Container Gardening

From The Wall Street Journal article, "For a Green Thumb, Just Add Water"

"Moreover, such products can make gardening accessible to consumers in urban areas or places with poor soil quality. Two years ago, Steve Cerilli of Newport, R.I., gave two EarthBoxes a whirl on his own downtown building's rooftop and tended to the plants with water collected in rain barrels. Now 39-year-old Mr. Cerilli has 14 EarthBoxes and grows a variety of things including broccoli rabe, eggplant and enough tomatoes and peppers to can for pasta sauce during winter. "Most people have yards -- I don't have a yard," says Mr. Cerilli, an audio engineer who co-founded the not-for-profit WXHQ Radio Newport.

To be sure, it can be tough to get the crop yields or the economies of scale that a larger properly designed and maintained in-ground garden can provide. And depending on what is planted, it could take a couple of seasons to achieve payback with some of the pricier kits, many of which encourage the purchase of "replenishment" or "replant" packs the following year.

Plus, with good potting mix, research and nurturing, consumers also can achieve good growing results in less expensive run-of-the-mill pots.
"But this isn't just about saving [money]," says Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening for Gardener's Supply. "People have a lot of trepidation when they go out to garden, maybe because they didn't grow up with someone who gardened or they are living on their own."


Gardener's Supply Company
'Smart Pots' used as potato bins

She and other manufacturers hope early success with the kits and tools will inspire customers to expand their gardening ambitions. Take the collapsible "Smart Pot" aeration container sold by Gardener's Supply as a potato bin. No digging required; just plop in some fertilized soil and potato pieces and keep adding soil and water as the potatoes grow stems and leaves. Come harvest time, there should be 10 to 12 pounds of potatoes inside the bin. Not exactly a bountiful harvest, but enough to give a taste of the process.

What's more, growing in smaller, manageable areas heightens the prospect that a first foray won't end in failure. "The temptation is you go to the store with all sorts of enthusiasm and come home with 30 seed packets and begin to plant an Iowa farm garden, and you are just doomed," says Ms. LaLiberte of Gardener's Supply. One of the company's best sellers is its $69.95 "Organic Tomato Success Kit," which advertises to out-produce in-ground grown plants by 30%."

» Read more about Smart Pots in the WSJ