot of pay off, especially basil. I have the best luck w smaller fruiting things (cherry tomatoes, bush pickling cukes, hot peppers vs bell, etc)

Definitely give yourself some grace that this might be a learning year for you. I’d start with a few things & just add more next year!

Also, don’t get crap potting soil. It’s the foundation for growth so get nice, fluffy stuff

[cjcouple]

Jan 23, 2024 10:30:49 GMT -5 sproctopus said:

Are you in Central CT? I could recommend a nursery for starts I use. Seeds are not for me, lol. The light conditions, maintaining humidity, not overwatering and then hardening...bah humbug. I do a lot of container gardening and follow a woman on Tik Tok who does square foot gardening and it's such a great way to maximize plants while having them benefit each other (either through nutrients or pest control).

I'm in the Northeast corner - I'm open to using seedlings as well. I've gotten some herbs from Hart's Greenhouse/Nursery over in Canterbury (there's a few other locations here as well).  They have the largest variety - I might start with seed and if they don't seem to be growing indoors - I will replace with seedling maybe.   

This may all end in disaster ...lol

[sproctopus]

Jan 23, 2024 10:55:01 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Jan 23, 2024 10:30:49 GMT -5 sproctopus said:

Are you in Central CT? I could recommend a nursery for starts I use. Seeds are not for me, lol. The light conditions, maintaining humidity, not overwatering and then hardening...bah humbug. I do a lot of container gardening and follow a woman on Tik Tok who does square foot gardening and it's such a great way to maximize plants while having them benefit each other (either through nutrients or pest control).

I'm in the Northeast corner - I'm open to using seedlings as well. I've gotten some herbs from Hart's Greenhouse/Nursery over in Canterbury (there's a few other locations here as well).  They have the largest variety - I might start with seed and if they don't seem to be growing indoors - I will replace with seedling maybe.   

This may all end in disaster ...lol

Woodland Gardens is my favorite nursery for starts. It's east of the river, but a bit of a hike from the NE corner. Good luck!!

[SwimDeep]

Wait, strawberries don't do well in containers? That was going to be my new thing this year 😞

I'm in zone 7a/b, and I'm planning to start seeds in February. I don't have grow lights, so I spend a lot of time moving them from window to window once they sprout and keep them on top of the fridge at night for warmth. I repurpose takeout containers and egg cartons instead of buying the start kits. But I do buy the special seed starting coconut husk soil disks.

I've had really good results with tomatoes and peppers in containers. They need large containers (I used 10 gallon grow bags last year) and quality soil. I mixed in blood meal and used the fish stuff to fertilize (sorry no specifics, I'm trying to post this before my next meeting).

One thing I did wrong last year was over water. Everyone says containers need more water, but I watered so much I delayed my peppers from fruiting and some of my tomatoes turned into water balloons lol.

[cjcouple]

Jan 23, 2024 10:50:31 GMT -5 gardengal said:

I agree w pp to just get starts/baby plants in spring, save direct sow things like lettuce. And, this may sound obvious, but plant what you eat! Herbs give a lot of pay off, especially basil. I have the best luck w smaller fruiting things (cherry tomatoes, bush pickling cukes, hot peppers vs bell, etc)

Definitely give yourself some grace that this might be a learning year for you. I’d start with a few things & just add more next year!

Also, don’t get crap potting soil. It’s the foundation for growth so get nice, fluffy stuff

thanks

I eat everything! The only produce I don't care for are fiddle ferns and "super hot" peppers.    I wonder if those smaller sweet peppers would be better than the bell?  I don't mind a hot pepper in a recipe on occasion but not enough to grow a whole bunch. they are inexpensive enough to buy as needed.  

 

[yaga]

I live in Brooklyn and successfully grew a ton of cherry tomatoes 2 years in a row on my balcony. As well as basil and parsley. The rest (zucchini, eggplant, peppers, regular sized tomatoes, strawberries) were not so successful. I used self watering planters but I still had to water them daily or even twice a day in the peak of summer. One of them was made of a large rubber bin using PVC piping and something to separate the soil from the water resevoir (some local kids made them for a fundraiser), the rest were planters I bought.

This year, I live in an apartment with a large back patio and my plan is to upgrade to galvanized steel bins that I'll make into self watering planters using the technique I clearly know well, as I explained above. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm hoping the bigger size will help support more diverse veggies. The zucchinis didn't make it due to a worm, not from poor gardening, but I'm sure it was my fault still. 😂 I have access to a hose now, so I'm hoping that helps it flourish.

