Steven Biggs 2025-09-05 Steven Biggs 2025-09-05

Seed Company List: Where to Buy Vegetable Seed

Steven Biggs 2025-07-06 Steven Biggs 2025-07-06

How to Make a Wicking Bed: A Raised Garden Bed that Keeps the Soil Moist

Harvest more and water less when you grow in a wicking bed. Find out how to make a wicking bed.

By Steven Biggs

Harvest More and Water Less with a Wicking Bed Garden

wicking bed diy — The potting mix in the wicking bed will wick moisture up to where plant roots can get it.

Wicking beds are a great way to maximize the use of space in a small garden. That's because this sort of raised bed keeps the soil continuously moist.

And that continuously moist soil is great for your crops.

With ample soil moisture, you can plant more densely. And with ample moisture, your crops produce more for you.

There's one other benefit of a wicking bed: You spend less time watering. Instead of frequently watering by hand or setting up a sprinkler, now you can fill up your wicking bed with water...occasionally.

Want to water less often? Want crops that thrive because they get consistent soil moisture? Keep reading to find out how to make this type of self-watering garden bed.

What's a Wicking Bed?

A Raised Garden Bed with Plumbing!

A wicking bed is simply raised bed with a water reservoir (a water storage area) at the bottom.

Water moves upwards (it "wicks") from the reservoir into the soil layer above. This "wicking" is the same ideas as what happens in an oil lantern as oil moves up the wick.

Wicking beds work the same way as sub-irrigated planters (a.k.a. SIPS or “self-watering” pots): Water wicks upwards into the soil above through capillary action. But while a sub-irrigated planter is often small enough to be picked up and moved, a wicking bed is a large, stationary raised bed.

Find out more about sub-irrigated planters.

Continuous Moisture Means Less Plant Stress

And Higher Yield

When there isn't enough moisture in the soil for plants, it's a stress.

And that stress affects yield.

Because the soil in a wicking bed remains moist, the plants don't have water stress. Without that stress, the increase in yield can be considerable.

(Of course, no one minds the time saved by having to water less frequently!)

Even in the heat of summer, when the plants are quite big, we water our wicking beds about once a week.

Instead of treated lumber, we used cedar fence posts — We turbo-charged our production by growing our vegetable plants in wicking beds.

Another Reason to Use a Wicking Bed

Edible Gardening near Black Walnut Trees

Our neighbour's large black walnut tree is beautiful. But walnut trees give off a compound called “juglone.”

And juglone affects the growth of many plants…including tomatoes.

We tried growing tomatoes in the backyard many times…and they always died.

We solved the problem by growing tomato plants in wicking beds. That's because the tomato plant roots never get into the juglone-contaminated soil below.

Find out about juglone-tolerant plants for gardening near black walnut trees.

Find out how to stake and support tomato plants.

**Want to Ace Your Container Garden?**

Find out about top crops, how to choose the right soil, feeding your plants, and what to look for as you're choosing containers. More on Vegetable Container Gardening Class.

Oh Yeah!

Make Your Own Wicking Bed

Wicking Bed Design - Be Creative!

Be creative! You might want to make a wicking bed from salvaged material—or maybe you want a bed that ties in with the aesthetic in your landscape. (I think a red-brick wicking bed would look nice in my garden! One day…)

Later in this post you'll see photos of wicking beds that I made with my kids. I used cedar fence posts. But there are all sorts of materials you can use to make them.

Not sure what to build your wicking beds with? Here are thoughts to start with:

instead of treated lumber, we used cedar posts — Be creative with the materials you choose for your wicking beds. We used cedar fence posts to make our wicking beds.

Find something that ties in with the aesthetic in your garden
Choose materials that are good value
See if you have materials on hand that you can reuse as you make your beds

Here's why I chose cedar fence posts:

They are long-lasting and not much more expensive than dimensional lumber
I didn't use treated lumber because it's not suitable for edible gardening
I didn't use dimensional lumber because raised beds made with dimensional lumber often sag outwards over time
I used pond liner to create the reservoir because I already had liner from a former pond

Wicking Bed Workings

The Raised Bed

There are many materials you can use to create the frame for your wicking bed.

I've seen wicking beds made from:

Large plastic bins
Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs)
Cinder blocks
New lumber
Recycled wood

The Reservoir

The bottom of your wicking bed must hold water. It's the water reservoir.

If you're making the wicking bed from a container that is closed at the bottom (for example, an intermediate bulk container), you won't need to line the bottom of the bed to create the water reservoir. (Instead, you'll drill a hole at the top of the reservoir level for excess water to drain away.)

If you make a wicking bed from wood or stone, it won't be sealed at the bottom. So you'll need to create a reservoir at the bottom to hold water. Do this by lining the bottom of the bed with some sort of liner. Choose a material that is durable enough so you won't need to take apart your wicking bed to repair a puncture. Pond liner is very durable, and widely available.

The Plumbing

A wicking bed has a "fill tube" that extends up above the soil layer. You might also see this called the "inlet pipe."

Down below, the fill tube reaches into the reservoir area. This tube is how you add water to the reservoir. Simply put your hose into the tube and leave the hose running until the reservoir is full.

Ideas for what to use to make a fill tube:

Dishwasher drain hose (that's what I used, as it's big enough that I can put the hose into it when filling the wicking bed)
PVC pipe (sometimes called a PVC inlet pipe)
Downspout

You also need to have some way for excess water to escape once the reservoir is full. So that your plants don't have wet feet after heavy rain or if you fill it for too long!

In other words, once the reservoir is full, any additional water drains from the bed.

Ideas for an overflow:

In the case of my own wicking beds, the liner only extends up to the height of the reservoir level, so and excess water drains out behind the liner and through the cedar posts...no fancy fittings or overflow tube required
For IBCs and rigid beds, drill holes at the desired overflow level
Some gardeners also install an overflow pipe or overflow tube through the hole...looks a bit more tidy

The Wick

The water moves upward from the reservoir into the soil mix through capillary action. In other words, it wicks.

But for it to wick properly, it has to be able to move up and along something. Luckily, gravel works well. So gravel is often used to fill the reservoir area.

This might sound strange to you, filling an area intended for water with gravel. But there can be lots of open space between particles in some types of gravel...and that space is perfect for holding water.

The type of gravel available to you depends where you live. Some people use pea gravel. Around here, it's easy to get what's called 3/4" "clear" gravel which has only large rocks. That's what you want. Make sure the gravel doesn't also include fine particles too, because fine particles fill up the space that we want for the water.

A layer of landscape fabric over top of the gravel prevents soil from filling up the spaces in the gravel.

The Soil

Don't cheap out on soil. It's critical.

The soil must have good wicking action. Capillary action.

And to have that, it should have lots of air spaces within it.

So don't use straight top soil. It often packs down too much. A high quality potting mix or soil amended with lots of organic matter is better suited to making a wicking bed.

IMPORTANT POINT ON SOIL: The water will only wick upwards so far. That means if the soil is too deep, water won't wick all the way to the zone where your plant roots are. Aim for a soil depth of 30-40 cm (12-16").

Other Options

There are many ways to make a wicking bed, so if you research the topic don't be surprised when you find all sorts of variations.

Plumbing! If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you might be interested in hooking up a water supply and shut-off! I've seen videos where people demonstrate this sort of set-up, using the same sort of plumbing supplies used for toilets. When the water level gets low, this sort of system automatically refills the reservoir.
Weeping tile. A perforated pipe or drain tile in the bottom area along with the gravel permits water to quickly move through the reservoir. It also means you don't need as much gravel. You’ll see weeping tile in the pictures of my wicking beds, below.

Materials List for My Wicking Bed

Here's what I used to make wicking beds.

Cedar fence posts.
Pond liner. The pond liner holds water in the bottom of the bed. Once the sides of the pond liner are folded upwards and fixed into place, it creates a shallow water storage area at the bottom of the bed—about as high as the weeping tile.
Weeping tile.
3/4” gravel. Use “clear” gravel, which means that it does not have smaller pieces of gravel that will fill up the spaces in between. That way the space is available to hold water.
Dishwasher drain tube. To create a fill tube, sometimes called an inlet pipe.
Landscape fabric. Its purpose is to keep the soil from filling up the weeping tile and the spaces between gravel.
Soil. I used a mix of high quality potting mix blended with compost.

Steps for Making a Wicking Bed

wicking-beds-3 — Cut posts to length and notch the ends.

wicking-beds-4 — Place notched posts directly on the ground. Level the ground first.

wicking-beds-5 — Nail spikes into the corners of the posts to keep them in place.

wicking-beds-6 — Install liner at the bottom by placing it on the ground, and up about 8-10 inches at the side. Secure temporarily with staples, to keep it in place until the gravel pins it into place.

wicking-beds-7 — Place coils of weeping tile in the bottom. The tile permits water to quickly move through the reservoir, and it also holds up the soil above.

wicking-beds-8 — Add gravel. It supports the weight of the soil above, while the spaces between the pieces of gravel fill with water. Water moves upwards through the gravel by capillary action.

wicking-beds-9 — Note the fill tube at the far end, a piece of drain hose installed into the weeping tile. This permits filling of the reservoir with a hose after soil has been added.

wicking-beds-10 — Cover with landscape fabric to keep soil out of the reservoir area. Note the depressing in the top-right corner: While in theory water wicks up the gravel, I also created this soil-filled wick that dips into the reservoir. *Not necessary, so I wouldn't do it again.*

wicking-beds-11 — Soil depth: 30-40 cm (12-16") of soil works well. If there is too much soil, the water will not wick all the way to the top.

Pin this post about how to make a wicking bed.

Watering my Wicking Beds

I know that there is enough water in the reservoir when I see water coming out of the side of the bed. It's low-tech—but it works.

One More Reason for Wicking Beds

Soil contamination is another reason to consider growing in a wicking bed. Soil contamination can be a concern in areas where there is a history of industry, and also on former orchard lands where sprays with heavy metals might have been used. Or, like me, it could be from a nearby black walnut tree.

