Container Garden Planting Calendar

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Edibles in the N.C. Piedmont You can grow and harvest vegetables, fruits, and herbs in the piedmont of North Carolina practically year-round. Container gardening offers flexibility over traditional gardening because the containers can be raised or lowered for easier accessibility, placed in a sunny or shady spot, moved to a sheltered area for extreme weather (low temperatures, snow, or tropical storms), and protected from wildlife (squirrels, voles, rabbits, or deer) that may damage plants or try to eat your harvest. By choosing the appropriate varieties and planting at the right time of year, you can enjoy the many benefits of gardening and create a beautiful space just outside your door. Benefits People grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs for many reasons. Many edibles have great ornamental value, such as the fine, feathery foliage of dill, the bright red stalks of chard, the snowy white blossoms of peas, and the bold purple color of eggplant. Besides providing a fresh source of nutritious locally produced food, the act of gardening has the added benefits of improving both your mental and physical health. The sense of joy and pride in planting, growing, and harvesting can be tremendous. Children also benefit from being included in container gardening projects. Growing edibles can connect children with the biological world around them, increase their knowledge of where food comes from, and expand the variety and quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables they consume. Varieties When choosing plants for your containers, select ones with a confined or compact growth habit. Not all edibles can be grown in containers, but new varieties are developed every year. Look for varieties that are labeled compact, bush, dwarf, or miniature. To maximize success, choose varieties that are pest and disease resistant. Initials following the plant variety for example, tomato indicate that it has been bred to be resistant to a disease or pest. V means resistance to Verticillium wilt, F indicates resistance to Fusarium wilt, and T indicates resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus. While these codes are the ones most commonly used, they are not universal. So be sure to check the key in the catalogue you are using. Finally, choose varieties that will provide the taste, texture, and color that you desire. Climate Edibles can be grown in the piedmont throughout the year by utilizing microclimates and protecting plants by moving containers close to a warm wall or house. The average low temperature in December, January, and February is 28 0 F to 30 0 F, but collards, kale, and some herbs such as bay and rosemary will tolerate the cold weather. The summer months of June, July, and August are when most plants are pro-

ducing their bounty, but in this area of the country, several cool-season crops such as leafy greens, carrots, beets, and radish can be planted in the late winter for a spring harvest and again in the late summer for a fall harvest. Warm season crops such as tomato, cucumber, and peppers should be planted in late spring once nighttime temperatures are above 55 0 F and daytime temperatures are at least 70 0 F. Begin with a plan for succession planting as it is efficient and provides an increased crop availability. It consists of the coordination of planning the planting of one crop so that when it is harvested, there will be another planted in its place. For example, fill a large container with lettuce in the early spring and it will be harvested by early to mid May. Lettuce can be replaced with a bell pepper plant. In September, remove the pepper and plant another cool season crop like lettuce, kale, or scallions. Please see related Extension publications for additional information on potting soil options, container selection, and nutrition management. Lettuce, radish, and nasturtium planted on a sunny deck. Planting Calendar The calendar that follows provides information as to which vegetables, fruits, and herbs can be planted each month and when they will be ready to harvest. It indicates whether the plant should be started from seed or transplants, and the guide also gives recommendations for success for each plant. Photo courtesy L. Bradley In the piedmont area of NC, there are three USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a, 7b, and 8a. USDA Hardiness Zones and Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range Zone Fahrenheit Example Cities 7a 0 to 5 F Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem 7b 5 to 10 F Lumberton, Raleigh 8a 10 to 15 F Fayetteville, Hope Mills Container Gardening At a Glance Enjoy the benefits of growing edibles yearround Select varieties labeled compact, bush, dwarf, or miniature Choose varieties that are disease and pest resistant where possible Consider a plant s taste, texture, and color Use the charts to optimize planting date and harvest time 2

