Container Gardening & Raised Beds Rachel Melvin- former Urban Horticulturalist

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Getting Started Container Gardening – Advantages – Drawbacks – Wonderful World of Containers – Growing Media – Fertilizing Raised Beds – Advantages – Drawback – Building Material – Framed & Unframed

Container Gardening Can utilize small space More control over soil media, water, light, nutrients, location, etc. Raised height may aid those with back or knee problems Fewer weeds No need to till Vertical growth saves space

Possible Drawbacks You have more control Need to pay more attention to type of media plants are in Water more frequently More caution with fertilizer

Choosing a Container TypeProsCons PlasticLight – easy to move Can blow over Use ones specifically for outdoors Need to insure good drainage Will break down quickly otherwise Avoid dark colors –heat rapidly

Choosing a Container Clay/CeramicWon’t blow over easily Heavy Generally more attractive May dry out quickly WoodCan rot- avoid ones treated with creosote

Self Watering Containers Have a reservoir below the media that holds up to a weeks worth of water. Allows plant roots to grow deeper and heavier Can buy commercial or make your own

The Earth Box

Sizing Containers Recommended Media Depth: – 4-6”: salad greens, mustards, garlic, radish, basil, cilantro, thyme, mint and majoram – 8-12” beans, beets, chard, carrots, peppers, eggplant, tomato, squash, rosemary, parsley, lavender and fennel

Sizing Containers Recommendations by Volume: – 1-3 gallon pot: herbs, onions, pepper, dwarf tomato, cucumber or basil – 4-5 gallon pot: full sized tomato, cucumber, eggplant, beans, peas, cabbage and broccoli. – Smaller pots dry out more quickly than large ones –check daily!

8 cu. Ft. of growing media Whiskey Barrel 1 to 2 plant capacity

Growing Media 100% Soilless mix(light and few nutrients) 25% Soilless+ 25% Garden soil +50% Compost 50% Soilless Mix + 50% Compost (my favorite) Use your own compost

General Care Veggies require a pH between 5.5 and 7 When combining ornamental and vegetable/herb, group plants by similar needs: ie, most herbs need sandier soil and full sun-porous containers are perfect.

General Care Pre-water the media before planting Make sure drainage holes are adequate. Don’t let plans sit in a full saucer. Over watering can cause as much damage as under watering! Check moisture with your finger.

Fertilizing ‘How Much’ and ‘how often’ depend on type of fertilizer, plant and container. Nutrients leach easily from containers, so crops (even quick ones like lettuce or brocolli raab) usually need to be fertilized several times.

Fertilizing Long season crops like tomato, cucumber, eggplant and pepper might need light fertilization every 2 weeks. Soluble fertilizers are quick and recommended for containers Slow release works well, can be more expensive, but lasts 2-4 months

Organic Fertilizers Emphasizes soil improvement through addition of organic matter Liquid Sea Kelp and fish fertilizer can be made water soluble Blood meal, composted chicken manure, cottonseed and alfalfa meal and worm castings are dry fertilizers that can be incorporated at planting and reapplied as needed.

University of MD Salad Table

Salad Table features Cost about $35 each in materials; takes 2-3 hours to build 58” long X 33” wide X 3.5” deep Growing area surface sq. ft. Growing area volume- 2.8 cu. ft. Frames placed on saw horses or legs at desired height

“Salad Box”- 15 in. X 21 in.

Raised Beds Warm up quickly in spring. Drain well; less compaction and erosion. Increase available rooting area. Can produce greater yields per square foot

Drawbacks Up-front labor and expense. Dry out quickly if weather is hot and dry.

Constructing a Raised Bed A bed 3-4 feet wide is ideal for most vegetable crops, – allowing the gardener to reach the entire bed from the side Tomatoes are well suited to a bed 24” to 36” wide, with one row of plants down the middle. Beans and peas are easier to pick in a single or double row down a bed rather than in the block-style planting. Here a bed 24 “ wide would be ideal. Length can be what ever works for the space. 4 ft 8 ft 2 cuke plants 3 tomato plants row of bush beans Size

Constructing a Raised Bed Depth/Height Here a four-inch height would be adequate. – Variations in heights (4”, 6”, 8” and 10”) among different beds In situations where the soil below is not suitable for crop growth, eight to twelve inches of soil is considered minimal. To accommodate gardeners with special needs, bed height may be raised to minimize bending or to allow gardening work from a wheelchair. For ease of irrigation, beds should be reasonably level, both across and lengthwise

Raised Beds-Building Material A simple way to construct a raised bed garden is to use construction lumber (2x4, 2x6, 4x4, 4x8). Untreated lumber will last for several years( up to 10 years), except in high salt areas or wet sites. ACQ pressure-treated lumber contains copper, but no arsenic. We don’t have sufficient research information to assess potential health risks. Brick or other building materials may also be suitable.

Simply cut two pieces the width of the bed (typically four feet) and two others to the desired bed length. Using three and one-half to four inch decking screws, screw the corners together to make a four-sided box. Place the box-like frame on the soil and fill.

Unframed Raised Beds Raised beds may also be made without sides. Organic matter is mixed in at the same time the garden is tilled. Walkways are dug down with the soil thrown up on the bed. Beds are four feet wide at the base and three feet wide at the top. The entire bed is covered with organic mulch like dry grass clippings to prevent soil erosion and reduce compaction from rain and sprinkler irrigation.

Resources Grow It! Eat It! – We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog! Home and Garden Information Center – Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter. – We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts” Maryland Master Gardener Program – Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!

This program was brought to you by the Maryland Master Gardener Program Washington County University of Maryland Extension