Find out more about soil contamination and what to do about it.

FAQ Wicking Beds

I’m already doing raised bed gardening. Can I retrofit my existing raised beds with this system of irrigation?

Yes, you can retrofit an existing raised garden bed to turn it into a wicking bed. But be prepared to first empty out the bed…so it means some digging!

I want my wicking bed to be a metre (3’) high. So it’s less bending for me while I’m gardening. Is that OK?

With wicking beds, less is more. Too much soil, and the water doesn’t wick all the way to the top of the soil. 30-40 cm (12-16”) soil depth is best for wicking.

If you want a taller raised bed, consider an elevated bed, on legs. (Like a sub-irrigated planter on stilts!) Then you can have the easy access you want, and the wicking won’t be compromised by excessive soil depth. And as a bonus, you won’t spend as much money on soil!

Here’s one other consideration: If you’re transplanting sizeable plants into a deep wicking bed, and don’t mind top watering for a bit until the roots reach a soil depth where there’s moisture from wicking, then maybe you don’t need to worry about soil depth.

Can it freeze in the winter? Does this work for raised bed gardening in Canada?

It’s fine for gardening in Canada and other places with cold climates. We use wicking beds in our urban garden here in Toronto.

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Another Way to Add Growing Space in a Small Garden

Straw-bale gardening is a great way to grow on paved areas and areas with poor soil. And you also have a raised garden bed...so less bending required!

Find out more about straw-bale gardening.

More Ideas for Your Vegetable Garden

Find lots more articles about growing vegetables and edible plants in the Grow Vegetables area of this site.

Articles and Interviews

Find out about Sub-Irrigated Planters

Grow Vegetables: Aritcles and Interview

Courses: Edible Gardening

Find out about how to grow lots of vegetables in containers. Find out about potting mix, best types of containers, top crops, and how to care for your plants.

Want to create and edible garden or edible landscape but not sure where to start? Find out how to design a garden, choose plants, and create a functional, beautiful, edible landscape.

Steven Biggs 2025-07-03 Steven Biggs 2025-07-03

Guide to Fruits and Vegetables that Grow in Shade

Looking for fruits, vegetables, and herbs that grow well in a shady garden. This article has partial-sun crop ideas for you.

By Steven Biggs

Shade-Tolerant Vegetables and Fruits for the Edible Landscape and Food Garden

shade crops header image showing rhubarb in the shade of an apple tree — Don’t have full sun? Think your garden needs full sun? Find out about shade-garden vegetables, fruit, and herbs.

Not enough sunny growing space in your yard? Lots of partial sun? Light shade? You're not alone.

When I first landscaped my place, my neighbour Bob asked, "Steve, why is your patio so far from your house?"

"It's all about the vegetables,” I replied.

I reserved as much direct sunlight for my vegetables as possible. And used the shady spot for the patio."

There are lots of things around a home garden that cast shade: There’s the house, garage, fence, shed, trees, and hedges.

Not all fruits and vegetables grow well in shade. Lots of crops need "full sun" (6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day) to grow optimally.

But there are fruits, vegetables, and herbs that do nicely in a shady garden. Keep reading if you want to learn about vegetable plants that grow in shade, growing herbs in shade, shade-tolerant fruit, and how to plan your garden for shade.

Perfectionism Meets Shade Garden

picture of sunny field of lettuce — Don’t have a sunny field for growing vegetables? That’s fine, when planting a garden there are many shade-tolerant crops.

Before we get to shade-tolerant crops, let's start with the elephant in the room.

Perfectionism.

Many seed packets suggest full sun...and many yards don't have full sun. You might be contrasting your semi-shaded yard to bright, sunny fields of vegetables.

Your space doesn't compare...

So what?

So what if your plants don't look as good as what a commercial grower would grow! If you're a home gardener, you're growing edible plants for yourself, not to sell.

When I needed more growing space, I decided to reclaim the end of my driveway as a straw-bale garden. (Find out more about straw-bale gardens here.)

a driveway garden in partial sun — My driveway garden is in partial sun, nestled between two houses. You can still enjoy vegetable gardening if you have some shade.

The driveway is nestled between two houses. It gets less than six hours of sun exposure. But it’s better to have less-than-perfect tomato plants on that driveway and get a decent harvest than not to harvest any tomatoes from the driveway.

Five hours of sun isn't perfect. So what? The results are fine. It’s a successful garden. Even though I don’t have full sun.

A vegetable garden is a great cure for perfectionism. In home gardens we often have less-than-perfect conditions. So what!

A Word on Shade

Not all sun (and not all shade) is created equal. Here are things to consider as you look at the shady spots and sunny spots around a yard:

Dappled shade. Think of the shade under a locust tree, spotted with little flecks of light.
Heavy shade. This is where no light is gets through or is reflected, like next to buildings or under trees with dense canopies. (Norway maple...I'm talking about you!)
Afternoon shade. A.k.a. morning sun...and morning sun isn't as strong as afternoon sun.
Morning shade. Or afternoon sun.

Create Your Own Unique Edible Landscape

That fits for your yard, and your style!

More on Edible Landscaping

Crops for Partial Shade

Grow Leafy Greens in Shade

Start with greens when gardening in partial shade.

The reason partial shade is fine for leafy greens is that we're not trying to grow a perfect crop: All we want is the leaves. We're not growing for flowers or fruit or seeds. We don’t care if the plant completes it’s life cycle.

(And with a bit of shade, leaves are often bigger and more tender!)

Many of the greens crops (e.g. arugula, lettuce, and spinach) have a short life cycle that's less that the length of the growing season. And that means that at some point they give up making tender leaves, and send up a flower stalk. (This is called "bolting.")

Bolting happens more quickly in hot, sunny locations. By growing leafy green crops in partial shade during intense summer heat, they'll bolt more slowly, and make tender leaves for longer time.

Here’s more about how to prevent lettuce from bolting.

Vegetable Plants that Grow in Shade

Here are a few greens that do very nicely in partial shade:

lettuce growing in partial shade — These lettuce plants will do well in this dappled light over the summer. It’s cooler than in direct sun.

Amaranth
Arugula
Beets (for the edible leaves…don’t expect as much from the roots as you would get in a sunny location)
Bok choy
Claytonia
Collards
Corn salad
Cress
Endive
Kale
Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Spinach
Swiss chard

If you have a favourite green that's not on this list, try it. Leafy greens usually do very nicely in partial shade.

One more crop that I don't think of as a leafy vegetable (even though we eat the leaves) is green onions. With green onions, we're not trying to encourage bulb development...we're just trying to get tender leaves. So partial shade is fine.

Vine Crops as Shade-Garden Vegetables

picture of squash vine, which can be planted in partial shade and allowed to grow into the sun — Vine crops can grow up and into the sunlight.

If you have a partially shaded area where vining crops could grow up into a sunnier location, this can be a useful strategy.

Not only do they tolerate partial shade: You can train them up a trellis, arbour, hedge, or tree into sunnier conditions.

Cucumbers. They grow respectably well in partial shade. I've grown them in afternoon sun, up a trellis on the west side of a garage with very respectable results.
Squash. Like cucumber, they do fine in partial shade. I've grown them along a semi-shaded cedar hedge, and was delighted to find the hedge studded with squash at the end of the season.
Pole and runner beans. The year I grew runner beans up a tee-pee underneath my apple tree they grew right up into the tree above...and those scarlet flowers looked great amongst the green apples!
Vining Peas. Some pea varieties are bush-like, but if you want a vining crop to grow up into a sunnier space, look for vining peas. And with peas, you can also harvest and eat young shoot tips and tendrils.

All of these vine crops work well for vertical gardening. Find out how to make a vertical vegetable garden.

Grow a Container Vegetable Garden

And get an early harvest of crops that usually take too long!

More on Container Veg

Beyond Leafy Vegetables

I already told you about my 5-hour-a-day driveway tomatoes.

If you're experimenting with other sun-loving vegetables in partial shade, just expect them to have lanky growth and lower yield. And at a certain level of sunlight, you won't get enough to make it worth your while. Growing vegetables in shade might take some experimenting.

But if you don't try, you won't know.

Herbs that Grow in Shade

lovage, a herb that grows well in partial shade — Lovage is a perennial herb that tolerates some shade.

There are many herbs that tolerate partial shade. Here are my favourites:

Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lemon Balm
Lovage (this perennial herb lives in my semi-shaded perennial border)
Mint (see Full Shade, below)
Parsley

Fruit Crops for Partial Shade

When growing fruit in partial shade, take the same approach we do with veggies. Just adjust expectations accordingly.

Here are fruit crops that grow well in partial shade:

Choke cherry. Often found on the forest edge, where there's some shade. (Find out about 5 Types of Cherry Bushes for Edible Landscapes.)
Currants. My favourite. Here’s an article about how to grow currants.
Elderberry. Often found on the forest edge, where there's some shade.
Gooseberry. They take the same low-light conditions as currants.
Hardy Kiwi Vine.
Pawpaw. While young pawpaw trees benefit from shade, best fruit production is in full sun. But they fruit well in partial shade. No surprise as that's where you often find them in the wild.
Serviceberry. An understorey tree often found on the forest edge, where there's some shade. My favourite member of the serviceberry clan is the Saskatoon bush. Find out more about the Saskatoon bush.

Landscape with Fruit

That’s easy to grow in a home garden!

More on Fruit

What About Heavy Shade?

rhubarb growing in partial shade — This rhubarb plant is in partial shade, but I’ve seed decent rhubarb patches even in heavy shade.

If you have a space without any direct sunlight, reflected sunlight, or dappled sunlight, your crop options are more limited. This is what people call “full” shade or “deep” shade.

