Container Vegetables: Carrot, Cucumber, and Eggplant

Well, you probably think I'm crazy.  Carrots, cucumbers, and eggplant?  In a container?  No way!

Yes way!  This is the Paris Market Carrot.  Isn't it lovely?  It's a 19th Century French heirloom, only one to two inches in diameter, very sweet, early harvest, does well in shallow soil and containers!  Amazing!  Their shape and size are just ideal.  Once again I'd suggest a long, window-box style planter to allow them plenty of room and for the largest crop possible, but as always, use whatever you have on hand.  Carrot seeds are teeny tiny.  Sprinkle them on top of the soil and then cover with a very thin layer of soil.  Be sure to keep them moist.

 

Check out these little cuties!  They are Miniature White Cucumbers, and they are adorable!  Now for these you'll need a round pot large enough to hold a tomato cage - these guys need something to climb on.  (Putting the pot next to a trellis or railing would work, too.)  Just plant a few seeds after danger of frost has passed - Some people plant them in a little hill, but you don't have to.  Unlike most cucumber vines, which will grow until they've taken over the garden, these vines should only grow to about three feet in length.  Pick the little cukes when they're about three inches long, they should be mild and sweet with very thin skin.  As with all cucumbers, wear your garden gloves while picking - they're spikey!

This is a Round Mauve Eggplant.  Originally from China, these are thin-skinned and round, and can be harvested when they're about the size of a tennis ball.  The plants are compact and perfect for your container garden!  These are a little more difficult, as you'll have to start the seeds inside about 6-8 weeks before last frost.  (Or you could buy a regular eggplant seedling from your local nursery.)  Just one plant per medium sized pot, please.  I have recently developed quite a taste for eggplant:  grilled, sauteed, or breaded and deep fried of course.  Even if it's not your favorite, you can't deny that it would be impressive to have these purple beauties growing on your balcony!

Container Salads

I'm happy to get back to our Garden of Jen container gardening series.  Today we'll talk about lettuces and other greens.

Lettuce is a great choice for a container garden, and you can grow either the "head" or "loose leaf" varieties quite easily.  Some people prefer the crisp sweetness of head lettuce, but it will take much longer to grow to maturity.  You can, however, pull off the outer leaves for your salad and leave the rest to grow.

My personal preference is for loose leaf lettuce, specifically the spicy, bitter, and beautiful Mesclun blend that you pay a fortune for at the grocery store.

Mesclun

I love the variety of color and shape!

Any loose leaf variety will grow quite quickly, so you'll be able to harvest your salad in just a few weeks.  And harvesting is so much fun!  Just take your scissors and snip!  Leave the roots and about an inch of lettuce in the pot, and it will just keep growing.  Before you know it you'll be harvesting again!

All lettuces prefer cooler weather.  You can plant the teeny tiny seeds directly into your pot as soon as the danger of frost has passed.  (Or sooner, if you're willing to bring the pot in overnight!) 

Lettuce also prefers sun or partial shade.  If you're balcony or patio gets full sun, try hiding your lettuce pots behind your other veggies, under your patio table, or in the shadiest spot you can find.  Even if your lettuce won't survive the mid-summer heat, you can still plant a spring and a fall crop.  (Plant another batch of seeds as soon as the weather starts to cool.) 

If you're a real salad freak, you may want to stagger your planting - plant a new pot of seeds every week or two so that there's always plenty ready to harvest.  (I have to say, though, I always seem to have more than I can eat!)

Collard Greens

If salad isn't your thing, you may want to try cabbage, collard greens, swiss chard, or spinach.  Make sure you check the package instructions when planting your seeds.  Some greens, such as collard, will require more sun (and will stand up to the heat better).  And don't forget plenty of water!

Spinach

Garden of Jen

My friend Jen asked if she could grow tomatoes in pots on her balcony.  Jen!  You can grow ANYTHING in pots on your balcony!

YOU CAN GROW 

A GARDEN

ANYWHERE!

This week, in honor of Jen's birthday, I'll be doing a series of "Garden of Jen" posts all about container gardening.  There is so much you can do with just a few feet of space.  A balcony or patio is wonderful if you have it, but you can squeeze a few small pots just about anywhere!  

There are two big concerns, in containers as well as anywhere else:  Sun and Water.  If your balcony is mostly shaded, then you may have trouble with veggies.  (There are plenty of other plants and flowers that will work in partly shaded areas, or you could grow a mushroom garden!)  And pots dry out FAST, especially if they're small, and especially in the sun.  You'll have to water daily, maybe twice daily, unless you can set up some kind of irrigation system.

That said, I will be spending this week - or however long it takes - convincing Jen to turn her balcony into the world's tiniest organic farm!  We'll start tomorrow with some simple herbs and go from there.  In the meantime, enjoy these inspirational photos:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!