Some of the warm-season varieties that I have grown in the garden, with minimum pot size in parenthesis. Those in bold are this year's crop (along with the perennials of course). Those with a * are a plant that I personally don't have in a container, but could be grown in one of suitable size.
Warm season crops are those that you typically associate with the sexy bumper crops of summer - tomatoes, peppers, cucs, squash, melons, and the like, along with some herbs like basil. They need warm soil and air temperatures and in the PNW** typically aren't planted until mid May, or even June to get a reliable harvest. Thus, the majority of these are best started indoors or purchased as transplants in order to get the most of the harvest before the first frost.
Warm season crops are those that you typically associate with the sexy bumper crops of summer - tomatoes, peppers, cucs, squash, melons, and the like, along with some herbs like basil. They need warm soil and air temperatures and in the PNW** typically aren't planted until mid May, or even June to get a reliable harvest. Thus, the majority of these are best started indoors or purchased as transplants in order to get the most of the harvest before the first frost.
**PNW is shorthand for Pacific Northwest - the region roughly encompassing the area from British Columbia, through Washington and Oregon to the Northern end of California - characterized by wet, mild winters and dry warm (but not hot) summers.
NB: Varieties below are ordered by number of days to maturity, then alphabetically.
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| May flowers on 'Bloody Butcher' |
Tomatoes
(5 gallons; do better with more or a half barrel)
CHERRY TYPES - a great way to go for containers, and areas without the 8 hours of sun that tomatoes prefer. At the very least plan one cherry along with your slicers, for a quick and continuous harvest of pop-in-your-mouth delights.
Sungold | 60 days | A great reliable orange cherry tomato that is a must have for the PNW
Chocolate Cherry | 70 days | A new one for me this year, looking forward to a great dark colored cherry
Yellow Pear | 75 days | While not the most intensely flavorful small tomato, it make up for this in a prolific amount of great-textured lemon fruits that look like little pears in shape.
PASTE TYPES - while not always, these tend to be determinate tomatoes, which means that they grow to a certain height and put out their fruit all at once (and are a more manageable size for containers). While often used to make sauces because of their lower moisture content, these are still great fresh-eating tomatoes and their smaller size is easier to use up in one serving, such as on a sandwich.
San Marzano | 80 days | This Italian heirloom has always been a reliable producer for me with meaty flavor, such that I have not tried another paste type yet! Many people rave about the Amish Paste variety, and Roma is a standby.
SLICERS - what wonderful things can't you say about slicing tomatoes?! These are the epitome of a ripe juicy summer tomato for most people. A word of caution though - those big meaty beefsteaks take a looooooong time to mature - when it says 90 days, that's to the first ripe tomato. Due to our cool nights in the PNW, unless you have an area with all-day unobstructed sun you'll likely be disappointed growing anything that takes over 80 days. Those 10 days might not seem like much, but when you consider you can get some varieties that mature in only 60 days, then the difference is a whole month - a whole month more with tomatoes. You decide if waiting for that big beefsteak is worth it - I buy them at the market late in the season instead while I enjoy my earlier tomatoes at home in early July.
Bloody Butcher | 55 days | A new, somewhat crudely named variety for me this year, it has endeared itself already by being the first one to flower (on May 20th!). Now to see what a 55 day tomato tastes like!
Stupice | 60-65 days | One of the most reliable tomatoes and definitely a favorite, this variety gave me juicy, sweet tomatoes in years when others gardeners weren't getting any. Pronounced stew-pee-chay, this one is an heirloom and a all-around winner. Produces best if given a half-barrel, but will put out (fewer) tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket.
Taxi | 62 days | An early yellow variety that I'm excited to try - this determinate type should stay small and yield a good crop.
Bush Goliath | 68 days | This is a fantastic variety for containers, as it is a slicer that stays bushy and compact as the name implies, with such as sturdy stock that I grow it without staking it (!).
Japanese Black Trifele | 74 days | This is a 'potato leaf' type tomato with a dark purple fruit - supposedly. I didn't have much luck with it, but admittedly I am growing tomatoes in less-than-full-sun conditions, which likely contributed to the lack of color and flavor I got two years ago when I tried this variety.
Jaune Flame | 75 days | A beautiful light orange tomato with great flavor, this French heirloom can develop flesh with a red blush and is a reliable producer.