Here are ideas for you:

Mint and shade: Mint is an invasive plant that I normally only grow in containers. But in full shade, mint can be your friend. This is the one situation where I plant mint in the ground.
Rhubarb can do very nicely in heavy shade. My friend Chris had a lovely rhubarb plant that graced the edge of his shady pond...it looked quite tropical with the big leaves! Find out how to force rhubarb indoors over the winter.
Currants and gooseberries are a good fit underneath bigger trees. My neighbour Mr. Browne had a currant bush growing in the full shade of an apple tree...and that bush faithfully fruited year after year, albeit not as much as it would have in a sunnier spot.

FAQ Shade Tolerant Crops

vegetables that grow in shade pinnable image — *Pin this post!*

What is the best shade tolerant vegetable?

Parsley. Hands down. Because it's delicious, tolerates a wide range of conditions—and it’s very ornamental. I use it as a flower-border edging plant on the north side of the house. The curly-leaf types add great texture, and last well into the fall in cooler temperatures—until there's a hard freeze.

You might be saying, "But it's a herb." I've heard people argue it's a herb, others say it's a vegetable. In the quantities I use in my salads, I'm using it as a veg.

Can vegetables get too much sun?

Yes. Too much sun and too much heat cause many of the leafy greens to bolt quickly. They do better in shady areas in the heat of summer.

What is the difference between partial sun and partial shade?

If you read different sources, you'll come up with various definition.

To me, it's semantics. It just means less than full sun. I guess it depends whether you're the type of person who sees the glass as half full or half empty!

parsley growing in a semi-shaded bed — Parsley does very well in shady locations. And it’s a great plant for adding texture to a garden!

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Courses

Steven Biggs 2025-06-22 Steven Biggs 2025-06-22

How to Support Tomato Plants: Tomato Stakes and More

Support those tomato plants! This guide tells you how to stake, trellis, train, and cage tomatoes so you can fit in more plants and get a great harvest.

By Steven Biggs

Tomato Stakes, Cages, Trellises

Tomato stakes,tomato cages, and more: Pick a method that suits your garden and your approach to gardening.

Joe uses tomato stakes.

I don't.

My neighbour Joe's backyard is all garden. Full-on backyard farm. He has row after row of tomatoes, neatly staked, pruned, and trained.

My garden is maxed out on tomatoes too. But my tomato patch looks entirely different from Joe's.

I have some tomatoes in cages. The tomato plants on my driveway (where I can't hammer in a stake) are supported by a trio of stakes in a teepee formation. In another area, I grow indeterminate tomatoes up twine.

Joe and I both grow in ways that suit our garden layout and approach to gardening.

This guide has information about tomato stakes, tomato cages, and other ways to provide support for your tomato plants.

To Stake or not to Stake

When tomatoes are staked or supported, the fruit isn't touching the soil.

When to Provide Support

The easiest way to grow a tomato plant is to let it sprawl on the ground. This is often how processing tomatoes are grown on a field scale.

There are reasons for home gardeners to support tomato plants:

When tomato plants are staked or supported, the fruit isn't touching the soil, so it's cleaner, and there's less chance of rot and insect damage
Upright plants take up less space…so if you stake tomatoes, you can fit more plants into your garden
An upright tomato plant has more air circulation around the leaves—and that reduces the chance of disease

In my garden we have a high-density approach to growing tomatoes because my daughter grows over 100 varieties in our urban yard. We grow them much more densely than many gardeners, but it works well because we support and prune the plants.

Choose a Type of Support to Suit the Plant Type

Decide if You Need to Provide Support

Whether or not you need to support the plants depends on the type of plant you're growing.

“Dwarf” tomato plants are quite compact and usually don't need any pruning or support. Great for container gardeners!
“Bush” tomatoes (also called determinate tomatoes) get to a certain height and then don't get any taller. The harvest window is shorter. Great if you want a concentrated harvest for sauce-making or processing. Stake or cage determinate tomato plants to increase planting density and to keep tomatoes off the ground.
Indeterminate tomatoes keep getting taller and taller all summer long. Great if you want an ongoing harvest. Prune and support indeterminate tomatoes to optimize production—and know that they can get very tall by the end of the summer.

Tomato Staking and Support Ideas

Tomato Stakes or Cages?

There are lots of ways you can stake and support tomato plants. Pick one that suits your garden and the amount of time you want to spend tending your tomato crop.

Here are ideas for supporting your tomato plants:

Tomato Stakes

Tie your tomato plant to a stake. A lot of gardeners keep one main stem, pinching off side shoots (called suckers). See ideas for support stakes below.

We tie the plants to the tomato stakes with a soft twine. Some gardeners prefer to use plant clips. My dad used strips of plastic garbage bags because they were soft and stretched.

Tomato Cages

Grow the tomato inside a supportive cage-like frame. Plants in cages can be wider—so having more than one main stem is common. See below for a tip on making your own heavy duty tomato cages.

Grow Tomato Vines up Twine

Visit a commercial tomato greenhouse and you're likely to see tomato vines growing up a piece of twine that is suspended from above.

We use a variation of this twine method in our garden, where we make tall A-frames with bamboo, and run a horizontal pole between them—six feet up in the air. Then we dangle pieces of twine from the horizontal pole, and train the stems up the twine. This way we can space our tomatoes very closely together so that we can fit more tomato varieties into the garden.

bamboo a frames and horizontal pole for hanging twine that the tomato plants can be trained on — We make tall A-frames with bamboo, and run a horizontal pole between them.

young tomato plants beside the twine they will be trained up. — Then we dangle pieces of twine from the horizontal pole, and train our tomato plants up the twine.

Florida Weave

In this method of supporting tomato plants, we weave the tomato stems between horizontal rows of twine. Start by putting stakes at both ends of your tomato row. As plants get taller, keep adding rows of twine, and weave the stems between them.

Grow a Tomato Arch

If you have an archway in your garden, use it for tomato plants.

Indeterminate tomato varieties get taller, and taller, and taller. As they reach the top of the arch, you can train them down the other side.

Make Your Own Tomato Cages

Make a tomato arch with cattle panel wire.

A lot of the so-called tomato cages sold at garden centres are just too small to be useful. And if you find larger cages, they can cost you an arm and a leg.

We make our own tomato cages from the sheets of wire mesh used to reinforce concrete.

Cut the 4' x 8' sheet into two 4' x 4' sections (bolt cutters work well)
Then, bend the mesh into a cage
The bending takes effort as this is a strong material (I find that it works best if I place a board over the line I want to bend along, and then stand on the board as I bend the wire upwards)

These homemade tomato cages are long-lasting. Our oldest ones are over 15 years old and going strong.

If you're creative, you might come up with other materials to make your own tomato cages. I've seen old bundle buggies used!

an old bundle buggy used as a tomato cage — Be creative! A bundle buggy as a tomato cage.

My daughter Emma and I made our own tomato cages by cutting and bending wire mesh.

Ideas for Tomato Stakes

Bamboo for tomato stakes. Make sure it's thick enough as thinner pieces might be too flimsy.

There are lots of other things you can use as tomato stakes. Here are ideas:

Iron rebar
Iron t-bars
Lumber (1x2 and 2x2 stakes are common, and if you buy pre-made 2x2 stakes they often come with a pointed tip)
Bamboo
Metal pipe

Bamboo and wood rot over time. But they widely available and relatively inexpensive.

My Favourite Tomato Stakes

I'm not a fan of the flimsy plastic-coated tomato stakes sold at garden centres. They're short-lived and look pretty ugly as the plastic ages and cracks.

My favourite tomato stake is iron rebar. Here's why:

It's long lasting
It's thin, making it easier to push into the ground by hand (iron t-bars last a long time too…but need hammering into the ground)
As it oxidizes, it becomes brown and blends into the surroundings

Create Your Own Unique Edible Landscape

That fits for your yard, and your style!

More on Edible Gardens

Best Twine to Use

If you opt to grow tomatoes up twine, keep in mind that by the end of the season, a tomato-laden plant weighs a lot. We've used natural-fibre twines such as just and sisal some years—but they aren't always up to the task for the whole season.

If you can find it, get a tomato twine. Such a thing exists; it's what's used in commercial tomato greenhouse operations.

How to Stake a Tomato Plant in a Straw-Bale Garden

The tomatoes in this driveway straw-bale garden are supported with bamboo tripods.

If the concept of straw-bale gardening is new to you, read this article.

Straw bales break down as the summer progresses. That's what we want. But the result is that what seem like a firmly anchored support stakes in the spring will move (unless you drive the stake deep enough that it goes right through the bale and into the underlying soil.)

In our driveway straw-bale garden, we make tripods out of lumber or bamboo, tied together at the top. If the base is spaced out and balanced, they support the plants all summer.

How to Support a Tomato Plant in a Container

Determinate plants in containers need some sort of support, such as the tomato cage shown here.

If you're growing dwarf tomato plants, they likely won't need support.

But if you're growing determinate plants, you'll probably want to support them. I find that cages work well.

Note: When growing in containers, the shorter the better. That's because if the plants are too tall, there's a chance of the container tipping over in the wind.

Tomato Support FAQ

How often should I prune and train my tomato plants?

Ideally you don't want to let suckers get too big before pruning them out…it's a waste of energy that would be better spent growing tomatoes! In the summer when they're actively growing, check them once a week. (But don't sweat it if you miss a week.)

What should I do when the tomato plants gets taller than the tomato stakes?

Find a taller tomato stakes, or bend over the top of the plant and allow some stems to grow from down below.

Should I leave one stem or more than one stem?

It's up to you. But here's what I do: For tomatoes on twine, I leave only one stem. In a cage, I allow 3 or 4 to grow because the plant has more space.

What should I use to tie my plants to the tomato stakes?

I use a natural-fibre twine such as sisal or jute because at the end of the season I can compost it or let it fall to the soil where it decomposes.

Here are more ideas for tying plants to stakes:

Dad used to cut up black garbage bags into strips because it made a soft tie that didn't damage the tomato stem
My neighbour Sally used strips of old panty hose as tomato ties
You can buy purpose-made ties…but don't waste your money

Will the tomato cage tip over when the plant gets big?

