Tidy Treats tomato
Now that hot weather is here to stay for a while, we can plant outdoor containers for our balconies, porches and patios without having to worry about cold nights. We have plenty of great varieties to choose from, and superior potting soils like Ocean Forest and Coco Loco. At last count, we had just a few large decorative ceramic pots left.
We also sell large ‘nursery’ pots – the sturdy black plastic ones that trees and shrubs come in – for very reasonable prices. These are light-weight and easy to move. You can put the pot into a decorative basket, or paint it your own desired color.
Tomatoes for Containers: Look for our ‘determinate’ varieties, which tend to be compact, and our ‘dwarf’ varieties, which develop a strong central ‘trunk’ and compact, non-vining habit. Most of these also mature fruits in 75 days or less. Here are a few of our favorites:
Dwf. Rosella Purple
Dwf. Tasmanian Chocolate
Gold Nugget
Glacier
Red Robin – this one can be grown indoors! And it doesn’t need a big pot! Just bright indirect light!
Peppers for Containers: Peppers love heat, especially warm soil. They also love rich soil. Peppers thrive in containers and can be grown1 or 2 per 5-gallon nursery pot, 4 per wooden half-barrel. They actually like to be planted near one another so their combined foliage can protect fruits from sunscald. Some of the more compact varieties are Shishito and Jalapeno, while Fish and Thai peppers are highly decorative. A pair of Lanterna Piccante or Cayenne peppers sharing a 16”- diameter pot is a thing of beauty!
Eggplants for Containers: All of our eggplant varieties grow fairly stout, and are very decorative, with purple flowers and varying amounts of purple infused in their stems, calyces and foliage. They like heat, sun and rich soil, and grow best planted one per pot.
Annual Flowers for containers: Be creative! We have so many stunning annuals for sun or shade, cascading or climbing or performing as “Thrillers, Spillers and Fillers”. Salvia, Lavatera, Dahlia, Black-eyed Susan vine, Summer “Geraniums” or Amaranth varieties make great Thrillers. Consider Coleus, Thunbergia, Silver Dichondra or Nasturtium for “Spillers”, and Gomphrena (Globe Amaranths), “Purple Passion” Gynura, Marigolds, and Ageratum for ‘Fillers’.