Ready, set, sprout! Your guide to container gardening in Michigan

Does the Michigan winter have you daydreaming about spring? Here’s a guide to container gardening in Michigan for warmer months ahead.

As I sit and write this article, a gentle blanket of about 12 inches of snow is sitting outside of my window. That’s Michigan winter for you—but as a lifelong Michigander, I also know that the promise of spring and summer makes it all worthwhile. To help us make it through the last months of winter, planning some container gardening can bring hope.

Container gardening can have a lot of benefits, like less maintenance and more variety, and it can also be started indoors, even before spring has sprung here in Michigan. If you’re interested in container gardening, or maybe want to get a head start on planting your garden with some seedling starts, here’s a simple guide to container gardening in Michigan. 

What is container gardening?

Container gardening involves planting fruits, vegetables, or flowers inside a container, like a pot, instead of directly into the ground. Container gardening can be done in any container—some people use recycled water or milk jugs, empty feed bags, or even old tires.

The beauty of container gardening is that it can be done inside or outside. In states like Michigan, it can also be done to start your garden indoors from seeds when it’s cold outside, allowing you to transplant the plants outside when it’s warmer and they have grown to a larger size.

Some people may find container gardening much more convenient than in-the-ground gardening. Some of the benefits of container gardening include:

• Less surface area is needed: No backyard? No problem. Container gardening takes up less space and can be as large or as small as your container. 
• Easier to maintain. Containers can be placed at higher heights, eliminating the need to bend over to care for your plants.
• Less weeding. Container gardening also typically requires far less weeding, because the surface area is small. And when you do need to weed, you don’t need to bend over, reach across, or walk through your garden.
• More growth. Some plants, like bell peppers and tomatoes, thrive in containers, so you may see more yield from your efforts. 
• Mobile. Containers can be moved, so if your plant isn’t growing correctly, you can try moving the container to a new location. Or, in bad weather, it can easily be moved or covered.
• More soil control. Containers are well, contained, so you have more control over the soil contents than outside gardening. 
• Accessible. Unlike a big outside garden, container gardening can be done with little or even no tools. No tilling or digging needed. 

Potential drawbacks to container gardening include the need for containers and a place to store them, which may not be the best fit for someone looking to grow large quantities of a certain plant, like corn or potatoes. 

How to start an indoor container garden in Michigan

You can start an indoor container garden at any time of the year in Michigan, provided you have a room that is sunny enough. Michigan State University’s MSU Extension cautions that you need at least 6-8 hours of bright sunlight or the plant will not produce. 

According to the MSU extension, you can theoretically choose any container to start a container garden, from old boots to tires to pots to plastic jugs. 

You’ll want to ensure your container has drainage holes in the bottom. MSU recommends:

• Spacing quarter-inch holes every 2 to 3 inches across the bottom of the container
• Keep in mind that hanging containers and containers with natural walls will dry out faster, so water more frequently 
• Purchased potting soil is usually best, and you can add solid Styrofoam (not peanuts because they can deteriorate) to fill the bottom of it’s a large container

After choosing a container, fill it with potting soil and place it in a sunny location, like a patio or well-lit room. Plant approximately one plant for each 8 to 12 inches per diameter of the top of a round container. Overcrowding plants will prohibit their growth and reduce yield if they produce. 

When to plant seeds to transplant in Michigan

If you want to plant a container garden inside in Michigan with plants to transplant the seedlings outside, you’ll need to time the plants appropriately. You want the plants to grow to the appropriate size—not too big that they overcrowd your container and not too small that they won’t survive the transfer. 

You can check your exact planting zone in your area of Michigan, but in general, most of lower Michigan and some of the coasts are zones 6a and 6b, while further north is 5b to even 4a at the further tip of the Upper Peninsula. 

The goal is to plant seeds indoors about 6-10 weeks before the last frost of the season. For most of lower Michigan in zones 6a and 6b, that’s somewhere around mid-May. The further up north you go, the later the frost season can go, so the later you will start your seeds indoors.

Lyon Public Township Library suggests starting indoor seeds in Michigan in the following timeline: 

• Early March: Celosia, marigolds, snapdragons, salvia
• Mid-March: Peppers, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, Chinese greens, kale, nicotiana
• Early April: Tomatoes, head lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, basil, cilantro, alyssum, cosmos, zinnias
• Late April/early May: Sunflowers, morning glories, moon flowers, hyacinth beans, nasturtiums, cucumbers, squash, melons, beans, and corn

How to start an outdoor container garden in Michigan

You can start an outdoor container garden in Michigan using the same drainage, sun, and container guidelines. Choose a container with drainage holes and a sunny location—don’t forget to account for shade from outdoor structures like sheds, barns, or decks. 

Plant your vegetables, fruits, or plants in a container filled with potting soil, or transfer seedlings from indoors to an outdoor container after the danger of frost is over. 

What plants do well in container gardens?

MSU says that any plant that will grow to 36″ or less in height can be grown in a container. The organization suggests any of the following plants will do well in a container:

• Cucumbers (bush varieties are usually easier to manage, but you can trellis vining cucumber varieties)
• Eggplant
• Peppers, both bell and hot
• Summer squash
• Tomatoes, including grape and cherry
• Herbs like cilantro, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and mint (mint takes over everything, so be sure to plant it in a separate container)

Don’t forget that you can also mix and match container gardening with traditional in-ground planting. For instance, although my husband and I like to plant a big garden with rows of things like potatoes, onions, and corn to preserve for the winter, I also keep containers of easy-to-access plants, like herbs, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes, on my porch. That way, when it’s time for dinner, I can easily grab some items without having to trek all the way to the bigger garden. We also like to use containers to allow our kids to each grow their own individual gardens—it introduces them to gardening and is a fun way for them to take ownership of growing their favorite vegetables. 

Container gardening can bring something for everyone, whether it’s a way to expand your garden, make it more accessible, or just provide a fun way to dip your toe into growing your own food.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.