Happy Spring to all of my fellow gardeners!
Don't let living in an apartment or condo keep you from vegetable gardening! I did and I have missed it so much that I made myself change the way I look at my situation and do the best I can with what I have available to me.
With a few containers and a watchful eye you should have some success with condo gardening too!
We have been having a very early and mild spring this year here in Central PA so I got the itch to plant some cool weather crops last week.
I have a back deck that faces North, which is not the best for warm weather crops until the sun is higher but works well for cool weather crops, and a small porch facing south. The porch gets about 4 hours of sun and is blocked from the wind so it should be perfect to start my leafy greens and herbs.
We just got a new grocery store called Lidl. It's a hit or miss on seasonal products but I got lucky with these at only $4.99! Self watering feature too. Perfect size for leafy greens since they have a shallow root system. 4-5 inch deep container will do the trick.
Fill your container with organic potting mix or a compost mix. Make sure you buy potting mix and not potting soil. You need to have aeration and the soil does not have what is needed for container gardening.
Early spring veggies that are relatively easy to grow in containers are: radish, scallions, beets, lettuce, spinach, kale, and swiss chard. I am sure there are others so plant what you like to eat!
Plant your seeds according to directions and water. Don't forget to mark what you have planted! I use
popsicle sticks and a pen.
My arugula was the first to sprout. Lettuce, spinach and herbs are starting to now. So far so good.
It is a bit tricky when growing in containers. You must watch moisture levels like a hawk but the upside is that you can move them around when the sun gets higher in the season.
Good Luck and
Happy Gardening!
