CHINESE CONTAINER GARDENS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 200

Chinese Pumpkin, page 40
Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata
For the container gardener who wants to grow pumpkins, which are too large for con-
tainer culture, Chinese pumpkins are the perfect answer. Most varieties grow on short
vines, and the fruits are small enough to be practical. They're also much more decorat-
ive and will climb a trellis or string; fruits can be supported by individual slings if any
seem to be getting too heavy for the vine.
These require more space and sun than a winter window can provide. Try a different
vegetable for inside unless you have a greenhouse to grow these.
The growing season is long, so start Chinese pumpkins indoors. Plant in 5-gallon
containers — two plants per container — about four weeks after the last frost date. Plant
two different varieties for a fascinating display.
Squash is a heavy feeder so fertilize weekly once the vines are 12 inches long. Fre-
quent diluted feedings are best; overfertilizing makes plants brittle. Copious watering is
necessary; the roots should never be allowed to dry out.
Daylily, page 94
Hemerocallis fulva
Daylilies are decorative in a container garden. They are best, however, grown outdoors.
They grow well in sun or partial shade. Their straplike foliage and brilliant orange or
yellow flowers provide the perfect background to low-growing plants.
The size of the container depends on the number of daylilies you wish to grow. To
start with, choose a container twice the size of the clump. Daylilies spread rapidly, and
you may find that they've soon outgrown their container. Overcrowding will mean few-
er flowers, so divide clumps whenever they have outgrown their containers.
Since rain washes out nutrients, day-lilies grown in containers benefit from very oc-
casional feeding. If you repot each spring and mix in a little time-release fertilizer, you
can forget about feeding until the following spring.