Can do. I drive one stake into the ground and secure a corner of the cage to it. That prevents any tipping as the plants get bigger.

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Not Enough Garden Space? Try These Small Veg Garden Ideas

By Steven Biggs

Fit More Vegetable Plants in the Same Small Space

header image small space garden — Ideas to help you harvest more from the same small space.

Want to harvest more fresh vegetables from your small-space garden? Sometimes it helps to forget what you’ve seen. And do things differently from what's done in a big garden or commercial farm.

Commercial growers often focus on uniformity, and on perfect, unblemished produce. They also need space for equipment or employees to work around the plants.

But in a small home edible garden, where there’s not a lot of growing space—and where we’re just growing our own food—our needs are different. We want a variety of crops. We want an ongoing harvest. And we want it to be simple enough to fit into our everyday routine.

If you're struggling to fit everything you want to grow in your vegetable garden, keep reading for ideas to make the most of your growing space.

Key Takeaways: Make the Most of a Small Vegetable Garden

Recommended plant or seed spacing sometimes uses more space than required in a small vegetable garden.
Vertical gardening helps to fit more plants in a small garden bed.
Companion planting is a simple way to boost the output of a small vegetable garden.
Farmers sometimes leave fields fallow, but there's no need for this in a home vegetable garden.
Many crops have more than one edible part, making crop choice a simple way to grow more of your own food in a small space.

Reconsider Plant Spacing in a Small Vegetable Garden

Do you grow vegetables with the spacing suggested on seed packets or plant labels?

I don't. I always sow carrots, lettuce, and beet seeds more densely than recommended. Then I thin them out as the plants start to grow.

And the thinning is not a waste. Because I eat the small plants that I've thinned out. Baby carrots, lettuce, and beets are a treat.

Recommended plant spacing usually gives plants a suitable amount a space to develop to their final size. But there's no reason you can't use some of the space to grow baby plants while the crop is small.

There are lots of other ways to save on spacing. I often plant a few onion sets on the sloped edges of my raised soil beds. They might not get quite the amount of space recommended...but I'm using space that might otherwise not be used.

My daughter is an avid tomato grower. Some years she's trying to fit 100 varieties into our yard. She does that by planting them close together, and then growing them up twine (see Vertical Gardening, below.)

Take Up a Smaller Footprint with Vertical Gardening

Use Vertical Space in Your Vegetable Garden

grow vining peas up a trellis to save space in a small garden. — Growing vining peas up a trellis in a small garden.

When space is at a premium, don't let vining plants sprawl all over the garden bed. Grow them upwards, instead.

I’ve seen watermelons growing on A-frames, each melon supported by a sling! And there are other vining plants such as cantaloupe, indeterminate tomatoes, and cucumbers that you can grow vertically to maximize yield in a small space.

With the vining plants growing up your A-frame, you can now grow shade-tolerant vegetables such as leafy greens under the A-frame.

Here's another idea: My neighbour Joe has a 10-foot-high wall of pole beans around his vegetable garden…an edible wall! Bush beans are great, but if your growing space is at a premium, pole beans take up less of a footprint.

Choose Varieties Suited to a Small Space

pinnable image for Small Veg Garden ideas — *Pin this post!*

When planning your vegetable garden, variety choice can help you grow vertically to maximize your available space.

Some plants, such as peas, beans, tomatoes, and squash, are available in both vining and bush forms. Fit more into a small space by choosing the vining varieties that you can grow vertically.

Bush beans are a great choice if you want a larger harvest all at once for a big feed or preserving...but the trade-off is that they use more space.

Small Space? Grow Vegetables on Fences and Walls

Make the most of your outdoor space by growing on walls. All you need is a trellis or twine.

An empty fence is a wasted opportunity. My neighbour and I share the squash that I grow along our fence. Great way to hide a chain-link fence!

(And don’t forget that the top of a fence can be dressed up with a window box. A fence-top container garden!)

Try Companion Planting

Companion planting just means growing different plants together for some sort of benefit.

Companion plants might attract pollinators, lure away pests, deter pests, or attract beneficial insects. Those beneficial insects can help with pollination, or they might parasitize or eat insect pests. There are lots of opportunities for companion planting in a vegetable garden.

Below are a couple of ways to use companions to fit more vegetables into your small garden.

Plant 2 Different Crops in the Same Spot—at the Same Time

companion planting carrots and radish as a way to save space in a small garden — Growing radish and carrots together. The radishes are ready to harvest while the carrots are still quite small.

Waste less space by planting both fast- and slow-germinating seeds in the same space, at the same time.

My favourite example of this combination is pairing carrots and radishes. They are both root vegetables. And they are well-suited to being grown together in the same space because one grows quite quickly, one slowly.

Carrot seed is slow to germinate; radish seed is fast. And radish roots are ready to pluck from your garden way before your carrot roots are even getting chubby. That means you’ll be harvesting full-grown radishes just as your carrot seedlings need more space. As you pull out the radishes, you give the carrots more space to grow.

Wondering how one plant benefits the other in this scenario? Pulling out the radishes, which have taproots, also loosens the soil for your carrot seedlings!

Pair up Sun-Lovers and Shade-Lovers

When deciding which crops to plant together, think about sunlight.

If you have staked tomato plants, there can be a lot of unused, shady ground around them. (If it’s not yet shady, it will be, once the tomato plants get bigger.) Sprinkle seed for leafy vegetables at the base of your tomato plants. Lettuce lasts much longer when growing in some shade in the heat of summer.

Or, make an a-frame for growing climbing plants, and plant leafy greens in the shade below.

Use Your Garden Space as Long as Possible

Start as early as possible in the spring with cold-hardy crops. If your garden includes containers and raised bed, remember that the soil in containers and raised beds heats up more quickly than the ground, and that heat can speed along early spring sowings.

As your crops mature, plant new crops in the same space. Farms sometimes have “fallow” fields, unplanted fields, to control weeds or to conserve moisture. That’s fine for farms—but not for a small vegetable garden. Use your space continuously. You just need to recharge your soil nutrients, and you can do that by amending your garden soil with compost.

Don’t forget to grow cold-hardy crops in the fall to overwinter in cold frames and harvest all winter long. You can also plant cool-season crops in late summer and fall to harvest in early winter and further extend your harvest window.

Grow Vegetables That Produce a Lot in a Small Space

radish seed pods, an additional edible harvest from a radish plant — Radish seed pods are edible! A crunchy, peppery garnish.

Grow Plants with Multiple Edible Parts in a Small Garden

Growing plants with more than one edible part is a great way to get more from your growing space. Many plants have more than one edible part.

Growing beets? Eat the leaves, too, which are like chard. Garlic makes “scapes” that are edible and sought after by gourmet chefs! Radishes? Try the crunchy, peppery seed pods. One year, my daughter made pesto from young radish leaves…who knew?

In a Small Space, Plant Vegetables That Mature Quickly

Brussels sprouts? Leave them for farmers because they take up growing space ALL season and then you only harvest them once there's a fall frost.

As you think about vegetables to grow, consider kale, which you can be harvesting spring through fall, and even into the winter. Or cauliflower, which, after you harvest it, you can follow with another crop of something else.

Extend a Small Garden with Containers

container gardening next to a small space garden — Using containers to make additional growing space beside this small garden.

Add Containers to Small-Space Gardens

Container gardening is a great way to extend a small vegetable garden, even if you don't have more in-ground growing-space.

Extend your small garden onto a patio, a deck, driveway or rooftop. Or even add window boxes.

For best results growing in containers, use a good potting mix. Here's more on potting soil.

And Finally...Forget Perfection in Your Small Garden

You probably don’t have the ideal conditions for some crops. Maybe your garden soil isn’t quite what you want…maybe you don’t have enough sun.

If you were a commercial market gardener, this could be a big deal.

But if you’re a home gardener, figure out how to make the best of what you have. For example, I grow tomatoes in a container garden on my driveway—in less than 6 hours of sunlight. I get A LOT of tomatoes from space that would otherwise go unused. Sure, it’s fewer tomatoes than if I had full sun on my driveway. But it’s more than I’d get if I didn’t grow there.

Gardening is a great cure for perfectionism. There’s real satisfaction in harvesting fresh produce from your own garden.

More on Vegetable Garden Planning

7 Vegetable Garden Layout Idea

Plan a Kitchen Garden

Guide to Vertical Vegetable Gardening

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Steven Biggs 2025-04-07 Steven Biggs 2025-04-07

Eat Your Own Fresh Tomatoes in March! Grow Storage Tomatoes

By Steven Biggs

Long Keeper Tomatoes Last all Winter

picture of a clusther of keeper tomatoes

With the right tomato variety, you’ll still be eating your own fresh tomatoes in early spring. It’s often March by the time I use up my fresh tomatoes.

That’s right. March.

Yet I picked the tomatoes the previous October, just before the first fall frost.

Tomatoes that store well are called long-keeper tomatoes, keeper tomatoes, storage tomatoes, or winter tomatoes.

These storage tomatoes are a simple way to add fresh, homegrown veg to the winter menu. Perfect for home gardeners.

If you’re interested in growing long keeper tomatoes, keep reading to find out how you can enjoy your own homegrown tomatoes over the winter.

What’s a Long Keeper Tomato?

Let’s be clear: Long keeper tomatoes are NOT like a thin-skinned, juicy tomato.

They’re thick-skinned. It’s because of that thick skin that they last a long time without spoiling.

Storage Tomato…Not a Thin-Skinned Slicer

I once gave long keeper tomato plants to my neighbours Joe and Gina. They were avid veg gardeners. Loved tomatoes. I thought they’d love the idea of having their own storage tomatoes all winter long.

But they hated my keeper tomatoes…

That’s because they loved juicy tomatoes for sandwiches and meaty tomatoes for sauces. Keeper tomatoes are for storage—they’re not summer sandwich material.

Expecting a keeper tomato to be like a beefsteak tomato is like expecting a pickup truck to drive like sports car. Ain’t going to happen. The purpose of each is quite different.