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Vegetables in the N.C. Piedmont Vegetables Days to Harvest Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 Beans, lima bush 65-80 S S S S Beans, lima pole 75-95 S S S Beans, snap bush 50-55 S S S S S S Beans, snap pole 65-70 S S S S S Beets 55-60 S S S S S Bok choy 45-60 T T T T Carrots 75-80 S S S S Collards 90-120 ST ST Cucumber 60-65 ST ST ST Eggplant 80-85 T T T T Endive 80-90 S S S S S Green garlic 30-35 B B B B Kale 50-60 ST ST ST S S Leeks 70-100 T T T T Lettuce, head 75-85 ST ST ST ST Lettuce, leaf 45-50 ST ST ST ST ST Mustard greens 30-45 ST ST ST ST S S S Peas, garden 65-70 S S Peas, snap 65-70 S S Peas, snow 65-70 S S Peppers 75-80 T T Potatoes 100-120 T T T T T Radish 20-25 S S S S S S S S Scallions 60-80 B B B B B B Spinach 45-50 S S S S S Squash, summer 50-60 T T Squash, winter 85-95 S S S Swiss chard 60-70 ST ST ST Tomatoes 75-85 T T T T T T B = Bulbs S = Seeds T = Transplants 3

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Fruits in the N.C. Piedmont Fruits Apple Blueberries Pollination Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 Cross-pollination needed P P P P P P H H H H H H H P Partially selffertile* P P P P H H H H H H P P P P P P Citrus Self-fertile P P P H H H H H H H H H Fig Self-fertile P P P P P P H H H H H H H H P P Grapes Peach Most varieties self-fertile P P P P P H H H H H P P P Most varieties self-fertile P P P P P P H H H H H H P Strawberries** Self-fertile P P H H H P P H = Harvest P = Plant Note: Blueberries, grapes, and most fruit trees will take several years to bear full crops *Partially self-fertile means cross pollination will result in increased yield and berry size **Strawberries planted in late February or early March will produce a very limited crop in May or early June; planting in late October or early November will produce a better yielding crop Photo courtesy D. J. Gunn Photo courtesy Amy Kwok Top hat blueberry bush growing in a colorful container. Lemon tree on dwarfing rootstock with fruit ready for harvest. 4

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Herbs in the N.C. Piedmont Herbs Harvest season Basil Summer T T T Jan. Feb. March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 1 15 Bay Continuous T T T T T Borage Spring to fall S S Chamomile Chervil Late summer to early fall Late summer into winter Chives Spring to fall T T T Cilantro Early summer S S S S S S S S S S Dill Summer to fall S S S S Fennel Late summer S S Feverfew Summer ST ST Lavender Summer T T T Lemongrass Late summer T T Lemon Verbena Summer T T Marjoram Summer ST ST Mint Spring to fall T T T Monarda* Summer to fall T T Oregano Summer to fall T T T Parsley Summer to fall T T T T T Rosemary Continuous T T T Saffron Crocus Fall B B Sage Summer to fall T T Salad Burnet Scented Geranium Spring to early summer Spring to fall T T Stevia Continuous T T Tarragon Spring to fall T T Thyme Summer ST ST ST ST *also known as Bergamot B = Bulbs S = Seeds T = Transplants ST ST 5

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Vegetables in the N.C. Piedmont Vegetables Beans Beets Bok choy Carrots Cucumbers Eggplant Endive Green garlic Leafy greens Leeks Lettuce Peas Peppers Potatoes Radishes Scallions Spinach Squash Tomatoes Recommendations for Success Bush beans grow 12-18 inches tall and pole beans grow up to 8 feet Choose cylindrical or round varieties; harvest when beets are 1 inch in diameter Dwarf types are available. On fall plantings, outside leaves can be harvested first while the rest of the plant continues to grow Choose round, fingers, or Nantes varieties; container soil depth needs to be at least 8 inches Bush or vining varieties are fine; trellis vining varieties at time of planting Choose Asian or dwarf varieties; backtrack 8 weeks if start seeds indoors (early March) Also known as frisee; miniature variety is available. To soften the taste, tie the leaves together at the top to blanch more stem Plant unpeeled individual cloves 2 inches deep; eat entire plant or slice off a portion of the green shoots and they will regrow Includes: collards, kale, mustard, and Swiss chard; can start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before planting outdoors Use transplants rather than direct seeding due to long maturity time Categories: looseleaf lettuces will cut and come again but romaine and butterheads do not At planting, trellis both bush and vining types; mix nitrogen-fixing inoculant into the soil along with the seeds Choose transplants that are dense and compact; do not plant until nighttime temperatures are >55 0 F and days are >70 0 F Red-skinned, waxy, yellow-skinned, or fingerling types do well Harvest early (the size of large marbles) or they become bitter Grow scallions or bunching onions; when planting, use transplants or onion sets Harvest entire plant or pick individual leaves Choose a bush form or miniatures; for best flavor, harvest when they are small Stake or trellis at planting; need a container depth of at least 12 inches and container size of at least 5 gallons; prune plants to keep them under 5½ feet tall Note: Planting dates are suggested guidelines. These dates should provide the highest probability of success, however, weather conditions vary from year to year and planting dates should be adjusted accordingly. If growing your own transplants, start them six to eight weeks prior to transplanting them into the garden. Protect tender transplants from severe weather conditions. To harden them off just prior to transplanting, gradually introduce them to their new environment by taking them outside for increasing periods each day. 6

