Gardening with Allen: Many veggies can grow in pots

Peas and all the root and leaf vegetables are hardy to frost into the mid-20s and can be planted from seeds or started plants now. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and all the fruiting vegetables except peas can be damaged by frost and should not be planted until May unless you bring plants inside at night. You can get a head start on tomatoes and other tender plants by bringing plants inside every night. Alternating cool day temperatures and warm night temperatures produces stocky compact plant growth.

Dwarf bush type varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes and summer squash work best in containers and small spaces. The technical name for bush type tomatoes is “determinate.”

It is important to use a well-drained container planting mix. Do not try to use ordinary garden soil. Check to see if the mix contains fertilizer.

Coated slow-release fertilizers such as Osmocote work best for containers. They release a little fertilizer every time plants are watered and last about three months. Water-holding additives can be mixed into the soil so plants do not have to be watered as often.

Fill containers to the rim with loose potting soil. Scatter a few seeds over the soil and press them in about a quarter- to half-inch. When you water, soil will sink about an inch. Keep the soil moist on top until seeds sprout.

A few fruits and vegetables can also be grown among shrubs and flowers. Strawberries make good ground cover plants. Many vegetables have leaves which are as ornamental as flowers. Beets have attractive red and green leaves. Bright Lights Swiss chard has leaves with red, pink, yellow and orange variegation. Fernlike carrot leaves and red leaf lettuce are also very ornamental.