Paul Robeson | 75 days | Another new variety for me this year, I was tempted by the description of dark mahogany fruit, and the setting of fruit at lower temperatures (typical of many Russian heirloom varieties).
Principe Borghese | 75 days | One of my favorite tomatoes, those smaller (its a push to call hem a slicer), they hold really well on the vine and are traditionally used for dried tomatoes as they are meaty and hold their flavor well. For a post on oven-drying tomatoes, click here.
Aunt Ruby's Green | 80 days | Even though this is at the far end of my usual 'days to maturity spectrum', the description of bright green fruit, and the vision of someone's Aunt in Tennessee saving seeds to pass down this heirloom.
Check out the post Bring on the Tomatoes here for more tomato-growing info.
Cherry Bomb | 65-85 days | This is a sweet-with-heat pepper that is great cooked or raw. Puts out a good crop of 2"-3" baby bell pepper-shaped richly red wonders. This is a family favorite, and I just haven't had success in tracking down transplants this year, but the hunt is on...
Jimmy Nardello's | 70-80 days | A fantastic, long and narrow sweet pepper with thin walls and a fun twisted shape. These Italian heirloom seeds were brought to Connecticut in 1887 by Jimmy Nardello himself and designated by Slow Food as in need of protection.
Lipstick | 72 days | This is a reliable sweet bell pepper for the PNW, maturing from green to a glossy red, and edible at all stages in between.
Hungarian Black | 75 days | These plants should be grown simply for their beauty - though the peppers are a great bonus too! Fruit, veins and often leaves are all a dark purple, with purple flowers too. Pick when purple for mild peppers with green flesh, or wait until they turn red for some Hungarian heat.
Chocolate Cherry | 75-85 days | Seduced by color, I gave in and am trying another sweet bell pepper type plant (though I normally just grow - and have success with - smaller peppers).
Lemon Drop | 90 days | True to its name, this pepper is not only lemon yellow colored, but tastes of citrus too - thought it is also intensely hot. Hailing from Peru, this plat grows into a large, 2' x 2' bush and puts out a lot of 1'' or so long fruit. One plant is all I need, and they are self-fertile.
Garden Sweet Burpless Cucumber | 58 days |
Basil 'Genovese' | A classic! Great companion to tomatoes; best in a pot that gets hot but in a place that gets some shade (or so I have found).
Basil 'Purple' | An easy variety to add a punch of color to the plate
Cilantro | A must for salsa and many other things, you either love or hate the taste of this herb
Pineapple Sage | Beautiful tender perennial that blooms with long, tubular hummingbird-attracting flowers; leaves and flowers are edible and have a great pineapple flavor
Lobelia 'Blue Moon' | I have a thing for blue this season and these are hitting the spot!
Nasturtium 'Lemon Gem' | Great culinary plants and pollinator magnates. Add the petals and young leaves to salads for a peppery bite
Nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll Dark Blue' | More of the blue theme! While the seeds are edible, those more often used are from the species N. sativa
Japanese Black Trifele | 74 days | This is a 'potato leaf' type tomato with a dark purple fruit - supposedly. I didn't have much luck with it, but admittedly I am growing tomatoes in less-than-full-sun conditions, which likely contributed to the lack of color and flavor I got two years ago when I tried this variety.
Jaune Flame | 75 days | A beautiful light orange tomato with great flavor, this French heirloom can develop flesh with a red blush and is a reliable producer.
Paul Robeson | 75 days | Another new variety for me this year, I was tempted by the description of dark mahogany fruit, and the setting of fruit at lower temperatures (typical of many Russian heirloom varieties).
Principe Borghese | 75 days | One of my favorite tomatoes, those smaller (its a push to call hem a slicer), they hold really well on the vine and are traditionally used for dried tomatoes as they are meaty and hold their flavor well. For a post on oven-drying tomatoes, click here.
Aunt Ruby's Green | 80 days | Even though this is at the far end of my usual 'days to maturity spectrum', the description of bright green fruit, and the vision of someone's Aunt in Tennessee saving seeds to pass down this heirloom.
Check out the post Bring on the Tomatoes here for more tomato-growing info.
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| Jimmy Nardello's |
PEPPERS
(2 to 5 gallons, better in darker colors and/or in or near heat-retaining materials)
The following include both hot and sweet peppers, as many varieties can be picked earlier for sweeter peppers, and later for hotter peppers. Days to maturity range in most cases as you can pick peppers at varying stages of development - usually indicated by a change in color from green to red, though not always.
