Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
thOrny MatterS
Most of the crops in a backyard farm can be adapted to a container. However, there are some that don't
do well at all. Asparagus, for example, is a perennial vegetable with a huge root system that wouldn't be
sustainable in a container.
Check the mature size of the plant for an idea of whether you can expect it to do well in a con-
tainer. Don't forget that you can add a trellis or cage to a container and even grow climbing plants
such as cucumbers or squash. The following plants are examples of specific varieties that are ideally
suited for container life.
Tomatoes:
Balcony Tomato.
As the name implies, this red cherry tomato plant grows to a dwarf 2 feet in size
that won't overrun a medium container.
Gold Nugget.
One-inch, round tomatoes are a cheerful golden color on bushy plants that grow
about 3 feet tall and wide.
Orange Blossom.
A true orange hybrid tomato, this variety produces 6- to 7-ounce tomatoes.
Va lley Girl.
Eight-ounce, red tomatoes that are tasty, and the plants tolerate temperature variations,
making it hardy in a container.
Eggplant:
Fa ir y Ta le.
Only growing to about 18 inches, the purple fruit comes in clusters that reach about 5
inches in length.
Dancer.
Medium fruits that reach 8 inches long, this eggplant is a compact but high-yielding
va riet y.
Squash:
Bush Pink Banana.
Only 3-foot-long vines produce several large winter squash fruits. You'll need
to trellis them but not as far as most squash vines.
Carrots:
Atlas.
Only 2 inches long, this is one carrot you could grow in a container without impeding the
root size.
Lettuce:
Bibb.
An heirloom lettuce with delicate flavor that grows only 6 to 12 inches.
Buttercrunch.
An All-America winner that forms tight heads of 6 to 10 inches.