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Fruits in the N.C. Piedmont Fruit Apples Blueberries Citrus Figs Grapes Peaches Strawberries Recommendations for Success Choose dwarf and disease-resistant rootstocks; need two different varieties for cross-pollination; root system is hardy to only about 15 0 F; need at least a 20-25 gallon container Choose a dwarf variety; keep soil ph 4.5 5.3; container size should be at least 2 feet 2 feet 2 feet Options include: Satsuma or Kishu mandarins, calamondins, lemons, or limes; lemons and limes do not survive freezing weather so move the plant inside once the temperature is under 45 0 F; mandarins on hardy Poncirus trifoliate semi-dwarfing rootstock and calamondins tolerate temperatures down to 25 0 F; choose a dwarf rootstock to keep the plant small and put it in a lightweight container that can be moved indoors; if a small plant is purchased, over time move the plant up to a larger size container, eventually reaching a 15 gallon size; citrus will have less leaf drop if overwintered in a low-light area that is cool rather than warm With pruning, can be kept to 8 feet tall; roots will withstand temperatures to about 15 0 F; need at least a 10 gallon container Provide a trellis to support the vertical growth; minimum container size should be 15 gallons; root system is hardy to 20 0 F; for muscadines choose a self-fertile variety; muscadines are a better choice over bunch grapes as most muscadines are not affected by Pierce s Disease Choose a genetic dwarf or bush form; roots will withstand temperatures to 15 0 F; need at least a 20-25 gallon container Choose June-bearing (large berries, fruit in May, produce many runners), everbearing (smaller berries, fruit in May and again in late summer, produce less runners), day-neutral (smaller berries, fruit from June until frost, produce few runners) or Alpine (1/2-inch berries produced throughout the growing season, send out no runners); containers need to be at least 8 inches deep; a larger crop will be produced by planting the previous fall rather than waiting to plant until the spring. Note: Insulate pots during the winter to protect plant roots from extreme cold temperatures. Materials that you can use to wrap the pots include a Reemay frost blanket, bubble wrap, closed cell foam (1-inch thick), quilt batting, household insulation, or a blanket. Add a layer of plastic on top of the insulation to keep it from getting soaked during wet weather. Periodically check the moisture in the soil and water dry containers. Keeping the plants watered will act as a buffer to protect plant roots during cold weather. Choose light-colored containers to prevent temperature fluctuations. Black or very dark pots in full sun will cause soil temperatures to rise during the day and fall at night by as much as 30 0 F. Plants in larger containers will produce more fruit, not dry out as quickly, and experience less fluctuation in soil temperature. Dwarf Bearss Lime Photo courtesy Rebecca Latimer Purple Beans Photo courtesy Pattie Tierney Photo courtesy Patricia Wrightman Lettuce, Purple Mustard, and Swiss Chard Thinning Huckleberry Seedlings Photo courtesy Wendi Strang-Frost 7

