See that sucker there? Suckers are secondary branches that grow in the joints of existing branches. Pinch ‘em off. Suckers take energy away from growing tomatoes. No tomatoes will form on sucker branches.

Allium is the name of a great genus of plants for container gardeners. “Allium” literally means “garlic” in Latin, but botanically speaking, it includes onions, chives, and ornamental flowers as well. They all grow from bulbs and all have grass-like or tubular leaves with an onion/garlic scent to them when you brush up against the leaves. Because of their bulbous nature, they tend to be able to survive a bit of neglect, great for beginners and lazy gardeners!

Here’s how to grow several different type of edible alliums on your patio, porch, balcony, roof top, or anywhere else you can stick a pot…

Chives

Photo by Full Chat

I find chives annoying to start from seed (they seem to take awhile to germinate, and will only germinate if the conditions are perfectly acceptable to their delicate sensibilities), so I always use plants bought from the nursery. Since they are perrenial, if you buys chives once, you pretty much have them for life. Even in cold climates where hard freezes will kill the leaves, the plant should come back in spring.

The plants themselves are very easy to care for. If you’re growing them in a pot by themselves, chose one a few inches taller and wider than the pot the plants were growing in at the nursery (a minimum of 8 inches tall and wide). They also make a great “filler plant” in larger, mixed containers.

Chives are happiest being watered whenever the soil dries out, but I have inadvertantly forgotten to water my plants for weeks and they perked up and were just fine when I gave them a drink. If you use chives regularly in your cooking, fertilize your plants once a month. If you don’t use them too often, every other month is fine.

Varieties to look for: The options are rather limited, you’ve got chives and garlic chives (flat leaves, white flowers, faint garlic taste).

Scallions

Photo by h-bomb

Scallions are usually just immature onions, though there is such a thing as a “bunching onion” which never develop a fat, onion bulb and are always eaten as a scallion. Growing scallions, bunching onions, and actual onions are all pretty much the same.

Scallions are easy to start from seed. You can start them inside about a month before your last frost and sow more seeds every several weeks for a staggered harvest. As the seedlings grow, if you mostly want the white part of the scallion (both parts are edible), mound up more soil around the base as the plant grows. This will blanch the base and force it to be white.

When your plants are ready to transplant outside, I’ve found windowbox shaped pots to be ideal. Scallions can be grown very close together (about two inches apart), so you can fit several rows of plants in a typical window box. Or, if you prefer, arrange them in concentric circles in a round pot. Their roots are relatively shallow, so anything 8 inches deep or more is fine.

Varieties to look for: I’m growing ‘Delicious Duo’ from Renee’s Garden at my office. They’re a nice mix between scallions with a white base and those with red-tinged bases. Botanical Interests sells an heirloom variety called ‘Italian Red of Florence’ that has a slightly bulbous, very deep red base.

Garlic, Green Garlic & Garlic Scapes

Photo by Joe Shlobotnik

Garlic is worth a try because you can grow more interesting varieties than what is easily available at the store. “Green garlic” sounds mysterious but it’s just the leaves of regular garlic, which you can cut off whenever you wish if you don’t plan on harvesting the bulbs below (it stresses the plant out too much for much of a garlic head to form). Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of hard neck varieties of garlic. They’re edible and delicious!

If it’s heads of garlic you’re aiming for, I’ve had the best results in long window boxes or planter boxes. Don’t plant garlic you buy at the regular supermarket because it has probably been treated with a chemical to prevent it from sprouting. You’ll find the most interesting varieties from mail order catalogs/websites, but organic varieties at farmers markets will also work. Plant the cloves 4 inches deep and 4 inches apart in fall (October for temperate climates, November-January for mild-winter climates). Be sure to put down a balanced fertilizer at the time of planting. Don’t let the soil completely dry out, but other than that, ignore them until the leaves start popping up in spring.

Once leaves start popping up in spring, keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize once a month. Your plants should be ready to harvest in June or July. Soft-neck varieties tell you they’re ready by flopping over. Hard-neck varieties straighten their curled scapes.

