Container-grown vegetables a 'gardening revival,' says horticulturist

Gardening season is in full swing, but what if you don't have space for a garden?

Grant Wood, who works at the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources, says container gardening could be the answer.

He cultivates a rooftop vegetable garden at the University of Saskatchewan, growing everything from tomatoes to cucumbers to herbs.

Wood has heard a range of excuses for why people don't grow their own vegetables: They haven't got room for it, the soil is bad, or it's too much work, to name a few.

"Actually, if you grew things in containers, that could solve a lot of the problems," said Wood to CBC's Saskatchewan Weekend.

Don't make rookie mistakes

One of the biggest rookie mistakes people make is not having a hole at the bottom of the container, according to Wood.

"Roots need air. If the roots are sitting in water they tend to rot."

At the same time, plants in containers dry up and get hot faster, which isn't ideal for many plants.

"Warm season crops, things that like heat, they do well, but not necessarily things that like cool soil, like the cabbage family likes a nice cool soil, and they tend not to do well in containers."

If you're not having fun gardening, you're doing something wrong.- Grant Wood, assistant professor of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan 

Another mistake is using garden soil in containers. Garden soil tends to have a high clay content, which makes it harder for water to reach the lower levels of the pot.

He said the best mix for container gardens is 30 to 40 per cent compost and the rest a soilless media — mostly peat moss, vermiculite and perlite.

Also, try to keep it simple at the beginning. Don't plant too many containers and get overwhelmed.

Produce fit for a chef

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, dill — and more — can be found on the roof of the Ag-Bio building at the university.

Wood says the vegetables he grows are often used by chefs at the university in the meals they prepare.

"The chefs absolutely love it," he said.

Wood has also experimented with ethnic foods like Malabar spinach.

"For people who have just moved to Saskatoon, you've moved here, this is your new home now and let's try and make your new home a little bit more like your old home. So you can grow certain vegetables just like you did at home," he said.

Wood said people are wanting more control of the food they're consuming. He calls it a "gardening revival" and encourages everyone to give it a try.

"If you're not having fun gardening, you're doing something wrong."

Wood is hosting workshops this week in Saskatoon as part of Hort Week.

There will be a tour of his rooftop garden on Tuesday morning.