Container Garden Planting Calendar for Herbs in the N.C. Piedmont Herbs Basil Bay Borage Chamomile Chervil Chives Cilantro Dill Fennel Feverfew Lavender Lemongrass Lemon Verbena Marjoram Mint Monarda Oregano Parsley Rosemary Saffron Crocus Sage Salad Burnet Scented Geraniums Stevia Tarragon Thyme Recommendations for Success Plant once temperature is above 50 0 F Grows to a small tree (5 feet tall); hardy outside to around 32 0 F Need container depth of at least 8 inches for large taproot; germinates quickly Annual or perennial; German variety is a tall, upright plant used for tea; Roman variety is a sweet smelling, low growing plant; plant seeds once temperature is above 55 0 F for German and above 70 0 F for Roman Tolerates cool weather and low light; harvest in 6 to 8 weeks Perennial - bulbs are left in place to multiply themselves; all parts of the plant are edible Choose non-bolting type; need container depth of at least 8 inches for large taproot Choose dwarf variety, need at least 12 inch deep container for long taproot Tender perennial; mature plant gets 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide; Sweet fennel has edible foliage, seeds, and stalks; Florence fennel has an edible bulb; need 12 inch deep pot for large taproot Perennial; crowded plants will not thrive Perennial; Lavandula angustifolia or L. heterophylla; keep plants clipped for good air circulation; don t overwater or keep soil wet as roots will rot Grows to 2 feet tall and wide; Cymbopogon citratus is the only culinary lemongrass; tropical plant likes warm, humid, and wet conditions Annual or tender perennial; mature plant grows to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide Shallow rooted so starting seeds may be better than using transplants; requires 70 days to grow before harvest Perennial; keep trimmed back; grow in its own pot as roots will take over the entire pot with time Perennial; 1 to 3 feet tall; large, colorful flowers also called bee balm Perennial; don t overwater; needs good air circulation Cool season grower; don t overwater; slow and erratic to germinate so use transplants if possible Perennial; favors dry, poor soil; can remain outdoors to 25 0 F Perennial; plant in late spring and blooms in late fall Perennial; harvest frequently to keep small leaves, otherwise they loose their scent Perennial; fresh-only herb; don t overwater; need 12 inch deep pot for long taproot Tender perennial; drought tolerant Tender perennial; grows up to 2 feet tall; leaf edges burn in hot sun; move indoors for winter Perennial but dormant in winter; likes hot weather; put in own pot as roots intertwine; French variety used for cooking; best used fresh Perennial; drought tolerant; don t overwater 8

NC STATE UNIVERSITY Container Garden Planting Calendar for Edibles in the N.C. Piedmont Resources Bass, L. 2000. Home vegetable gardening: Quick reference guide. NC Coop. Ext. Serv. AG-12. Bost, T. 1997. North Carolina gardener s guide. Cool Springs Press, Nashville, TN. Creasy, R. 2010. Edible landscaping. 2 nd ed. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, CA. Evans, E. and J. Davis. 1998. Harvesting and preserving herbs for the home gardener. NC Coop. Ext. Serv. Hort. Info. Lflt. 8111. 10 July 2010. http://ces.ncsu. edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8111. Hastings, D. and C. Hastings. 1996. Month-by-month gardening in the south. Longstreet Press, Atlanta, GA. Jones, D. and Debbie Roos. 2009. Planting and harvesting guide for piedmont vegetables and herbs. Growing Small Farms, Pittsboro. 22 Feb 2011. http://www.ces. ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/sustag/plantingguide.html. Kelly, W.T. 1999. Specialty crops: Chinese cabbage and related oriental crops. The Univ. of GA College of Agr. & Environ. Sci. Circ. 809. McGee, R. and M. Stuckey. 2002. The bountiful container. Workman Publishing Co., New York, NY. Poling, E.B., E.B. Bish, G.E. Fernandez and W. T. Bland. 1999. Grapes and berries for the garden. NC Coop. Ext. Serv. AG-588 Reich, L. 2009. Landscaping with fruit. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. Vegetable planting guide. Stone Bros. and Byrd, 700 Washington St., Durham, NC. Prepared by Kim Richter Department of Horticultural Science Lucy Bradley, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Department of Horticultural Science Mark Kistler, Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural and Extension Education Julie Sherk, Assistant Professor Department of Horticultural Science Published by NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 9 11-CALS-2632 AG-748 5/11 VB/KEL