If you’d like green garlic, simply pop a few cloves of an organic garlic bulb you bought at the farmers market and starting in early spring, stick the cloves in any container that has room for them. Keep them well watered (but not soggy) and fertilize with a balanced fertilizer once a month. Harvest the leaves whenever you need a mild garlic flavor in something you’re cooking, they will come back for several more harvests.

Varieties to look out for: Chesnok Red is listed by Territorial seed as the best all-around variety for cooking, while Spanish Roja is said to be the favorite of garlic connoisseurs. Chinese Pink is an extra early soft-neck variety that you can start harvesting in May.

Onions

I don’t think onions are a good use of space on a balcony, they take a long time to grow and homegrown onions taste exactly like store-bought varieties, but if you insist on growing your own, I’ve already written about growing onions in a container garden.

Container Gardening A to Z will continue in two weeks with the letter B!

I am so excited to share this guest post about sprouting (which is a container garden of sorts…) by Phil Nauta. He is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and author of the book Building Soils Naturally, coming out in Spring 2012. He has taught for Gaia College and been a director for The Society For Organic Urban Land Care. He was an organic landscaper and ran an organic fertilizer business before teaching innovative organic gardening methods at SmilingGardener.com.

* * * * *

In 2005, I started intensively studying organic gardening. That process inspired me to leave behind my junk food habit and seek a healthier lifestyle. I learned to grow my own food and I discovered sprouts, one of the most nutrient-dense foods you’ll ever eat. Since then, I’ve been sprouting year round, and especially in the winter when fresh food is not plentiful.

Sprouting is super easy, takes 2 minutes each day and saves a lot of money over buying them from the grocery store. Plus, it’s incredibly fun to see the process of how seeds become plants.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Buy your seeds. You may find them in smaller packages at a grocery store, but I buy them in bulk online from Mumm’s. Go for organic if you can. I generally stick to the seeds that are most versatile and simplest to grow – clover and alfalfa. Avoid alfalfa if you have arthritis or inflammation issues.

2. Get a container. A mason jar works well. Since I sprout a lot, I’ve found using specialized containers such as EasySprout and Sproutmaster are timesavers and grow nicer sprouts, but a mason jar is just fine.

3. Put the seeds in your container and add water to amply cover them. For bonus points, add a touch of liquid kelp or sea minerals for micronutrients. Soak for 4-6 hours, although if you forget them overnight, you’ll still be okay.

4. After soaking, drain the water off. Spread the seeds out in the container so that they have room to breathe and grow. If you’re using a jar, an excellent strategy is to cover the mouth with mesh or cheesecloth, secure it with an elastic, and set the jar upside down at an angle, with something under it to collect any water that drains off.

5. Rinse and drain the sprouts 1-2 times daily, with room temperature water. After rinsing, always make sure the sprouts are spread out a bit (a fork helps) and that you drain off all the excess water. If you can remember this rinsing step, you’ll be successful at this.

6. After a couple of days, once the seeds have sprouted tails, put them in sunlight for 2-5 days. They will green up. Every time you rinse, you’ll find you can rinse out some of the hulls. This isn’t necessary, but just makes your sprouts a bit tastier. This rinsing gets easier after a few days when they’re close to being ready.

7. You can now start eating them. I use them in sandwiches, salads and smoothies. Store them in your sprouter and continue to rinse them daily until you finish eating them. They will keep growing as you remove some to eat, since they have more space. You can also store them in a breathable container in the fridge for 7-10 days. Be sure they aren’t wet when you put them in the fridge or they may rot.

And that’s all there is to it. Any questions? Any tips to add?