When to Sow Long Keeper Tomato Seeds

Because I harvest my keeper tomatoes at the very end of the season, there is no point to starting them too early. (My first fall frost is usually late October—so that means I’m only harvesting the keeper tomatoes in October.)

I start my summer-eating tomato varieties 6-10 weeks before the average last frost date, so that I can enjoy fresh tomatoes as soon as possible.

But I only start the keeper tomato varieties a couple of weeks before the last spring frost. Then I transplant them into the garden when the plants are big enough.

Want to grow your own storage tomatoes from seed? Get tips to grow great tomato seedlings at home.

How to Grow Storage Tomatoes

In the garden, grow storage tomatoes as you would other tomato varieties. The main difference is that there’s less of a rush to get them going early.

Here’s a guide to staking tomato plants.

How to Store Long Keeper Tomatoes

If you have only a few storage tomatoes, put them in a bowl on the counter; they last well and look nice. But for longer-term storage, a slightly cooler temperature is better. That way, they’ll last longer. I store long keeper tomatoes in a cool basement room, spread out on a tray.

Hurray! No processing, no freezing.

Here’s another way to store keeper tomatoes: Leave the tomatoes on the plant, and then harvest the whole plant. Then, hang the plant upside down, somewhere cool. The tomatoes continue to ripen on the plant.

Wondering about how to ripen all the other green tomatoes left in your garden in the fall? Here’s an article that tells you how.

How to Use Keeper Tomatoes

Keeper, or “winter,” tomatoes are perfect for chopping up to use in salads and in cooking.

My favourite way to use them is in bruschetta.

storage tomatoes in March — Tomatoes in March. Grow a “keeper” or “winter” tomato.

Long Keeper Tomato Varieties

My first long keeper tomato variety came from my Dad’s friend Dino. Dino simply called it a “winter tomato.” So I just call it Dino’s Winter Tomato.

When it’s ripe, the skin has an orange colour; and when you cut into it, the flesh has a light red colour.

There are many keeper varieties around. Here are some to try:

‘Long Keeper’ is an old variety that’s widely available.
Prairie Garden Seeds sells a keeper tomato called ‘Clare’s Tomato’.
‘Green Bee’ is a firm-when-ripe tomato that grills well—and it’s also an excellent storage tomato.
Looking for a beautiful keeper tomato? Then try ‘Evil Olive’. It’s a great storage tomato. (Don’t be put off by the name, it’s lovely!)
‘Fakel’ is an old processing variety with a thick skin. It’s a medium-sized red tomato that’s good for fresh eating and storage. So if you want something that’s good sliced but also stores well, a good option. (Determinate plant, so good if you’re doing container gardening.)
‘Piennolo del Vesuvio’ is an Italian heirloom from the area around Mount Vesuvius. It forms clusters with cherry-tomato-sized fruit having a pointy tip. The clusters are traditionally picked and hung indoors to slowly ripen through the winter.

More on Tomatoes

Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors

How to Support Tomato Plants

How to Grow Tomato Seeds

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Steven Biggs 2025-04-02 Steven Biggs 2025-04-02

Guide to Direct Sowing Seeds (Why and When to Skip the Transplants!)

Find out how and what to direct seed in your vegetable garden.

by Steven Biggs

Why Direct Sow Seeds?

Ever had transplants that put on the brakes after you move them to the garden?

It’s disappointing.

But a big transplant isn’t always better than a wee seed.

Sometimes, it’s better to plant seeds straight into the garden.

This is called direct sowing, also called direct seeding or direct planting.

This post tells you how to direct sow, best crops for direct sowing—and simple ways to sow seeds in a home garden.

What is Does Direct Sow Mean?

Direct sowing is when we sow seeds—plant seeds—directly in the garden.

This is instead of starting seeds indoors and then move them to the garden later—known as growing “transplants.”

Why Direct Sow Vegetable Seeds?

There are many reasons to direct-sow vegetables.

Here are a few reasons:

pinnable image direct planting — *Pin this post!*

Easier (there's no need to care for seedlings indoors)
Less expensive (no need for potting soil or containers)
Less environmental footprint (yeah, your coir-based and peat-based potting soils have an environmental footprint)
Saves indoor seed-starting space for crops that really need to be started indoors
No need to “harden off” young seedlings before planting them in the garden
Some crops don’t transplant well…and don’t bounce back well from transplanting

When to Direct Sow Seeds

It’s tempting to start direct sowing as soon as the soil thaws in the spring. But it’s often best to wait a bit. Moisture and temperature are two things to consider as you decide when to direct sow your seeds.

Moisture

If the soil is really wet, it can be difficult to get it ready for direct seeding.

The soil might stick to your tools, or might be clumpy and hard to spread around.

Another reason not to work in your garden when the soil is still very wet is that it’s easy to compact the soil—which messes up drainage and makes conditions less suited to your crops.

Temperature

The ideal temperature varies by crop. But in general, when things are still really cold and wet, there’s more chance your seeds will rot before they start to grow. Soil in raised beds warms up more quickly.

In this guide to when to start seeds indoors I also give talk about when to direct seed some crops.

Direct Sowing isn’t Always the Best Choice

Direct seeding isn’t the best choice for all crops, or in all situations. Here are a few things to consider:

In areas with a short growing season, crops that take a long time to mature are usually grown from transplants.
Slugs and other bugs can devastate small, direct-sown seedlings as they emerge…whereas a larger transplant might get through some insect damage.
During hot summer weather, seed germination can be spotty (see below for a summer seed-sowing hack). So crops that we direct sow in the spring are sometimes started indoors and then transplanted during hot summer weather.
In low-lying area, the garden soil might be too wet to direct sow seeds in the spring.
Here’s one more: You’re new to gardening and won’t know the difference between emerging direct-seeded crops and the weed seedlings!

Find out when to start seeds indoors.

Here's how to prevent leggy seedlings started indoors.

How to Direct Sow Seeds

garden soil — Before sowing seeds, prepare the soil.

Start by preparing the soil ahead of time. When sowing seeds, we want to break up any crust on top of the soil surface, and break up bigger chunks of soil. That way, germinating seeds don’t hit roadblocks.

(Yes, there’s a whole body of work out there on no-dig techniques—and there is a time and place for this…but if you want the best results when direct sowing, prepare the soil.)

Planting Depth

Use the size of the seed as a guide to planting depth. Seed packets usually recommend a depth too.

Plant the seed about twice as deep as it is wide. Too shallow is better than too deep.

But don't feel as if you need to measure and be precise.

using a garden rake with pipe on some of the tines to make straight rows — If you’re planting seeds into trenches, you can make well-spaced trenches using a garden rake that has pieces of pipe on it.

Like most things in gardening (and life), direct sowing isn't an exact science.

Trench for Sowing Seeds

If you direct-sow seeds in rows, make a trench with your trowel or the corner of a hoe.

Then, place your vegetable seeds into the trench, and cover with soil.

OR, make your trenches by fitting pieces of pipe onto a garden rake! (See the photo.)

Poke Seeds in the Soil (Planting Seeds Simplified!)

This is low-tech and might be laughable to a commercial grower—but in a home-garden setting, can be a simple approach to direct sow seeds!

I drop large seeds into place, and then just poke them into the soil. Then I scuff the soil to fill the holes.

Poking works well for larger seeds that you can easily see:

handful of pea seeds for direct sowing — Poking large seeds into the soil is a simple way of planting seeds.

Peas
Beans
Beets
Swiss chard
Squash
Zucchini

If you’re planting a whole block with seeds, as I like to do with beets and Swiss chard, you can do what I call the “scatter-and-poke” method. Scatter seeds to approximately the spacing you want—and then poke them into the soil. Scuff soil to fill in holes.

(Gardening is a great cure for perfectionism, and the scatter-and-poke approach dispenses with all notions of perfection in a garden!)

Broadcast and Cover

handful of carrot seeds for direct sowing — You can sprinkle small seeds such as these carrot seeds by hand, and then cover with soil.

If you’re filling a block or wide row with small seeds (e.g. carrot or lettuce), sprinkle by hand, and then cover with soil.

You might wonder, “Where do I get the soil I’m covering the seed with?” Rake aside some garden soil before you sprinkle your seed in place—and replace it over top of the seed afterwards.

Broadcast and Rake!

I’m always interested in methods that make my life simpler. And raking aside soil before I broadcast seed is a bother.

So I simply broadcast the seed, and then use an up-and-down motion with a hand rake to work some of those seeds into the soil.

Note: There will be some seeds that aren’t at an ideal depth. That’s OK. I’m a home gardener—not a commercial grower. I just seed more heavily to compensate.

Direct Sowing Hacks

dragging a broadfork to makes straight rows for direct seeding. — Using a broadfork to make straight rows.

Folded paper. Forget the seed-dispensing gizmos for small seed. Fold a sheet of paper in half. Pour seed onto the folded sheet. Now, use a pencil or a nail to dispense individual seeds off the end of this folded sheet. Low tech, yes—but works well.

Broadfork. When my daughter, Emma, wanted side-by-side trial rows of a number of crops, she used the broadfork to make a tidy set of trenches. (The broadfork is normally used to loosen soil…but this works nicely!)

Seed tape. Seeds embedded in a strip of biodegradable paper. Yeah, a bit gimmicky. I don’t use this. But if you’re gardening with kids, or you have shaky hands and can’t easily dispense seed, it can be useful.

boards being used to keep soil moist over newly planted seeds — Using boards to keep the soil moist for direct seeding in the summer.

Pelleted seed. Small seeds bulked out with a clay coating. Like seed tape, you pay more per seed. But again, could be useful if you’re direct seeding with kids, or you’re having trouble coping with smaller seeds.

Boards. Yup, low-tech boards over summer-sown small seeds can be a life saver. In summer heat, soil can quickly form a crust that seedling have difficulty breaching. But a board over the soil during the germination window keeps the soil underneath moist. No crust.

