5 Great Vegetables For Container Growing

Say you want to grow vegetables, but your only real estate is a deck, patio or balcony. No problem! As long as you have a big enough container and a sunny spot, it's possible to grow almost any vegetable. Between the hundreds of regular-sized varieties and the growing number of dwarf offerings, you’ll have more choices than you have pots.

Plant breeders are responding to container gardening's surging popularity with varieties bred to stay compact. While the plants – and the vegetables – may be smaller than their earthbound cousins, there's no difference in flavor.

Most vegetables need full sun (six to eight hours per day) no matter where they grow. Some, like lettuce, can get by with a little less. Check the seed packet or plant label when buying to find out the sun requirements.

The seeds of some veggies, including carrots, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce and other greens, can be sown right into their containers. Others, such as tomatoes and peppers, do better as transplants.

Drainage: Every container must have at least one drainage hole – no exceptions – and the bigger the pot, the more holes it needs. Soil in containers without holes never dries out, and will eventually kill your plants.

Containers: Most vegetables need containers that are both wide and deep. That means at least 10 inches across and 12 inches deep, however, the depth can vary depending on a particular vegetable's root system. The advantage of larger containers is that the greater volume of soil means you won't need to water as often.

Clay pots wick moisture, so they’re good for plants that like it drier, but for most others, you’ll need to water more often. Plastic pots and grow bags are light and hold moisture well. Ceramic and glazed pots also keep soil from drying out quickly. Metal containers look good, but full sun on metal heats up the soil, which can fry the roots. Same goes for a dark-colored container of any material.

Soil type: Pick a soil mix that drains well. Retailers sell mixes specifically for container vegetables. Buy big bags; vegetables in containers take a lot of soil mix. One five-gallon container takes about 20 quarts of mix. Fill to a couple of inches below the rim of the pot. Water the mix so it settles before planting.

Don't put packing peanuts, rocks or anything else in the bottom of a pot. It might make it lighter or save on soil mix, but it inhibits proper drainage, shortens the space available to roots, and can cause them to rot.

Fertilizing: Plants grown in the ground can spread their roots to seek out nutrients. In containers, watering leaches nutrients out of the drainage holes, so plants depend on regular fertilization. When first potting up plants, mix a slow-release, granular organic fertilizer into the soil mix.

The usual advice is to then fertilize once a week with a diluted soluble fertilizer. But plant nutrient needs vary, so familiarize yourself with the feeding requirements of what you are growing so you don't overdo it or under fertilize.

Carrots: A big advantage to growing carrots in containers is that there are no rocks, roots or other objects in the soil to keep them from growing straight and long. You can pull them as you need them, and their feathery foliage makes an attractive backdrop for flowering plants. ‘Paris Market’ carrots are short and round rather than long, so don't need as deep a pot. ‘Adelaide’ is a quick grower, maturing in about 50 days. The heirloom ‘Oxheart’ is four to five inches long.

Cucumbers: Bush-type cucumber vines are shorter – only two to three feet long – so are easier to manage. Vining types produce more cucumbers, but, at eight feet long, they will need to be trellised. Choose five-gallon containers or larger, ideally made of plastic or ceramic, not clay. Cukes love hot weather and need lots of water, so a self-watering container may be a smart choice. If plants get so dry that they wilt, the fruit may be bitter. ‘Bush Pickle’, ‘Spacemaster’, and ‘Salad Bush’ are three dependable varieties.

Lettuce: Lettuce is perfect for container growing because it can thrive in smaller pots: four to six inches wide and six to eight inches deep. It also does well planted at the feet of other container vegetables. Any type or variety works. Looseleaf grows the quickest, in about 45 days, followed by butterhead, then romaine and head lettuce. Lettuce grows best in cool weather and bolts (flowers and goes to seed) once daytime temperatures stay consistently over 75°F and nights over 60°F.

Peppers: Both hot and sweet peppers take well to containers, though smaller sweet pepper varieties are less likely to snap off the plant than the big, blocky ones. For hot peppers, jalapenos, poblanos and habaneros all do well. A bonus with peppers is that the plants are often quite attractive even when not fruiting. Since plant stems are brittle, site them away from windy areas. Try dwarf sweet peppers ‘Redskin’ and ‘Mohawk’; hot ones include ‘Apache’, ‘Numex Twilight’, and ‘Mirasol’.

Tomatoes: The classic container vegetable, tomatoes are easy to grow in pots. They grow extensive roots, and so need deep containers and lots of fertilizer. One of the biggest challenges is corralling their tendency to sprawl. The fabulous cherry variety ‘Sungold’ can grow to seven feet; not impossible in a big enough container, but you’ll need a cage or trellis to keep it off the ground. Miniature ‘Micro Tom’ grows only eight inches tall. ‘Tiny Tim’, ‘Better Bush Improved’ and ‘Window Box Roma’ are others small fries to try.

Some plants are challenging to grow in containers. Sprawlers like pumpkins, watermelon and squash need lots of running room and a large volume of soil. Corn is wind-pollinated, so should be planted in blocks of at least 18 plants to ensure complete pollination. Most people don't have that much deck or patio space.

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Therese Ciesinski is an award-winning garden writer and editor.