Ornamental edibles are all the rage these days. Which is kind of funny, because the edibles haven’t changed at all, it’s just that we’re all noticing how beautiful (i.e. “ornamental) they are. Take mesclun salad mixes, for example. Did you ever take a moment to notice how beautiful baby lettuce leaves are? There are so many shapes and colors of leaves. And they’re totally easy to grow. Here’s how…

Growing Your Own Mesclun Salad Greens is Easy

All you need is a packet of mesclun (mixed salad greens meant to be harvested when the plants are very young) seeds, good quality potting soil, and some sort of container. I’m growing mine in a wooden six pot set, but a basket lined with plastic, a wine crate, a pretty colander, or whatever other pot you have on hand will work.

Simply fill your container of choice with soil and then water the soil so that it is evenly moist. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the entire surface of soil. Now spread a 1/8 inch layer of potting soil over the seeds to cover them. If you have a spot with morning sun, that would be ideal, as lettuces often don’t appreciate hot, afternoon sun. If you only have afternoon sun, pick a spot in bright shade or with filtered light. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.

In my little six pot set, I grew mesclun mix in three of the pots, and pansies in the other three. The combination looks pretty, and the pansy flowers are edible too!

Once the lettuce leaves have grown to the right size for a salad, grab your scissors and cut all the lettuces off about a half inch above the soil line. Most salad greens will grow new leaves, hence the name “cut and come again” on many seed packets.

Interested in which flowers are edible and what they taste like? Check out this post I wrote: Edible Flowers and How to Eat Them.

Did you notice the container?

The container I grew my salad greens and pansies in is the Herb Garden from the 8point8 Etsy Shop. Brian sent it to me to try out. I think it is very nicely made. The wood is all reclaimed/recycled, and as you can see, it has a cool greyish patina to it. There are six individual wooden pots that all nest inside a wooden tray. The bottom of both the pots and the tray are made out of slats of wood to allow water to drain away. The whole set feels very substantial and well made.

I would think that you could grow all sorts of things in the pots. I grew salad ingredients, and obviously you could grow herbs (hence the name Brian gave the pots/tray), but I think it would also look really great with different low-growing succulents. Heck, you don’t even have to plant anything in the tray. It would make a stylish seed/tool/supplies organizer too.

p.s. Are you interested in delicious salad dressing recipes? Several have been shared in the comments of my Facebook post.

I’m starting a new series called “Five Things Friday.” Each Friday, I’ll share links to five articles all curated around a theme. This week, all of the links will be related citrus trees. Growing them. Eating their fruit. The pests that bother them. Etc.

While I have your attention, I want to invite you to send in your own themed lists. Here’s the rules: (1) the list must revolve around some sort of container gardening theme, (2) each link must be to a different website, and (3) the list must contain one link to an article on LOTB. Sound like fun? Shoot me an email with your Five Things.

1. How to Grow Citrus Trees in Containers - I have had several citrus trees, including blood oranges and tangerines. Though one of the professors that taught my master gardener class would disagree, they make great container plants. Here’s how to grow a little bit ‘o sunshine on your balcony or patio.
2. Citrus-Pomegranate Quinoa Salad – One thing I like about this recipe is that it is healthy while still delicious. It’s also nice that it only calls for one orange, one lemon, and one lime. When you only have room for one tree of each variety, you might not have a ton of fruit all at once, so I’m always on the lookout for recipes that call for a small amount of the fruits and vegetables I like growing. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, “quinoa” is pronounced “keen-wah.”
3. Lemon Chex Buddies – Much to my mom’s dismay, my favorite type of dessert usually involves lemons not chocolate, though I think they combine together fantastically. This is a sweet-sour take on chex party mix. Yum!
4. Grow Citrus Trees as Houseplants – I didn’t know this was possible, but the folks at Fourwinds Growers say it is. Check it out if you want to have an indoor citrus tree.
5. Citrus Pests - In this article, Arizona master gardeners introduce you to the pests you are most likely to encounter on your citrus tree. YUCK! But important to know about so you can take appropriate measures.