Web trays. As soon as squirrels see freshly turned soil in my garden, they’re eager to disinter seeds. It’s infuriating. Who would have thought there’s a higher purpose for those horrid plastic webbed trays that the horticulture industry so loves! Inverted web trays over top of your directly sown seeds keep digging varmints at bay.

Direct Seeding by Crop

inverted web trays covering direct sown seeds, to keep squirrels from digging — Take that, squirrels!

Leafy Greens. I grow transplants of leafy green crops such as lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard. I also direct-sow seeds into the garden.

Why both ways?

So I have a succession of harvests.

(It is also insurance. If weather or pests cause less successful results one way, I have a backup!)

Root Crops. I direct sow all my carrots, parsnips, and beets. These crops can all be direct-sown in the garden early. And they don’t respond well to root disturbance.

“Fruit” Veg. For those fruits that we insist on calling veg—tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant—I grow everything by transplants because I’m in a cold climate and I extend the harvest window with transplants.

Vine Crops. The vine crops in the squash and cucumber clans don’t respond well to root disturbance. So direct sowing is always a good strategy.

(But, like the leafy greens, I hedge my bets and both direct sow and start a few transplants.)

Top Direct Seeding Tip

If conditions get really dry just as your seeds are starting to grow, tender young leaves and roots can dry out quickly…and it’s game over.

Keep the soil well watered!

FAQ Direct Sowing

What vegetables can be direct sown?

Direct sow root crops such as beet, carrot, parsnip, radish, and turnip.
Direct sow leafy greens including chard, kale, lettuce, mizuna, and spinach.
Direct seed legumes such as beans and peas.

Do I need to thin direct-seeded crops?

That depends on how much seed you use. In commercial production, growers often use precision-seeding devices so that the seeds are perfectly spaced. So no need to thin. But that’s approach isn’t always practical in a home-garden setting where we’re dealing with smaller, irregularly shaped spaces.

My approach is to direct sow with lots of seed, and then thin out extra plants while the plants are still small. So, as I thin out young spinach plants, I have baby salad greens for supper!

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More Vegetable Garden Tips

Articles

Find out about seed-shopping terms and tips.

Get some vertical vegetable gardening ideas.

Harvest vegetables all season long with succession planting.

Vegetable Gardening Home Page

Courses

Here’s a course that guides you through creating an edible garden you love. It’s my ode to edible gardening. You’ll find out how to think outside the box and create a special space. Get the information you need about a wide range of edible plants.

Steven Biggs 2025-03-28 Steven Biggs 2025-03-28

How to Keep Squirrels Away from the Garden

Deter Squirrels and Repel Squirrels

article thumnail for ideas to keep squirrels out of your food garden. — Ideas to keep squirrels out of your food garden.

Squirrels can cause a lot of damage in a home food garden. They get into fruit crops, nut crops, the vegetable garden, and potted plants.

In a home-garden setting, they can be more of a problem than they are for commercial growers. That's because small, enclosed home gardens often have fewer natural predators. And because some people like watching squirrels, and actually feed them on purpose.

But there are ways to keep squirrels away, and to deter them from pilfering your crops. Keep reading if squirrels make your blood boil: This article has 50 ideas to safeguard your garden. (If you're a squirrel lover who purposely feeds them, this article is not for you.)

Key Takeaways

Keep squirrels away from your food crops using a combination of strategies:

Make your yard less inviting to them.
Make it difficult for them to get to your crops and garden beds.
Natural predators can help, and so can pets such as cats and dogs.
Plan your harvest so that you beat them to it.
Choose crops and varieties that are less likely to be bothered by squirrels.
Use repellents to make your garden less attractive.

Understand Squirrel Behavior

We'll get to a number of specific strategies you can use to prevent squirrels spoiling your harvest, but first, let's understand why they're attracted to your garden.

What Do Squirrels Eat?

a cucumber with the end chewed off by a squirrel — There are lots of food sources for squirrels in a home garden. They feed on nuts, seeds, fruit, and insects.

Squirrels are not fussy eaters. They're omnivores. That means they feed on a variety of things including nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects. Oh, let's not forget the tulip bulbs or Halloween pumpkins! I've even caught one digging up my carrots in the fall.

For a squirrel, your garden is a buffet. And its diet changes seasonally depending on what's around.

What Attracts Squirrels to Your Garden?

If you put out food for the birds, that's a big-time squirrel attractant. Even if you feel smug about the squirrel baffles that keep them from your bird feeders, bird are as tidy as toddlers: They spill seed onto the ground. So the squirrels just feast at ground level.

If you're growing food, unfortunately, that's attractive to squirrels too. Fruit, seeds, bulbs...

They need water too, so ponds and bird baths make your garden more attractive.

What Else do Squirrels Do? Other Types of Squirrel Damage

flower pot with much of the soil dug out by a squirrel — It’s common for squirrels to dig around potted plants (and often dig them right out!)

Squirrels dig up newly worked garden beds and newly transplanted plants. That digging can be a downer if you've just planted seeds or transplanted seedlings. The digging often becomes less frenzied through summer, as they occupy themselves with other sorts of damage.

If you find the end nipped of tree branches, that's probably squirrels too.

One day I noticed a squirrel skulking around with branches in its mouth. Turned out it had chewed most of the fruiting branches from one of my espaliered apple trees so it could make a nest nearby.

Squirrels and Balconies

Balcony and rooftop gardeners might deal with squirrels too. Friends with a balcony garden on the 22nd floor asked me how to deter squirrels. To my surprise—and theirs—they kept finding nuts in their balcony planters, and their plants strewn on the floor. They described watching the squirrel descend the flat face of the building, head first. No fear.

Will the Squirrels go Away?

Squirrel populations go up and down, depending on the availability of food, on disease pressures, and how many predators are around.

And some years new squirrels come along that are smarter than the others...and figure out how to hack your squirrel-proofing. Don't worry, their life span is much shorter than yours.

So if you're in the midst of a really frustrating year, don't give up! They will go away.

Remember

In a home garden, we don't have the time or resources to grow a perfectly managed crop like a commercial grower. You might lose some of it to squirrels. But using some of the ideas below to deter squirrels or repel squirrels, you can still harvest lots for yourself. So don't sweat imperfection. Just start the gardening year knowing they will steal some stuff, but that you still have (some) control.

50 Squirrel-Busting Ideas for Your Garden

Keep Crops Out of Reach to Deter Squirrels

A newly dug and planted bed protected by wire mesh. — One way to deter squirrels is to exclude them, to prevent them from getting to your crops. They can’t dig up this newly planted bed protected by chicken wire.

Keep squirrels away from your crops using simple tactics to exclude them.

Be Cagey. When our rooftop melon crops were relentlessly destroyed, I put a big wire cage over top of the planter. This is not practical for large gardens. Nor is it pretty. But in some situations it's a practical solution. (Simple to put together with hardware cloth or chicken wire, zip ties, and bamboo poles.)
Cloak the Rows. A floating row cover (a.k.a. horticultural fleece) is a fabric that goes over top of the crop. It's usually used to hold in heat—but it's also an excellent squirrel deterrent. You can put the cover right over top of low-growing garden plants such as leafy greens, or use small hoops under the fabric for taller crops.
Protect Seeds in Pots. Squirrels often dig newly planted seeds from pots and containers. You come home only to find soil everywhere. Put a chicken-wire cover over the top of the pot or planter. Then remove it once the crops are growing. If the squirrel pressures are bad, leave it all season and let the seedlings grow right up through the holes in the wire.
Save Potted Plants. You can also use wire when potting up individual plants. Use wire cutters to make a hole in the wire for your plant to grow through. I saw an entire container garden grown in a squirrel infested neighbourhood using chicken-wire pot covers.
Trays Over Rows. Nothing is more discouraging that planting a row of seeds in the garden only to have a squirrel come and unplant them. Put upside-down web trays over newly planted seeds. Better yet, pin them down with a rock or brick so that if there's wind, they won't blow away. Great temporary way to discourage squirrels!
Flower Pots Repurposed. Same idea as the trays, above, except suited to a smaller area.
Wire Over Garden Rows. For the incorrigible diggers, you can temporarily lay chicken wire or hardware cloth over a newly seeded patch of garden.
Repurpose Cold Frames. The cold frame gives you something onto which to fasten chicken wire. Now you have a protected space for low-growing crops such as strawberries...and squirrels love strawberries.
Make a Tree Unclimbable. If squirrels are scaling a fruit tree, you might be able to sheathe part of the tree trunks in slippery metal, so they can't get to the tasty fruit above. Just keep in mind that squirrels do jump--and might be able to jump from an adjacent tree or fence...so this tactic doesn't work in all situations. The sheathing must be high enough above the ground and the tree far enough away that they can't just jump into it.
Skewer Teepee. Haven't tried this one, but a student told me how she protects newly planted tomato plants from being dug up by inserting pointy skewers (the sort used for kebabs), pointy side up, in a teepee formation around a plant or around the edge of a pot. Makes it unpleasant for the furry fiend to try to reach over it. I've also heard of people installing a row of upturned plastic forks to accomplish the same thing.
Transplants Instead of Seeds. Seed-grown sunflowers in the garden don't always work for us. Seeds get eaten before they can grow. That's when sunflower insurance comes in handy: We also start a few sunflower seeds indoors, and then transplant the seedlings into the garden a bit later.
It'll Come Out in the Wash. We've resorted to upturned laundry baskets as defensive measures for pumpkins. Ain't pretty. But it works.
Sheer Determination. A reader who is a custom drapery maker reports covering entire pots of tomatoes with sheer fabric, with a few supports to hold up the fabric. She notes that it's a bit of work to lift the fabric for harvest, but worth the effort. Sheer fabric, she says, is usually 118" wide, and sold by the yard. So a 3-yard piece of fabric is enough for a big pot of squirrel-foiling folly. Fun way to bring down the curtain on tomato theft! (Thank you Diane!)
Bottled Up. Thanks to a reader for this squirrel proofing hack for cucumbers. Take a 2-litre pop bottle, remove the label, and punch a few drainage/ventilation holes. (Soldering iron works well!) Once a cuke has formed, insert it into the bottle. If the plant is trellised, tie the bottle to the trellis. For really long English cukes (or luffa gourds or snake gourds), cut off the bottom of the bottle to allow it to grow longer. Or, force-fit your gourds into the shape of the 2L bottle! (Thank you Jurgen!)
Drink to Their Health. The bottle idea above makes me think of the pear liqueur my neighbour Dave talks about, with a large pear inside a bottle from which there's no way of retrieving it. Same idea as above: The fruit is inserted into the bottle while very small. Bet they can't chew through a glass bottle!

upturned web trays over a newly planted section of a vegetable garden prevent squirrels from digging. — Plastic web trays that are used for transporting plants are a simple way to protect newly planted areas of the garden from digging squirrels.