[sproctopus]

Jan 23, 2024 11:02:19 GMT -5 SwimDeep said:

Wait, strawberries don't do well in containers? That was going to be my new thing this year 😞

I'm in zone 7a/b, and I'm planning to start seeds in February. I don't have grow lights, so I spend a lot of time moving them from window to window once they sprout and keep them on top of the fridge at night for warmth. I repurpose takeout containers and egg cartons instead of buying the start kits. But I do buy the special seed starting coconut husk soil disks.

I've had really good results with tomatoes and peppers in containers. They need large containers (I used 10 gallon grow bags last year) and quality soil. I mixed in blood meal and used the fish stuff to fertilize (sorry no specifics, I'm trying to post this before my next meeting).

One thing I did wrong last year was over water. Everyone says containers need more water, but I watered so much I delayed my peppers from fruiting and some of my tomatoes turned into water balloons lol.

I do fine with strawberries in containers. They often send out runners, but I clip those and start them in their own container.

[ellipses84]

It’s $$$ but I’ve seen amazing results with friends’ grow towers m and great if you are tight on space.

If you have lots of sun, tomatoes are usually pretty easy. You can start a lot of seeds inside, like tomatoes in a glass mason jar of dirt in a window sill and move it to a larger pot once it starts sprouting. Herbs are also easy to grow indoors.

[archiethedragon]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but container grown veggies are going to be the most expensive veggies you can get. If you are doing it to save money, I just don't see how they are going to be less expensive then buying them. Doing it for the experience of gardening makes the the cost more acceptable.

[livinitup]

I enjoy growing basil because the yield is high, the price in the grocery store is high and I adore fresh basil. I cannot grow dill and it disappoints me every year I try.

I also do tomatoes but they are not that expensive if you buy them at the farmers market/farms in big quantities in season, around August/September. Which gets us into canning. Sorry! Don’t mean to lead you down that path when you’re just talking about seeds. Haha

[cjcouple]

Jan 23, 2024 11:33:28 GMT -5 archiethedragon said:

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but container grown veggies are going to be the most expensive veggies you can get. If you are doing it to save money, I just don't see how they are going to be less expensive then buying them. Doing it for the experience of gardening makes the the cost more acceptable.

Can I ask where the expense comes from? 

[dirtyred]

I used to live in a house where the back "yard" was all concrete and gravel, so I grew everything in containers.  Beans, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, peppers, garlic, lettuce, corn, and potatoes.  The only things I started from seed were the carrots, radishes, and corn; everything else I bought starter plants.

Super easy!

[archiethedragon]

Jan 23, 2024 12:19:17 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

Jan 23, 2024 11:33:28 GMT -5 archiethedragon said:

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but container grown veggies are going to be the most expensive veggies you can get. If you are doing it to save money, I just don't see how they are going to be less expensive then buying them. Doing it for the experience of gardening makes the the cost more acceptable.

Can I ask where the expense comes from? 

Containers, soil, fertilizer and plants. And maybe i am just not a great gardener, but we typically spend $60-75 on veggie plants and between them not growing well and animals eating what did grow; we end up with a handful of cucumbers and tomatoes. Herbs do well, though.

[dutchgirl678]

I'm in OR and have had the best luck with tomato plants (cherry tomatoes like sun gold and heirloom varieties). The first year I started from seed but the plants didn't do very well and since then I've used starts from a local farm. I never did it to replace veggies from the store though, more to supplement.

[Susie]

I'm in zone 5, and I do raised garden beds.  I grow tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, spinach, lettuce, and a variety of herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, etc.).  I also have rhubarb plants tucked into landscaping.

I'm iffy on starting from seed.  Some years I do it; last year many of my plants I bought as seedlings from a garden center.  I have no problem getting my seeds to sprout, but it is a ton of work to get them from wee seedlings to plants that can withstand the transplant outdoors.  They need lots of light, warm temps, some breeze, etc.  Some years it's just more work than I enjoy.  If I plant outside on the early side, I have some windows that I place over the boxes to trap sunlight/heat, almost like a little green house.  But moving those around is work too.  It's much easier to just buy larger plants and plant them at a "safer" time in May.  In zone 6 you'd be a little earlier.

I personally feel like tomatoes are the best bang for buck.  I don't feel like my homegrown cucumbers are much better than store bought, but my tomatoes def are.

[kitty]

We (DH) grow from seed and it is more economical. The main draw is being able to experiment with different and less mainstream varieties of veggies. It does take a lot of effort to keep them growing and healthy from Feb-May.

We are in zone 6 and definitely need a grow light even with keeping them in our sunniest window. Before the grow light, many would end up too leggy to thrive. Now with the grow light we usually have more successful seedlings than we have space for in our raised beds and end up giving some to the neighbors.