The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible: How to Grow a Bounty of Food in Pots, Tubs, and Other Containers

400 Pages·2011·17.89 MB·English

by  Edward C. Smith

The Vegetable Gardener’s Container BIBLE
The Vegetable Gardener’s Container BIBLE
How to Grow a Bounty of Food in Pots, Tubs, and
Other Containers
Edward C. Smith
The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.
Edited by Gwen Steege and Carleen Madigan
Art direction and book design by Jessica Armstrong
Cover photographs by © Jim Westphalen/Westphalen Photography,
except for back cover, center by © Giles Prett/Fotografix
Photography credits appear on page 254
Illustrations by © Elayne Sears, except for Brigita Fuhrmann: 118 bottom, 120
top, 121 and Kurt Musfeldt: 115, 116, 117, 118 top, 119, 120 bottom
Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications
© 2011 by Edward C. Smith
An earlier edition of this book was published under the title Incredible
Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers (Storey Publishing, 2006)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written
permission from the publisher, except
by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a
review with appropriate credits; nor may
any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our
knowledge. All recommendations are made
without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and
publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.
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Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
Printed in the United States by R.R. Donnelley
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Smith, Edward C. (Edward Clarke), 1941–
The vegetable gardener’s container bible / by Edward C. Smith.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Previously published as: Incredible vegetables from self-watering containers.
North Adams, MA : Storey Pub., ©2006.
ISBN 978-1-60342-975-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-60342-976-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Container gardening. 2. Vegetable gardening. I. Title.
SB418.S633 2011
635—dc22
2010051167
DEDICATION
SYLVIA FERRY SMITH — gardener, photographer,
my best friend, and my wife — is cocreator
of this book. Sylvia and I developed the ideas in this
book together, and we planned, planted, and tended
the gardens where this book grew.
Sylvia both made the garden photogenic and took
many of the images. This book would not have been
possible without her.
CONTENTS
PART ONE: Get Growing in Containers
Introduction: A Vegetable Garden in Pots
CHAPTER One: The Right Pot for Every Plant
CHAPTER Two: What’s in the Pot?
CHAPTER Three: Tools and Accessories
PART TWO: Putting It All Together
CHAPTER Four: Getting Started
CHAPTER Five: Of Seeds and Six-Packs
CHAPTER Six: Designing for Containers
CHAPTER Seven: Caring for Your Container Gardens
CHAPTER Eight: Managing Pests and Diseases
CHAPTER Nine: Harvesting the Bounty
CHAPTER Ten: When Winter Draws Near
PART THREE: Incredible Edibles
CHAPTER Eleven: The Best Vegetables
CHAPTER Twelve: Herbs for Every Pot
CHAPTER Thirteen: The Edible Bouquet
Acknowledgments
Photography Credits
Further Reading
Suppliers
Maps
Index
PART ONE Get Growing in Containers
INTRODUCTION:
A VEGETABLE GARDEN IN POTS
Almost all the vegetable gardeners I know grow food for their families in the
good soil of their backyards. But what if you don’t have a backyard? How
can you keep the kitchen stocked with ripe tomatoes or fresh greens if all
you’ve got is a patio, deck, or balcony?