Golden Greek Pepperoncini | 65 days | While I love theses golden pickled peppers that you find in Italian delis, I have never tried growing them...remember though that you will have to pickle them yourself to get that same flavor - but I'm also looking forward to eating them fresh
Pimento de Padron | 65 days | This Spanish heirloom is just a dream simply grilled with olive oil and coarse salt! Puts out a prolific crop of peppers, that can be eaten green for a smokey treat or left to mature red for spicy heat. I must warn you though, that even when picked green, usually one in 10 peppers is a spicy surprise - giving them the other name of 'Spanish Roulette'.Cherry Bomb | 65-85 days | This is a sweet-with-heat pepper that is great cooked or raw. Puts out a good crop of 2"-3" baby bell pepper-shaped richly red wonders. This is a family favorite, and I just haven't had success in tracking down transplants this year, but the hunt is on...
Jimmy Nardello's | 70-80 days | A fantastic, long and narrow sweet pepper with thin walls and a fun twisted shape. These Italian heirloom seeds were brought to Connecticut in 1887 by Jimmy Nardello himself and designated by Slow Food as in need of protection.
Lipstick | 72 days | This is a reliable sweet bell pepper for the PNW, maturing from green to a glossy red, and edible at all stages in between.
Hungarian Black | 75 days | These plants should be grown simply for their beauty - though the peppers are a great bonus too! Fruit, veins and often leaves are all a dark purple, with purple flowers too. Pick when purple for mild peppers with green flesh, or wait until they turn red for some Hungarian heat.
Chocolate Cherry | 75-85 days | Seduced by color, I gave in and am trying another sweet bell pepper type plant (though I normally just grow - and have success with - smaller peppers).
Lemon Drop | 90 days | True to its name, this pepper is not only lemon yellow colored, but tastes of citrus too - thought it is also intensely hot. Hailing from Peru, this plat grows into a large, 2' x 2' bush and puts out a lot of 1'' or so long fruit. One plant is all I need, and they are self-fertile.
EGGPLANTS
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| Eggplant & pepper 'trolley' to follow the sun |
(3 to 5 gallons, better in darker colors and/or in or near heat-retaining materials)
With eggplants, and eggplants in containers, its best to go with the Asian or Japanese styles which are more slender, have less seeds, and are less bitter, rather than the traditional 'fat-bottomed' European types that you often see at the grocery store. All those listed below are of the former type.
(descriptions to follow)
Fairy Tale | 50-60 days |
Millionaire | 55 days |
Orient Express | 58 days |
SQUASH FAMILY
(20 gallons or half barrel; wider than deep)
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| Training a cucumber up! |
Squash can be tricky in a container, but there are varieties that are bred to be more compact - look for ones that advertise their small, dwarf, or bushy stature as a good place to start. However, unless you really want to devote 85 to 120 days on winter squash, go with the summer varieties that are ready in under 2 months for the best use of a small space. That being said, on of these seasons I probably will try Jack Be Little Pumpkins in a half-barrel because they are so cute. This year I used up all my patio space on peppers, so I'm growing squash in the ground (as signified by the *).
(descriptions to follow)
*Costa Romanesco Zucchini | 52 days |
*Tasty Black Patio Zucchini | 58 days |Garden Sweet Burpless Cucumber | 58 days |
HERBS/FLOWERS
I often grow herbs that have great flowers, and or flowers that make great edible herbs. Why not do double duty in the garden! Otherwise, the flowers I pick are due to weakness - this year's theme being anything that is deeply, exquisitely blue.
Basil 'Genovese' | A classic! Great companion to tomatoes; best in a pot that gets hot but in a place that gets some shade (or so I have found).
Basil 'Purple' | An easy variety to add a punch of color to the plate
Cilantro | A must for salsa and many other things, you either love or hate the taste of this herb
Pineapple Sage | Beautiful tender perennial that blooms with long, tubular hummingbird-attracting flowers; leaves and flowers are edible and have a great pineapple flavor
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| Lobelia 'Blue Moon' against Escarole |
Nasturtium 'Lemon Gem' | Great culinary plants and pollinator magnates. Add the petals and young leaves to salads for a peppery bite
Nigella damascena 'Miss Jekyll Dark Blue' | More of the blue theme! While the seeds are edible, those more often used are from the species N. sativa
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