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind

A planter with burlap covering the soil so that it's out of sight. — Putting the soil out of sight can really help reduce digging in newly planted containers. Pictured here is burlap.

Hide the Soil. When it's out of sight, it's out of their wee minds. Sometimes just putting the soil in your planters out of sight prevents digging. They don't see the soil, they don't dig. When I fill up planters with transplants, I first cover the soil with burlap, tucked in at the sides. I use a razor to cut an X for each plant, and then plant into it. A great thing about burlap is that it's a natural fibre that breaks down over the summer, and the scraps left at the end of summer can go onto the compost pile.
Mulch It. Same idea as the burlap above, but use a plastic mulch film over the soil, either in the garden or in your planters. I don't care for the appearance of the black biodegradable plastic mulches, but they do help cut back on digging. They also hold in soil moisture.
Bag it! I put organza bags over prized fruit such as my pawpaw and my Cox's Orange Pippin apples. There's been an occasional year where a wily squirrel figures out it can chew through the bag, but most years it works nicely. (The white bags are very conspicuous, but green ones blend into the landscape a bit better.)

the surface of a container covered with a black plastic mulch. — Biodegradable plastic mulch is another way to cover the soil in containers, so that squirrels are not tempted to dig up newly planted crops.

Accept Help

You can't be there all day to chase squirrels away from your crops. But maybe there are other creatures that can help prevent squirrel damage.

(And I should also note here that I encounter wildly varying mindsets when it comes to what I share below. For some gardeners, squirrels are garden pests—and just like weeds, they don't want them in the garden. Other gardeners appreciate them as a form of amusement, and think of them as part of nature that they don't want disturbed. I'm with the former, or I wouldn't be writing this post.)

fox — Pets and natural predators can be one of your squirrel-proofing strategies.

Get a Dog. One reader told me he doesn't have squirrel problems; he has a 120-pound German shepherd. (Thank you, Steve!) It’s worth noting that not all dogs have the knack. The squirrels torment a nearby pooch...they run back and forth along the fence, as the dog runs back and forth along the ground barking at them.
Get a Cat. My fig mentor Adriano told me squirrels weren't a problem for him because he had a cat. (I got a cat once...turned out to be a lover, not a hunter. It spent the day accosting passersby on the sidewalk, purring, did nothing to prevent squirrels having a party in my garden.)
Watch Like a Hawk. Red-tailed hawks dine on squirrel in the big tree behind my house. We heard two red squirrels telling off a hawk one day. It quickly picked off one, and then returned for the other. Two-for-one special. The red tails hang out in my yard because I didn't clear-cut all of the big trees.
Don't Forget Foxes. The summer foxes moved in a couple of doors down from us, there was almost no squirrel thievery. The sassy squirrels were quickly dispatched. Those that remained didn't seem eager to come out of the trees. The foxes made a den under a neighbour's shed. I'm glad he didn't try to scare them away.
This Didn't Work. When my kids were small I gave them sling shots and a bag of dried chick peas, thinking is was a perfect way to chase squirrels. We ended up with a hummus-like chickpea sludge on the garage roof. It didn't keep squirrels away...merely had them darting out of range.

The Right Timing Helps

large beefsteak tomato, part of it chewed off by a squirrel — We should have picked this tomato a couple of days earlier, and then we would have had the whole thing…but we left it until it was pretty ripe, and a squirrel ate part of it.

Like many things in life, timing and patience can help you harvest more.

Go Back Later. When your newly sown seeds are repeatedly desecrated by squirrels in the spring, you'll want to pull out your hair. Exasperating. Or you find your potted plants unpotted! But sometimes if you wait a week or two, there's enough else going on in the garden that the critters find something else to do. Problem resolved.
Harvest Earlier. If you leave a big, juicy tomato on the vine until it's perfectly ripe, it might temp them. Pick it a couple of days earlier, though, and it's all yours. No nibbled-off sections. Tomatoes, like many other fruit, continue to ripen once you pick them, so you don't lose anything with this tactic. It works for apples, and melons too.

Crop Choice

Cut your losses through crop choice.

Bite This! Grow chili peppers and other hot peppers, which squirrels find distasteful. Contrast these to nice, plump bell peppers which they'll surely nosh on.
Small Wonder. Grow berries and small fruit such as currants and saskatoons. Even if they snack on a few, there's loads left for you. Contrast that to a dwarf apple tree, where they might take a bite out of each of the dozen apples on there.
Forget Big Apples. And if you must grow apples, try a culinary crab apple. ('Dolgo' makes a lovely apple sauce and a divine ice cream.) With crabapples, you get lots of smaller apples instead of a few big ones, so there will be some for you even if the squirrels steal a few.
Bye-Bye Beefsteak. When you have a tomato plant with a half dozen lovely big beefsteak tomatoes, and lots of squirrels about, you're setting yourself up for a blood pressure spike. Because they'll want to taste each of them. But if you plant a cherry tomato variety with hundreds of smaller fruit, there's lots for you too.
Go Green. I haven't seen research to back this up, but I feel like my green-when-ripe tomato varieties and my green figs fly under squirrel radar.
Knight in Shining Armour. We love litchi tomatoes, a spiny tomato relative that's really quite delicious. The plants, though, are quite ferocious. Horrid to work with. And the fruit are clad in a squirrel-proof spiny armour.

the ripe fruit of litchi tomato — Litchi tomato is covered by spines. The covering finally opens as the fruit ripens. They’re a great crop where there are heavy squirrel pressures.

Repel Squirrels

Over the years, I've heard of all sorts of sprays and scents that people swear by. None have been as effective for me as cayenne pepper, see below. There are many scent deterrents. Some scattered in the garden, some sprayed on. The main thing to remember is that they usually need frequent reapplication.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot. A hot pepper decoction sprayed on your prized fruit can make it less appealing to squirrels. But it's a lot of work, because you first must make the decoction, and then reapply after rain.
Make it Nicer to go Next Door. In the same way you put burglar alarm stickers on your windows so burglars will go next door, grow something that squirrels don't like—so they go next door. I interplant flower bulbs such as tulips (which squirrels love to steal) with daffodils and fritillaria, which squirrels hate. Imagine that, you can plant bulbs to discourage squirrels!

Hot pepper decoction seem like a bother? here’s another take on using hot peppers: Amy Tan, author of the book The Backyard Bird Chronicles, sets out hot-pepper suet for the birds. Birds aren’t bothered by the hot peppers…squirrels won’t try it more than once!

If you like the idea of interplanting, here’s more (thanks Gail!): Plant bulbs like a layer cake, with tulips (which squirrels like) on the bottom, and then a layer of soil followed by narcissus and daffodil (which the squirrels don’t like). Of course, this does nothing to halt the bud-nipping as they’re about to flower…

Make Your Yard Less Attractive

Don't make your yard a gathering place, where they'll happen upon your strawberries or tomatoes when they come for a daily dose of bird seed.

This sort of spike mat is often used to deter pigeons, but can also make it difficult for squirrels to launch themselves towards somewhere you don’t want them, such as a bird feeder.

Baffle Them. As a gardener who enjoys bird watching, I don't propose you get rid of your bird feeder. But do get baffles or a squirrel-proof bird feeder. There's still bird-seed spillage, but at least you're not serving up a smorgasbord.
Flip Them the Bird. A neighbour finds that hanging the bird feeders on a clothes line isn't enough. They soon figure out how to get to them. But put noodle over the clothesline, and as the pool noodle begins to rotate under the creature's weight, the thief flips off! (Thank you, Mary!)
No More Acrobatics. A neighbour has squirrel baffles on her bird-feeder poles. But the squirrels quickly figured out that they could launch themselves from her deck railing—and about half the time, reach the feeder. Quite amusing to watch, actually. Spiky mats (often used to keep pigeons off of window ledges) on the deck railing cut short the runway for the launch.
Feed Birds Seasonally. Have the squirrels been in the habit of hanging around under your bird feeder all winter? Break the habit. Don't put out feed through the growing season.
Good Housekeeping. I'm not a believer in garden perfectionism, but I do tidy up when my neighbour's black walnut tree unloads bushels of black walnuts into my yard. No point making my yard a destination for bushy-tailed beasts. If your yard is littered with other favourite treats such as acorns, pine cones, fallen nuts, and fallen fruit, tidy up.

For Your Sanity

It's OK to Yell. Mom had a bird feeder outside her kitchen window. The squirrels appreciated it. And every so often she'd fill a pot of water, open the door, yell, and fling the water at them. They'd soon be back, but she felt better. I'll sometimes open the door and say rude words if there's one sitting on my deck railing with a fig.
It’s OK if your kids yell too. Anna writes, “My (not-at-all-scalable, and only-effective-during-waking-hours) solution is my six year old. She chases them out of the garden—usually shouting. Obviously not an effective solution if she's sleeping or at school. She's pretty effective at getting rid of hungry pigeons too.“
Slide Show. It can be fun to smear Vaseline on a bird feeder pole simply to watch squirrels climb it and slip and slide back down the pole.

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Things I Haven't Yet Tried

plastic bird netting around a flower pot — Plastic bird netting to keep squirrels away from a flower pot.

