Container gardening is a perfect solution for growing veggies in small spaces or during the cold winter months. There are numerous options for vegetables to grow in containers. As long as you can provide the right growing conditions, growing vegetables in containers is a fun and rewarding DIY project.
What kind of pot to use depends on your available growing space. As long as it has drainage holes at the bottom, use any container that suits your needs. Use small or large containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, or grow bags. For growing vining plants like peas, pole beans, or cucumbers, you’ll need to have a trellis for them to climb.
Most fruits and vegetables perform best with at least six hours of bright light daily. However, if you don’t have a sunny location available, rest assured that plenty of vegetables can grow in partial shade. Read on to find out all about how to grow vegetables in containers.
How to Grow Vegetables in Containers
Whichever type of vegetables you choose to grow, finding a suitable container is the first step to setting yourself up for success. There must be plenty of space for the root systems to develop, especially if you’re growing multiple plants in the same pot. Always use pots with good drainage so water doesn’t collect in the bottom, increasing the risk of root rot and other fungal diseases.
In general, most plants for container vegetable gardening should grow in a pot that holds at least five gallons of soil. Use a container or planter box that’s a minimum of 12 inches deep for root veggies like beets, carrots, or turnips. Whenever possible, look for dwarf varieties with a more compact growth habit.
For the best possible results, use potting soil that’s nutrient-rich and well-draining. Look for a potting mix with added perlite for aeration and drainage, organic compost or fertilizer for nutrients, and peat moss or coconut coir for moisture retention.
Most garden vegetables benefit from periodic applications of organic fertilizer. Also, nutrients leach out of the soil as water drains from the pot. As such, it’s often necessary to fertilize your container garden more often than in-ground plantings. Apply granular fertilizer every three or four weeks. Or, feed your plants with a liquid fertilizer every other week.
Container gardening has a few advantages. There’s usually a lower risk of pest and disease issues. Additionally, growing vegetables in containers gives the gardener more control over plants’ growing conditions and allows you to adapt to changing circumstances throughout the year.
Full Sun Vegetables to Grow in Containers
Theoretically, it’s possible to grow just about any kind of plant in a container. However, some tend to perform better than others. The key is simulating the plant’s ideal growing conditions as much as possible.
Sunlight is one of the most critical elements of success with container gardening. Most vegetables need a minimum of six hours of bright light each day. Let’s take a look at a few full sun container vegetables.
Alliums
Most Allium plants are ideal for container gardening because they have shallow root systems and don’t need much space. The Allium family includes bulb onions, green onions, garlic, chives, scallions, leeks, and shallots.
Although Alliums grow best in full sun, they can tolerate partial shade. It’s even possible to grow them indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Plant Alliums in a container six or more inches deep with drainage holes at the bottom. Check the seed packet for variety-specific spacing recommendations.
Legumes
Legumes like peas and beans are perfect container vegetables. They are relatively low-maintenance and have attractive flowers and foliage.
They’re also remarkably fast-growing. Peas are usually ready for harvest in 60-70 days. Bush beans mature in 45-60 days, while slower-growing pole beans often take 65-80 days.
Peas and pole beans need a trellis to climb. However, bush beans don’t need additional support. Since they have shallow root systems, legumes will thrive in a window box or other small container.
Nightshades
Tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and eggplants are all members of the nightshade plant family. These warm-season vegetables grow best at temperatures between 70-80℉.
Plant nightshades in a large five-gallon pot where their roots have plenty of space to grow. Keep the soil consistently moist and apply organic fertilizer every four to six weeks.
Summer Squash
Squash plants are remarkably easy to grow, and your efforts get rewarded with a bountiful harvest of zucchini, crookneck, or yellow squash within about 60-70 days, depending on the variety. Squash blossoms are edible, as well. They make a beautiful salad garnish, and they’re also tasty when stuffed and fried.
Plant your squash in a large container that holds at least five gallons of soil. Keep them well-watered and fertilize frequently. It’s beneficial to attract pollinators by growing aromatic herbs and flowers close by. Otherwise, you’ll have to hand-pollinate the flowers.
Growing Vegetables in Containers in Partial Shade
There are a few veggies that grow well in partial shade where they get four to six hours of direct sunlight throughout the day. Shade-loving plants often prefer cooler temperatures. They sometimes bolt or start flowering prematurely at temperatures above 85℉. If your area gets hot summers, look for heat-tolerant varieties.
Brassicas
The Brassica family includes veggies like arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga, radishes, and turnips. These cool-season crops grow best between 60-75℉. They can tolerate light frosts down to 25℉. In hot climates, it’s best to plant brassicas in spring and fall.
Salad Greens
Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach grow exceptionally well in containers. They have shallow root systems and can live in small containers or get tucked between other plants.
Swiss chard is a large leafy green vegetable in the Amaranthaceae family. It’s more heat-tolerant than most other types of salad greens. Its brightly colored leaves and stems make Swiss chard a lovely addition to your container garden. Spacing between plants should be about 12 inches.
Companion Planting Vegetables in Containers
Many gardeners wonder which vegetables grow well together. Rest assured that there are various options for companion planting in container gardens.
Herbs like basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme make excellent vegetable companions. They attract beneficial pollinators and predatory insects. In addition, growing basil in the same pot as tomatoes reportedly improves their flavor.
Legumes fix nitrogen in the surrounding soil, which is helpful when growing leafy green vegetables. If you’d like to know more about this fascinating process, check out this article from New Mexico State University.
However, an excess of nitrogen can cause fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash to grow an abundance of leaves but not produce much fruit. It’s best to plant these crops separately from your legumes.
Allium plants are powerful pest repellants. Their sharp odor wards off aphids, bean beetles, carrot flies, cabbage worms, thrips, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies, and slugs. However, keep Alliums away from legumes. These plant groups stunt one another’s growth.
If you’ve been wondering how to grow vegetables in containers, rest assured that it’s an easy and immensely satisfying DIY project. There are numerous options available to suit your indoor garden, and being able to harvest delicious homegrown veggies is worth the effort. Growing vegetables in containers will open up a world of possibilities for your indoor or outdoor garden space.
Do you have any questions or suggestions about growing vegetables in containers? Please share them in the comments! If you enjoyed learning how to grow vegetables in containers, feel free to share this post about the best vegetables to grow in containers with your fellow plant lovers.