Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 24 5/24/17 10:54 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 25 6/5/17 2:42 PM

24 chapter 1

Minimum Soil Volume Needed

for Specific Plants:

• 30 gallons minimum for each dwarf or
  columnar fruit tree, evergreen, or small
  shade tree.


• 20 to 30 gallons minimum for each shrub or
  other large plant, including figs, blueberries
  (Vaccinium spp.), goji berries (Lycium spp.),
  hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.), tropical flowering
  plants, and many others.


• 10 to 15 gallons minimum for each extra-large
  vegetable, such as full-sized tomatoes, winter
  squash (Cucurbita spp.), pumpkins (Cucurbita
  spp.), melons (Cucumis melo), and artichokes
  (Cynara cardunculus va r. scolymus).


• 8 to 10 gallons minimum for each large
  fruit or vegetable plant, including peppers,
  eggplants (Solanum melongena), tomatillos
  (Physalis philadelphica), dwarf blueberry bushes,
  cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), summer squash/
  zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), and bush-type winter
  squash varieties.


• 5 to 8 gallons minimum for each medium-
  sized vegetable or flowering plant, including
  cabbage (Brassica oleracea va r. capitata), broccoli
  (Brassica oleracea va r. italica), cauliflower (Brassica
  oleracea va r. botrytis), Brussels sprouts (Brassica
  oleracea va r. gemmifera), bush-type cucumbers,
  and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). This is also
  the suggested minimum soil volume for each
  flowering or foliage perennial or ornamental
  grass included in a container.
  
  
  • 1 to 2 gallons minimum for each small-
    statured vegetable or flowering plant,
    including many flowering or foliage annuals,
    kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea va r. gongylodes),
    lettuce, kale (Brassica oleracea va r. sabellica),
    chard, collards (Brassica oleracea va r. medullosa),
    spinach (Spinacia oleracea), and other greens.
    Individual herb plants fit into this category
    as well.
  
  
  • Plants that are usually grown in a group, such
    as strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa), corn (Zea
    mays), bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), peas
    (Pisum sativum), and roots and tubers such as
    potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), carrots (Daucus
    carota subsp. sativus), beets (Beta vulgaris), radish
    (Raphanus sativus), onions (Allium cepa), and
    turnips (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) can be planted
    in almost any size container, as long as the seeds
    or plants are spaced at the appropriate distance
    for optimum growth (as noted on the plant
    tag or seed packet) and the pot is deep enough
    for the roots to have ample room to grow. The
    smaller the pot is, though, the fewer seeds or
    plants it can house.
  
  
  
  

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Getting Started 25

Large fruits and vegetables such

as this eggplant need a minimum

of 8 to 10 gallons of soil to

perform their best; more if they’re

combined with other plants.

Each medium-sized veggie, such

as these cabbage and broccoli

plants, needs at least 5 to 8

gallons of growing mix.

Flowering and foliage annuals, herbs, and small vegetables such as these

lettuce plants only require 1 or 2 gallons of soil for each plant.

Large shrubs and other plants,

such as this Red Abyssinian

Banana tree (Ensente ventricosum

‘Maurelii’), need between 20 and

30 gallons of soil volume.

Select a container that holds

at least 10 to 15 gallons of soil

for each extra-large vegetable,

including containerized melons

like these growing in a fabric

planter bag.

Strawberry plants can be grown

in almost any size container, just

remember that smaller containers

will support a smaller number

of plants.

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