This post has been rumbling around in my head for quite some time. Citrus trees are among container gardeners’ favorite victims fruit trees, so I don’t know why it has taken me so long to put my thoughts down in a blog post. I have had several citrus trees, including blood oranges and tangerines. Though one of the professors that taught my master gardener class would disagree, they make great container plants. Here’s how to grow a little bit ‘o sunshine on your balcony or patio…

Suitably Small Varieties for Container Gardening

Like all trees you plan to grow in a pot, you should always, always, always select either a natural dwarf or a tree growing on dwarf rootstock. According to Sunset’s Western Garden Book of Edibles dwarf citrus trees are usually grafted on to one of two kinds of root stock. If given a large enough pot or grown in the ground, trifolate orange (Poncirus trifolate) will produce a 10 foot tree in 15 years, while ‘Flying Dragon’ trifolate orange produces an even shorter 7 foot tree in that time period. Either rootstock variety will sufficiently stunt the growth of your tree to make it happy to grow in a container.

Kumquats

Kumquats produce  fruit that look like tiny, oblong oranges. They are usually tart, and the fruit is eaten skin and all. You don’t need to select a variety growing on dwarf rootstock because these citrus trees are naturally short. Kumquats do best in areas with warm summers and chilly fall/winter nights. They’re hardy down to 20F if the pot is protected. Kumquats can usually be brought indoors in cold winter climates and still produce a good harvest.

• ‘Fukushu’ produces sweeter-than-normal fruit and the tree is thornless
• ‘Meiwa’ is the sweetest, and least-seedy variety of kumquat. Trees are nearly thornless.
• ‘Tavares Limequat’ is a cross between a kumquat and a Mexican lime. The tree is attractive and compact (less than 6 feet tall at maturity)

Lemons

Lemons are a great choice in areas with summers that aren’t hot enough for other types of citrus. They especially enjoy coastal areas, and will produce fruit year round near the beach.

• ‘Improved Meyer’ is the best variety for container gardeners. It is a disease-free version of regular ‘Meyer’ lemons (which cannot be sold in some states, due to the virus the trees carry). The fruit is sweeter with thinner skins thanks to the fact that is actually a lemon-orange hybrid. Can be brought indoors during the winter without sacrificing fruit production.
• ‘Sungold’ and ‘Variegated Pink’ both have green and yellow variegated leaves.

Gail is back with a new update from her balcony garden! You may remember from Gail’s first guest post that she’s from Calgary, AB Canada. Gail is was new to gardening back then, but she’s got another year of experience under her belt now. I think you guys will really identify with the success and challenges she’s had this year. If you’d like to chat with Gail, you can find her at twitter.com/missferran.

Well, it’s another summer of container gardening. The season isn’t over and I have high hopes for my plants. So far, it’s what I consider a victory. I got a handful of peas this year! That in itself seems like a miracle.

So, instead of no sunlight, the challenge this time around is that the plants are surviving (even the two hailstorms we’ve had so far), but not really producing. Gone are the withered and wretchedly growing impaired plants and in with the lush green plants with no fruit or veggies.

First, I should say that my potatoes seem to be a smashing success. The ones in the grow bag have beautiful, lush vegetation and lovely white flowers. The ones in the pot have the same green vegetation but pretty purple flowers. Aaah, variety! I am looking forward to harvesting them. Having said that, I have to get a move on and figure out when I can harvest. Further investigation is definitely needed.

There was a lot of excitement for me one night last week when I discovered little green tomatoes growing on one of the tomato plants I started from seed. I have a tomato plant that I bought that had tomatoes already growing, which is awesome in itself, but I find that to have something grow from seed to grow on its own is more of a reward. I can’t tell you how accomplished I feel about it. I’m hoping that they will mature so that I can have them for dinner and can proudly boast about it *grin*

I also noticed a lone pansy growing with my plants. I didn’t plant it, but it’s a welcome addition. Lately I’ve notice three or four pop up so I have a cheerful little group of flowers to greet me in the morning. I’m going to have to purposely plant some next time. They are lovely little things.

