Miranda Adkins | So Salem

Alice Austin, Farmers Market manager at left, and Beth Carson, Salem City Horticulturist.

No tiller, no yard, no mulch, or not enough cash to buy green at the grocery store?

There are plenty of reasons to start a container garden in a patio or a sunny room or window sill as there are tomatoes or zucchini in any good gardener's vegetable patch in late July.

So Salem talked to Beth Carson, City Horticulturist, and Alice Austin, Salem city's Farmers Market manager, respectively, to see if there was any advice they could think of for folks who were thinking of starting their own urban garden.

Logistics: After selecting a spot that gets a lot of sun (around six to eight hours a day) "grow things that you know you're going to eat a lot of -- tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs," Carson said. "Like making your very own garden salad," Austin added.

Secondly, "will you really have the space once they start taking off?," said Carson, when So Salem asked if squashes and pumpkins might do well in a container. It reminded her of a Disney World garden where pumpkins were growing over a trellised tunnel.

"There are ways to train plants to grow on a trellis to take up less space," she said. But, she also cautioned to "make sure the support is sturdy." Tying plants to trellises and tomato stakes doesn't seem important until the stalk starts to bend. Carson suggested panty-hose to use as ties: as the plant grows, it stretches while still keeping the plant in place.

Thirdly, what kind of containers will be used? The pot has to be large enough to allow the plant room to grow and big enough for the soil and water that it needs to survive. There are merits and demerits to virtually every kind of material used in gardening pots, but even a pair of boots or a wooden bucket can end up as a garden receptacle as long as drainage holes are accounted for.

Terra cotta or clay pots are the traditional choice -- the porosity will allow the soil to "breathe" more easily. On a hot day, the clay will sweat, keeping the soil more moist and cool. But they're heavy and they'll break if you drop them. For extended use, they could carry over plant diseases from season to season. Porcelain is easy to clean but is fragile and will waterlog plants if proper drainage isn't given. Concrete is durable and cheap -- but it's very heavy and can be hard to clean out. Wire containers' only drawbacks are that they can be messy to water and they may dry out quickly but are a good option if one is worried about overwatering. And for those who don't want the heaviness but don't mind buying a new pot in a couple of years, plastics can be the perfect answer as long as the drainage is right.

Next, what kind of soil will you use? The best soil is moist and light, not heavy and waterlogged -- if the bag is poked and it's soft, light, and spongy, it's good, Carson said. Heavier soils with lots of sand will compact and will collect water. Gardening soil is usually peat moss, fertilizer, and sometimes moss.

Fertilizing regularly is a must, because container plants soil loses nutrients faster -- the water drains through the soil. Carson's favorite is MiracleGro, but growing plants in their own pot can be an easier way to grow food organically. Carson also gives her plants regular dousings of compost tea.

Some species of vegetables (and other plants) may do better in container-situations than their cousins, but if the plants are well taken care of, they'll thrive. And if a gardener were to have questions, problems, or simply fail completely, don't despair usually farmers and experienced growers are a helpful bunch.

"The farmers will be more than happy to give advice if you've messed something up or have questions," said Austin. The first crop of starter plants will start arriving mid- to late April, she said.

And don't get too excited about a 70-degree day in late March or early April, gardeners of 2009. The Farmers Almanac is your best resource for figuring out when to start planting certain kinds of vegetables. It even has a lot more advice for growing.

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