Steve Masley Consulting and Design

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Steve Masley Consulting and Design

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Container Vegetable Gardens

A kitchen garden is a great way to have seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs right outside the kitchen door, but a lot of people just don't have the space. If you have a deck or terrace, container vegetable gardens are a great option.

Window boxes are excellent for growing salads, and can be mounted on deck railings so they don't reduce the footprint of the deck. The warm glow of terra-cotta pots is part of their appeal, but glazed ceramic pots can add a splash of color.

Whatever container you choose, a good, organic potting soil is a must. I like to build organic soil amendments into the potting soil at the start. The nutrients release over the whole season, so you don't have to fertilize, all you have to do is water.

Country: United States

Eggplants thrive in terra-cotta pots. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

'Gourmet' orange bell peppers growing in a 5-gallon terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

'Gourmet' orange bell peppers growing in a 5-gallon terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

Lettuces and 'Lemon Gem' marigolds growing in a window box off the back deck. The shadow of the roof line falls across the planters in the afternoon, allowing us to grow lettuce even in the summer. Photo by Steve Masley

Lettuces and 'Lemon Gem' Marigolds Growing in a Window Box

Lettuces and 'Lemon Gem' marigolds growing in a window box off the back deck. The shadow of the roof line falls across the planters in the afternoon, allowing us to grow lettuce even in the summer. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Boxes off the Back Deck

'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot. Container-grown tomatoes are more susceptible to blossom end rot, but cherry tomatoes like 'Sweet 100', 'Sungold', and 'Black Cherry' rarely have this problem. Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot. Container-grown tomatoes are more susceptible to blossom end rot, but cherry tomatoes like 'Sweet 100', 'Sungold', and 'Black Cherry' rarely have this problem. Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

Pak choi, 'Lacinato' kale, spinach, and mixed lettuces thrive in a cantilevered window box off the back deck. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Box Salads

'Lacinato' kale, pak choi, arugula, and mixed lettuces in a window box off the back deck. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Box Salad Garden

A window box in the shadow of the roof line allowed us to grow salads all through the summer. Photo by Steve Masley

Growing Lettuce in Window Boxes

Window boxes can be beautiful, not just productive. Mixed lettuces and spinach growing in a window box off the back deck. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Box Salads Can Be Beautiful, as Well as Tasty

Salad greens can be grown in shallow trays in mobile salad tables or SaladScapes. Photo by Steve Masley

Lettuce Growing in a SaladScape

'Jade' green beans growing in a window box. With the right organic soil mix and plenty of water, green beans can thrive in window boxes or other containers. Photo by Steve Masley

'Jade' Green Beans Growing in a Window Box

'Farmer's Long Purple' eggplant growing in a large terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley

Terra-Cotta Pots are Excellent for Growing Eggplants, Peppers, and Tomatoes

'Mrs. Burns' Lemon' basil thrives in a sunny window box off the front deck, steps away from the kitchen. Photo by Steve Masley

'Mrs. Burns' Lemon' Basil Growing in a Window Box

'Mexican Cinnamon' basil growing in a window box off the front deck. Photo by Steve Masley

'Mexican Cinnamon' Basil Growing in a Window Box

'Mexican Cinnamon' basil growing in a window box off the front deck. It's easy to slip out of the kitchen and pick a few leaves as needed. Here, the central leader is pinched out to encourage bushy growth. Photo by Steve Masley

'Mexican Cinnamon' Basil Growing in a Window Box

Window boxes can be mounted outside of deck rails, so they extend the deck space, instead of reducing the footprint. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Boxes Mounted on Deck Railing

Pak choi, lettuce, spinach, and arugula growing in a window box off the back deck. Photo by Steve Masley

Window Box Vegetables

Sunrise on the lettuces and spinach growing in a window box off the back deck. Photo by Steve Masley

Sunrise on the Back Deck Window Boxes

Growing lettuces and fresh basil in a window box mounted on the front deck railing. Photo by Steve Masley

Front Deck Window Boxes

Growing lettuces and fresh basil in a window box mounted on the front deck railing. Photo by Steve Masley

Lettuces and Herbs Growing in the Front Deck Window Boxes

'Mrs. Burns' Lemon' basil growing in the front deck window box. Photo by Steve Masley

Lemon Basil and Lettuces Growing in a Window Box

'Carmello' tomatoes growing in a large terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley

'Carmello' Tomatoes Growing in a Large Terra-Cotta Pot

'Gourmet' orange bell peppers growing in a 5-gallon terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

'Farmer's Long Purple' eggplant growing in a 7-gallon Smart Pot. Eggplants in containers often perform as well or better than eggplants planted in the ground. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

'Farmer's Long Purple' eggplant growing in a 7-gallon Smart Pot. Eggplants in containers often perform as well or better than eggplants planted in the ground. Photo by Steve Masley.

Container Vegetable Gardens

Teenage eggplants hanging out. Eggplants thrive in containers, whether they're terra-cotta pots, or fabric Smart Pots. Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

Spinach is easy to grow in shallow pots or window boxes, and you can harvest leaves as needed for sandwiches, salads, and soups. Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

Jalapeño grown organically in a 7-gallon Smart Pot. This plant produced 69 jalapeños! Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

Jalapeño grown in a 7-gallon Smart Pot, leaves removed so you can see the fruit. This plant produced 69 jalapeños! I let them ripen to red, then smoked them over apple wood and dried them to make chipotle chiles. Photo by Steve Masley

Container Vegetable Gardens

A block of compressed, dried coir (coconut husk fiber). Coir soaks up 5 times its weight in water, and holds it in the potting mix for plants. Unlike peat moss, coir won't repel water if it dries out. An abundant byproduct of the coconut industry, it's more sustainable than peat. I still add...

Container Vegetable Gardens

Potting mixes for container gardens need to drain freely, but still retain moisture. My base potting soil mix contains (clockwise from upper left) coarse builder's sand, high-quality organic compost or worm castings, coconut coir, and small lava rock. I supplement this with additional compost,...

Container Vegetable Gardens

The "secret ingredient" in organic container gardens: worm castings with live worms. Red compost worms convert organic nutrients in potting soils into plant-available form, and the last chamber of the worm gut is loaded with beneficial bacteria and fungi that boost plant immunity, cycle...

Container Vegetable Gardens

Online Sustainability Conference, March 5-11, 2017. 30 authorities on edible landscaping, permaculture design, food forests, container gardening, raised beds, organic gardening, urban homestead design, and sustainable living. My talks are March 5, 6pm PST (Vermicomposting and Potting Soil Mixes)...

Container Vegetable Gardens