Urban Agriculture Business Information Bundle

Container Gardening

Using containers, urban residents can grow food just about anywhere there is enough sunlight: on balconies, windowsills, decks and paved spaces. Containers or raised beds also provide more accessibility for elderly or physically challenged gardeners, and they can be used when the underlying soil is too contaminated to be used to grow edible crops.

Many vegetables and herbs are suitable for container gardening. The bigger the container, the longer the list of plants that can be grown. Keep in mind that plants grown in containers are grown in soilless media that drains quickly and must be watered more frequently than their soil-grown counterparts.

For more information, see:

• The Master Gardeners of Ontario, Gardening Advice web page
• Cornell Cooperative Extension's Growing Vegetables, Herbs and Annual Flowers in Containers
• Ohio State University Extension's Growing Cucumbers, Peppers, Squash and Tomatoes in Containers
• Ohio University Extension's Raised Bed Gardening
• Purdue Extension's Container and Raised Bed Gardening
• University of Illinois Extension's Successful Container Gardens