My major frustration is my peppers. Not one plant has grown higher than a seedling and they’ve definitely not born fruit. They refuse to mature and sit in their container as if in stasis. Not growing, not dying, merely existing in their tiny world, unencumbered by a desire to grow.

The one thing I am SUPER excited about is my ground cherry plants. I have two of them that started out like the peppers, silent monuments mocking my efforts to make them grow. And then there was a good rain and they sprung forth from their pots like little green beacons now mocking the peppers. They haven’t born fruit yet but I am confident they will. Ok, more hopeful than confident, but I digress.

I also have herbs growing both in the house and out. The garlic chives are wonderful and I have parsley, sage, rosemary, and garlic (thought I was going to break out into a Simon and Garfunkel song, didn’t you?). There are a few more herbs growing happily as well.

I also have a container that I like to call “Mon Homage au Gazon.” Or, if you like, “My Homage to the Lawn.” Or, if you prefer,” A Container of Weeds.” You’re probably asking yourself why I keep it. Well, I think some of them are actually flowers that haven’t grown yet. But I know for sure that some of them are most definitely weeds. I don’t know what weeds (although I know a dandelion was growing there at one time), but weeds none the less.

I must post a requiem for my poor, poor zucchini plant as it drowned in the last storm we had the other day. It had beautiful flowers. But, of course, it bore nothing before its untimely demise. I wasn’t brave enough to champion it from the sudden onslaught of the hail storm we had a couple of days ago. I believe it was the waves upon waves of water that fell from the sky, rather than the maelstrom of hail, which heralded its demise. On the other hand, I haven’t had to water my plants too much in the last couple of days.

The rest of my plants seem to be living fairly well and there’s still another month for things to grow. I’m starting to consider what I can grow in the living room in the winter as well. My goodness…so much potential!

I am really sweet on strawberries this year. I’ve been tucking them in practically all of my pots and enjoying the tasty rewards for over a month now. Which has led to a problem of abundance. What do I do with the one or two plants left in a six pack that I have no room for in my larger pots?

I found this basket at the dollar store. By lining it with moss and filling the basket with potting soil (and fertilizer!), it has become a great strawberry pot for less than $5. I’ve snuck in several of these small pots around my larger pots to fulfill my need for more strawberries!

Strawberries prefer a well drained soil, high in organic matter. They need full sun (at least 6 hours per day) for the best results. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (like 5-5-5) once at the beginning of the season, and again after each crop is produced. Don’t over fertilize, as that will cause your plants to produce too many leaves and not enough fruit. Keep plants well watered

Some things to know about Strawberries

1. There are three main kinds of strawberries: June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral. June-bearing produce one large crop in early summer, ever-bearing strawberries produce three crops (one in spring, one in summer, and one in fall), while day-neutral strawberries produce fruit throughout the growing season, with the biggest crops in mid to late summer.
2. June bearing strawberries are usually better suited to the warmer climates, while ever-bearing and day-neautral strawberries do well in cooler climates.
3. Alpine strawberries are the only sort that are worth trying to grow from seed. They’re day-neutral and produce tiny, sweet, delicious strawberries.
4. You can treat strawberries as an annual and replace them every year, or as a short lived perennial (they usually will only produce reliable crops for about three years).

It is a tad late in the season to be planting tomatoes, but in most of the U.S. there is still time. Planting and growing tomatoes in a container garden is pretty easy once you have the basics down. But before we discuss the basics, make sure you start with the right tomato, and if your season is short, here are some tips to pick out a tomato that will produce fruit before your first frost.

Pinch Those Suckers and Lower Leaves!

After you’ve picked out the perfect tomato and brought it home, it’s time to prepare it for planting. Do you see the leaflet that is growing in the spot where mature branches attach to the trunk of the plant? No? Look right above my pink thumbnail in the photo. See it? Ok, good. Pinch those suckers off! Continue to be on the lookout for suckers for the life of your tomato.

