Container Gardening

Growing vegetables in containers

If you’re limited on space, containers are the way to go.
You can grow a variety of vegetables in them. One reason is containers come
in any size and shape you could imagine. When choosing one keep in mind the room needed for the type of vegetable.
Example; if a pepper plant calls for 12” spacing in the garden, use a container at least 24” in diameter, even bigger is better, & at least 18” deep. The depth is important for strong roots and plant and 18” is for most.

The shape is not so important unless you need to support the plant make sure
it has the room. Or put it against a fence or trellis.
You can use just about any material, wood, metal or plastic etc. If it is for
vegetables make sure it won’t leach any toxins. Other than that be creative,
recycle old furniture or house hold goods. They are attractive and help the
environment by keeping the stuff out of landfills.

When choosing your containers keep in mind what you plan on growing.
Tomatoes for example come in determinate and indeterminate varieties.
Determinate are bush type and better suited for smaller containers.
Indeterminate are the sprawling type but produce lots and lots of fruit,
would be better in large ones like tubs or troughs. They need a lot of
room and support. Both varieties should be topped when they reach
the height of the supports.

Fill the containers with good potting soil to start. Drainage is also very
important. Be sure to drill holes in the bottom all the way around about 1” apart and don’t block the holes. Raise off the ground so the water can drain well. I find the bottoms that come with many pots don’t allow enough drainage and the roots end up sitting in water. Putting rocks in the bottom also helps.

Water regularly, containers dry out faster than in the ground. Mulching the top
Helps retain moisture. Also fertilize every 7-10 days because the nutrients
drain out with watering. A soil tester is well worth having.

Herbs can be grown in smaller containers or around the base of tall veggies.They have shallow roots. Basil is a great companion for tomatoes and helps with bugs. Mixing herbs in containers is attractive and works well. Trim regularly so they don’t go to seed.

Another nice thing about containers is you can move them (if not too big) out of the cold or bad weather.

Send us some of your favorite photos to share with our visitors.

We would love to see the different and interesting things.

Check out my container photo album.

Comments or Questions Email: desiree@growincrazyacres.com

All Photos are taken by us of our actual gardens etc. unless stated otherwise.