Nothing tastes better than freshly picked homegrown produce. Being able to step out your back door to pick a ripe tomato whenever you need one is not only convenient, it’s a fantastic (and delicious) way to save money. What’s more, growing container vegetables is no more difficult than growing other potted plants.
Keep your miniature tomato garden in a large pot somewhere close to the back door or kitchen (and the cook) so they’re easier to enjoy.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Popular for their color and tempting yield, strawberries are an easy fruit to grow in containers.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
There are actually key advantages to growing vegetables in containers. Not only can you provide the ideal soil mix for each particular crop and easily manage root competition between plants, you can often plant earlier – as soon as temperatures moderate and sunlight becomes strong – because soil warms more quickly in a container. And if frost threatens, the plants can always be moved inside until the danger passes. Another benefit of growing container vegetables is that your garden doesn’t have to take up much space – you just need one sunny spot that can fit a couple key pots.
Nowadays, crop choices are almost limitless – even for containers. Common container vegetables include compact or baby-sized varieties of carrots, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and onions. Increasingly, you can find cultivars especially created for container gardens that provide yields similar in volume, if not size, to those from inground gardens. Shallow-rooted plants like lettuce and radishes also do exceptionally well in containers, especially when they’re progressively thinned out by sequential harvests to avoid crowding.
Whatever you plant, make sure your container vegetables get enough direct sunlight. In the early season, they typically need at least 6 hours of sun per day. That said, by midsummer, some varieties may require some shading to prevent them from “bolting” (producing flowering heads that deliver no produce), so do check the plant tag or seed packet for specific light requirements.
Fertilizers and nutrients are also essential components of growing healthy container vegetables. A generous amount of slow-release, organic fertilizer mixed in with the soil – with a boost every third week – is best for promoting steady, healthy growth.
In addition, you need to be consistent with good watering practices. Remember that all container gardens dry out more quickly than inground gardens, so your potted plants need regular irrigation. Vegetables are especially subject to wilt and have a hard time recovering, and plants that are water-stressed will deliver less produce. As a general rule, keep the potting soil moist 1-2 inches from the surface, but let it nearly dry out before another watering to prevent rotting and other diseases. If you’ve got an extensive container garden, consider installing a drip irrigation system to cut down on your watering needs.
The great thing about growing container vegetables is that they provide a beautiful and ever-changing landscape even when they’re weeks away from harvest. And as the season progresses, you’ll enjoy watching the fruits of your labor grow to ripeness. There’s great pleasure in watching tomato flowers set fruit that swells each day, peppers turning color and beans growing long and sweet. There’s even interest in watching onions and garlic, which begin to lose their foliage, and carrots and potatoes, whose greens begin to droop as they near harvest.
When it comes to planting your container vegetables, try to follow this general rule: Choose a container that’s at least 12 inches deep for a single plant (deeper for multiple plantings) to allow adequate room for root development. This shallow dimension accommodates a wide assortment of container choices, from hanging baskets trailing with tomatoes to long, narrow planters.
Never grown a tomato before? Just take the steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions, and get ready for an amazing harvest season. Container vegetables are a delicious, convenient and affordable way to grow amazing produce far better than any grocery store can ever provide.
