Now that Memorial Day has passed, it's gardening season in Fairbanks. If you have a garden, it's time to prepare the soil and plant seeds or buy seedlings.
Many people have little or no yards, but gardening can be done by anyone. You can use containers to grow food on your patio, balcony, or in your garden. You'll be amazed at how much food you can produce in just one or two containers. Container gardens are great for beginner gardeners or those with limited space or budget.
There are many reasons why container gardening may be right for you: You can grow your plants anywhere: on a windowsill, balcony, or indoors. You can have a container garden as long as you have a water source, enough light, and occasional feeding. Container gardening is much easier than gardening in the ground: less pest control, no weeds, less soil diseases, less time and effort, and easy to fertilize and water in a small space. With a container garden, you can have tasty, healthy, home-grown food.
The first thing to consider is the location. Any place with enough sunlight, such as a windowsill, patio, or balcony, is a great place to get started. Ideally, the location you choose will get full sun for 6-8 hours a day. Fruit-bearing plants like pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers need sunlight. Leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and herbs will thrive with 3-5 hours of sunlight per day. You also need to consider a water source. You can use a hose, but a watering can will do just fine.
Pots and containers can be ceramic, terracotta, plastic, wood, cement, or metal. Consider cost, weight, durability, and size. For example, plastic containers are cheap and lightweight but not very durable, while ceramic pots and terracotta may look nice but be fragile and expensive.
Reuse containers you already have or search thrift stores to keep costs down, and you can upcycle wheelbarrows, wagons, tubs, baskets, buckets, hanging baskets, windowsill boxes, old boots, and pretty much anything you can use to hold soil. Let your imagination run wild.
Most vegetables need at least 12 inches of soil to grow well, but some vegetables, such as tomatoes, require 5-10 gallon pots. Make sure the container has drainage holes in the bottom. You can also place something to collect the drainage to protect the surface underneath the container.
Garden soil is not recommended as it is dense and heavy, and can be prone to disease and pests. Instead, use potting soil specially formulated for potting. It is lightweight, has good drainage, and is pest and disease-free. Potting soil is readily available at garden centres and nurseries. We recommend mixing fertiliser into the potting soil or pouring it on top immediately after planting. Then fertilise your potted plants at least twice a month to replenish missing nutrients.
The next thing to think about is what to grow. Planting from seed is less expensive but takes more time and effort. Sow your seeds early so they're ready to go outside at the end of May. Seedlings are easier because they're already growing well, but they're more expensive. Herbs like thyme, basil, sage, and rosemary are easy to grow in containers. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach also grow well. Tomatoes grow well in larger containers, as do potatoes.
Even if you have a small space or are a beginner gardener, you can do this! Start with one pot and grow as many as you like. The great thing about container gardens is that you can keep them outside in the summer and bring them inside in the winter. Happy gardening!
Adrienne Kohrt is family nutrition coordinator for the Cooperative Extension Service, a division of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you have questions, please contact her at amkohrt@alaska.edu or 907-474-7930.