Squirrels Have you Tearing our Your Hair? Try this! A reader writes that she uses hair from her hairbrush around tulips to deter red squirrels from nipping off tulip flowers. She's planning to do the tomatoes next...but it takes lots of hair, so collect it all year to be ready for summer! (Thanks Sandra!)
Decoys. Plastic owls or snakes. Though I've seen these used as deterrents by giant pumpkin growers, I recall the squirrels climbing the pole with a plastic owl in my parents' garden...so I'm not sure.
Hot Sauce. Some people swear by hot sauce. I'd just go for a cayenne pepper decoction. Cayenne powder costs less. And why make your garden smell like a plate of chicken wings from the pub?
Plastic Netting. I've known tormented gardeners to put a shower cap of plastic bird netting over planters. Prefer netting that’s barely visible? Black netting is another option. (Thanks Kathleen!) If you're growing something that they really want to get to, a physical barrier such as wire mesh will give better protection.
Motion Activated Sprinklers. A friend found that a motion activated sprinkler solved the problem of raccoons eating all his figs. So you might want to try it with squirrels...though I suspect you'll find you have a high water bill, and an overwatered garden.
More Scents. Some people swear by peppermint oil, coffee grounds, garlic, or even chive plants as squirrel repellents. I don't have an opinion as I haven't experimented with these. The main thing to remember with scent-based repellents is that you must reapply frequently. Recently I’ve heard people talking about using the dry, pelleted hen manure that we can buy here, though I haven’t experimented with it.
Quench the Temptation. Suzanne writes that she's heard squirrels take a bite of tomatoes because they're thirsty. So she's put a bird bath near the veg patch. Not scientifically proven, but she's finding it works. (Thanks Suzanne!)
Straight Shooter. In urban areas, squirrels might be considered wildlife and afforded protection. Not so in many rural areas. I've had rural readers write to say that with a good dog and a .22, they don't lose their crops. (Thanks Esther!)

Do you have experience with any of these? Or other squirrel repellents to report? I'd love it if you email me to tell me.

Don't Waste Your Time

pinnable image for squirrel post — Pin this post!

Don't Blow Your Top. I was out for a stroll one night when I saw my neighbour Joe chasing a squirrel. The squirrel had the last of the dozen apricots from his dwarf apricot tree. He didn't get the apricot back. Squirrels will outrun you.
On the Dot. My neighbour Bob thought he'd save his fruit crops by trapping squirrels and relocating them. He'd drive 3 km, across a very busy, 6-lane road, to a natural area where he'd release squirrels. When he became suspicious that he was still seeing the same squirrel, he marked an orange dot with spray paint on its back. Yup, same squirrel.
Pee. I once lived in a rental house with an attic overflowing with squirrels. They were always pouring out of the holes they'd chewed in the soffit. I could hear them up there. Sounded like a square dance. The landlord swore by the predator urine (I think coyote) that he paid big bucks for, bathing the roof of the house with the stinky granules. The pest-control technician who he finally dispatched laughed when I mentioned the urine. "Doesn't work," he said.

When All Else Fails

Gardening should be a pleasure. Use a combination of the ideas so that you can harvest more. And know that, as a home gardener, you’ll probably have more losses to pests than a commercial grower. But you can still harvest lots for yourself.

Suck it, squirrel!

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Driveway Makeover! 5 Ideas for Growing a Container Garden for Vegetables

A container vegetable garden is a good way to fit lots of vegetable crops into a small space. Find out how to get started.

by Steven Biggs

My Driveway Container Vegetable Garden

Not enough space to grow everything you want? Be creative! A container garden is a great way to fit more vegetables into your yard.

Here’s our driveway container garden. The driveway container garden is a quick, temporary space-making solution so we can grow extra tomato, pepper, potato, summer squash, and chard plants.

In this vegetable container garden, we use straw bales, fabric pots, nursery pots, bushel baskets, and vertical gardening techniques to make the most of the space.

Do you have an underused space that you can use for growing food? Many yards do. It could be a driveway, patio, or even the hard-packed space alongside a hedge. In this post, I look at how to add growing space to your yard.

Ideas for Your Vegetable Container Garden

Container gardening is part science, and part creativity. There are lots of ways to approach it. Here are five ideas we’ve used to make the most of our driveway for growing vegetables.

1. Strawbale Gardens: Grow Vegetables in Containers that are Biodegradeable

Wetting the straw bales to start the “conditioning” process.

A lot of visitors take a second look at my straw-bale garden and wonder where I put the potting soil. There is no potting soil: The straw bale is both the container and the growing medium. No potting mix required!

The decomposing straw gives plant roots needed air while retaining moisture…like a big sponge.

By the end of the season, when we pull apart a bale, the inside is dark and crumbly. It’s already partially composted and perfect to use as mulch on our gardens. Then, we start again with new bales the following year.

We plant the top of each straw bale with tomato plants and leafy greens. Then we put bush beans on the sides of the bales. (Just poke the bean seeds into the bale!)

Important: If you’re starting with new, fresh, dry bales, the first step is to get microbial activity underway by watering them and feeding them. This step is called “conditioning.”

I’m a big fan of straw-bale gardening. If you plant to do it for the first time, make sure to condition the bales properly. Find out more about straw-bale gardening and how to condition the bales.

2. Bushel Baskets: Growing Vegetables in Repurposed Containers

Container vegetable gardening with repurposed stuff! Potatoes growing in lined bushel baskets.

We often have extra bushel baskets from our fall cider-making. So we use them for growing potatoes. (We can’t grow potatoes in our back yard because our neighbour’s black walnut tree gives off a compound that kills them. Here’s more on black-walnut toxicity.)

We line the bushel baskets with plastic bags so that the potting soil stays moist longer and so the bushel baskets won’t decompose as quickly. (Important note: We poke drainage holes in the bottom of the bags!)

There are lots of repurposed items that work well as containers. Here are a few ideas:

Milk crates. I’ve used these in previous gardens. Just cover the openings on the side and bottom with newspaper or cardboard, so the soil doesn’t escape.
Old wheelbarrow. A friend uses an old wheelbarrow as a driveway planter.
Wash basins. I have neighbours who use metal wash basins as vegetable garden planters. (Make sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom.)

3. Fabric Pots: Garden in Pots that are Moveable

Fabric pots are moveable, and a great way to start container gardening.

These pots are widely available. What we like about them is that they have handles so we can move them aside if we need to move anything large along the driveway.

I’ve seen impressive rooftop container gardens created with fabric pots. While some gardeners use drip irrigation to keep the soil consistently moist, a more simple approach is to put a saucer underneath; as the potting mix begins to dry, water in the saucer wicks upwards.

4. Fence: Grow Vegetable Plants on Surrounding Features

We train tomato plants up the twine that is dangling from the top of the fence.

Sometimes it’s possible to squeeze more crops into a space by growing some of them upwards—a concept that’s often referred to as “vertical gardening.” In the case of our driveway, there’s a wonky board fence that I like to hide with a wall of tomato and squash!

We plant tomatoes next to the fence, and then train them up twine suspended along the fence. We also grow squash vines along the fence—well past where the garden is.

Idea: I’ve also grown squash along hedges and up trees. Because the vines roam around, there are lots of vertical-gardening possibilities.

Here’s more about vertical gardening.

5. Nursery Pots: Figs Growing in Containers

Next to my garage is my potted fig “orchard.” It’s a collection of potted fig plants growing in nursery pots. These fig trees spend the winter in my garage.

Nursery pots are an inexpensive way to start container gardening. Talk with garden centres and arborists—you can often get them for free or very inexpensively.

If you’re interested in growing figs in a cold climate, here’s more about how to do it.

Plan Your Container Vegetable Garden

Choose the Location

If you’re thinking about a container vegetable garden but don’t know where to start, choose your location first.

Then, once you’ve decided on a location, you’ll know how much sunlight you’re dealing with. Remember that full-sun crops such as tomatoes can do respectably well in partial sun. (This is not something a commercial market gardener would do…but if you’re a home gardener, conditions often aren’t perfect.)

Something else to think about is access to water. Is there a tap or hose nearby?

Choosing Container Plants

When it comes to choosing container gardening crops, a good starting point is things you like to eat.

Then, think about crops that do well in containers. Most vegetables grow well if a container is big enough, but some crops are more practical than others.

For example:

Pole beans are great if they're next to something they can grow on, but, otherwise, bush beans are more practical because you don't need to make a trellis.

Parsnips and Brussels sprouts take the whole summer and fall to mature. Instead, look for crops that mature more quickly, like carrots and carrots.

Here’s a list of best vegetables to grow in pots.

If the location is shady, here’s a list of crops that grow in shade.

Need Inspiration?

Here’s our chat with a gardener who grows a whole garden full of hot peppers in containers.

Consider Containers with Reservoirs

A key to success—and common reason for failure—with container vegetable gardening is watering. When the soil in containers regularly dries out, your vegetable plants put on the brakes. Growth stalls. Or, even worse, your plants skip straight to flowering before they're big enough.

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(When you’re looking for bargain plants at a big-box store and see what looks like a bonsai cauliflower plant that’s only six inches tall, chances are that the plant got parched too often…and that stress made it flower before its time.)

If the potting soil is consistently moist, your crop will be miles ahead. It makes a big difference.

You can keep the potting mix consistently moist with what’s called “sub-irrigated” pots. This is just a fancy way of saying a container with a reservoir. As the potting mix begins to dry, water from the reservoir wicks upwards, keeping the soil continuously moist.

This sort of container is widely available—but you can easily make your own.

Find out more about sub-irrigated (a.k.a. self-watering) pots.

More Container Ideas

If space is tight, small containers might be your only option. I've made herb container gardens by dotting potted plants on a staircase.
Don't forget window boxes. Although they're shallow, they work well for shallow-rooted crops such as leafy greens.
Hanging baskets are a great way to fit more vegetable plants into your container garden.

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