You should also pinch off the lower branches of the tomato so that you have about six to ten inches of bare trunk at the bottom of the plant. More on why in the next step…

Go Deep!

The reason you pinched off the lower branches is so that you can plant your tomato deep! Most of the time, when you plant a plant, you want to keep the crown of the plant level with the soil line. Not true when you plant tomatoes. Tomatoes will actually grow roots out of their stems. When you plant them deep, the part of the trunk that is below the soil line will develop roots and make your plant super sturdy.

Fertilize Early and Often

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. You will probably not have good results if you don’t fertilize. And fertilize often. Most organic liquid fertilizers are too weak for tomatoes (you can use them, but you’ll need to fertilize on a weekly or biweekly basis). For tomatoes, I prefer to use a blended fertilizer meant for fruits and vegetables (when in a pinch, all-purpose will do). Sprinkly the fertilizer liberally on the surfaceof the soil and gently mix it in. Water deeply.

Be sure to reapply fertilizer once a month for the entire growing season. Nutrients are quickly washed out of containers, so you need to fertilize them more frequently than you do in-ground gardens.

Pick a Pretty Cage

Don’t forget a tomato cage or some other type of support! While your tomato looks diminutive now, it will likely be a beast in a month or two. In their natural habitat, tomatoes sprawl on the ground, which is a great way to provide a buffet lunch to pests and diseases. One neat tip I picked up from Steve Goto is to match the color of your tomato to the color of the cage or support. Since my tomato is a ‘Cherokee Purple’ I spray painted my cage purple so I’d remember which tomato this is while I’m waiting for it to fruit.

Are you participating in the community container garden? I sure hope so! But even if you’re not, it’s still important to know what sized pot goes with what kind of edible plants. Tomatoes will not be happy living in a 10 inch pot for the entire summer. Nope. No way! But chives? They’re much more tolerant of tighter living quarters.

Affordability is also important, and to that end, I want to let you know about a discount cod to get 10% off any of the planters at MasterGardening.com. Just use LOTBplanters at checkout. Be sure to get your orders in quick, as the code runs out on April 18th. I get nothing out of the deal other than the satisfaction of knowing you guys saved some money. Happy shopping!

• Tomatoes – Think 5 gallon bucket size. At least!
• Sunflowers – For a dwarf variety such as Sunspot, you’ll want a pot that is at least 12 inches tall and wide (for one plant).
• Cucumbers – Polite varieties like Spacemaster also need a pot that is at least 12 inches tall and wide. The bigger the pot, the better though.
• Basil – You can get a pretty good-sized basil plant from a pot as shallow as a typical window box. I’d say you need a pot that is at minimum, 8 inches deep.
• Chives – You could probably get away with a pot that is only 6 inches deep, but I’d try to use a pot that is closer to 8 inches if possible.

Since MasterGardening.com was so nice to offer the discount, I went ahead and found some of their pots that will work great for edibles…

Photo by Mary Lauren

Of course, the ever popular Earth Box is a great option. Pam Baxter reviewed the Earth Box in a guest post awhile back. You’ll be able to fit several edible plants in one Earth Box. Earth Box’s manufacturer suggests that you can grow two tomato plants in one Earth Box, or four cucumbers, or six herbs (how pretty would the purple basil and chives look if you planted them every other one, so you had a purple and green checkerboard?). But I bet you could grow one tomatoes, one cucumber, and three herbs (two basils and one chives or two chives and one basil–your pick). Then you’d just need a pot for the sunflowers. You could get another Earth Box and fill it with them!

Another great type of pot that I can personally vouch for are Smart Pots. They are made out of fabric, which allows air to penetrate the roots, keeping your plants super healthy and happy.

Yet another type of pot that would be perfect for basil or chives are over the rail type planters. Pictured above is the Greenbo planter. I have three and am very happy with them. They are such a great space-saver because you don’t use one square inch of your balcony’s floor space. The pots are too shallow for tomatoes, cukes, or sunflowers though.

What kinds of pots do you plan to use in your edible garden this year?