Growing Vegetables in Containers - Container Gardening & Vegetable Growing

Learn all about growing vegetables in containers for small spaces, balconies and roof tops. Container gardening can sometimes be more successful than conventional gardening as you can control the growing conditions more easily. You can easily move your plants from one area to another, and your soil moisture content is often better than open ground.

Another way of growing container vegetables is to grow them in wooden boxes, with a fixed grid and to plant within each grid which measures one square foot. This method is called Square Foot Gardening.

Growing Vegetables in Containers: What to Use?

You can use almost anything to grow your vegetables in from the simple bucket to purpose made planters. In the past I have used plastic buckets, old sinks, polystyrene boxes retrieved from the fruiters, cut down wine barrels and plastic window box planters.

As long as you have good soil, a sunny place, fresh seed and good drainage in your containers, you can grow vegetables in containers anywhere.

Remember though, if you are using terracotta or wooden containers the soil will dry out quicker than if you are using plastic containers. For top heavy plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, make sure that the container is heavy and weighted.

For trailing plants like snow peas think about growing them in hanging baskets instead. Hanging baskets are also a novel way of growing herbs.

Most potting mixes that you can purchase these days will be fine. Some even state that they have been packaged for herbs and vegetables. However, by adding a little lime to this kind of soil you will grow better lettuces, beans, and in fact most vegetables. Add 1 heaped teaspoon of either garden lime or dolomite mixed thoroughly with 10-12 litres of soil mixture.

However, there are some vegetables that don't like lime added to the soil and these are rhubarb, parsley, tomatoes and potatoes.

You can make your own container soil by taking 3 parts of good garden loam, 1 part of moistened peat moss, and 1 part coarse river sand. Added to this should be some well-rotted farmyard manure or compost.

In addition to your organic material, you can add the following to every 8 litres of soil:

1/2 cup Epsom salts

1/4 cup coffee grounds (rinse them clean)

4 egg shells (dried and crushed to powder)

To get air into your soil and to make it lighter, add some granular polystyrene. A couple of cupfuls to your containers should be enough. Adjust according to the size of the container, but can make up 1/3 of the volume. Don't add too much as it is a water-repellant, and unless you add extra peat moss, you will find that your soil will dry out quicker than you want.

Finally I always add a good handful of blood and bone to give the plants a good start. I am also a fan of poultry manure more than any other for vegetables because of its high nitrogen content. Just make sure that it is not fresh, as it will burn the roots of your vegetables.

In the above picture we have beetroot and strawberries growing together. Whereas they won't help one another in any way, as true companion plants should do, they won't harm each other either. Just remember that when you place your vegetables together in one container that they are good companions. If not, you will not have much success. See which plants are good for Companion Planting here.

Growing Vegetables in Containers: Drainage

Making sure that your containers have good drainage is essential. In wide, shallow containers make sure that the holes are well spaced around the perimeter of the base. Rectangular containers should have at least one drainage hole in each corner. If sufficient drainage is not provided your plants will become water-logged and the soil will turn sour. In the end they will come to nothing.

You don't need to waste space by using broken pottery or stones at the bottom of your containers. However, to prevent the soil being washed away through the drainage holes, place a piece of metal mosquito netting or fly screen across the holes before adding the soil.

Growing Vegetables in Containers: What to Plant?

The sky is the limit really. You can even grow potatoes in old tyres! Here you can see tomatoes being grown in a plastic bucket. Sweet peppers can also be grown in this way, and because they are ornamental and attractive, they can be very successfully grown in a nice pot on your patio. Both tomatoes and peppers will probably need to be staked.

As long as you containers have depth you can grow carrots and parsnips in containers and other root vegetables such as beetroot, turnips and radishes.

Small vegetables like cress, mustard, spring onions and most herbs of course, are ideal for growing in containers, as is fast-growing rocket, spinach and a variety of lettuces. Leaves can be picked on an ongoing process, even before they have matured.

Vegetables that give a continous harvest are also popular container growing vegetables. Silverbeet, beetroot and rhubarb are examples of these.

Look for dwarf and bush varieties of your vegetables which are easier to maintain in containers.

BOOKS ON GROWING VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS