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The Benefits of Vegetable Container Gardening
Not just Container vegetable gardens are beautiful and bountiful. All Green, leafy lettuces, red tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and deep purple eggplants delight the eye and add beauty to any garden. Growing organic vegetables expands the range of color and form available to container gardeners.
How to Start Growing Organic Vegetables in Containers
Growing organic vegetables in containers requires the same preparation as growing organic vegetables in the ground. All you need is a healthy soil rich in good and organic nutrients, 6 to 8 hours of direct sun in order to your vegetables to thrive and produce well, and containers for the veggies to grow. When choosing a container, consider your plant's needs, and your decorating. Starting off with the right container, with the right size, is key for your new plant to thrive. You have to know that large plants in small containers dry out quickly and become pot-bound, while small plants in large pots look odd and can have trouble regulating soil moisture. When it comes to choosing your vegetable containers, they must be big enough. Big container means more soil which can stay moist longer and hold more nutrients. But Small containers or pots may look pretty but they can negatively affect the way your plants grow. For most vegetables, the more room in a container you can give them, the better they grow and produce.
When starting growing vegetables in containers?
You can start your vegetable container garden at the same time you would plant in the garden. Depending on what types of vegetables you want to grow, you can direct sow the seeds in your containers, or you can start the seeds indoors, then transplant in containers.
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Preparing The Soil for Containers
To get the best results in vegetables containers gardening , you will need to fill your containers with good quality potting soil. For healthy root growth and optimum harvest, all plants growing in containers needs good soil with nutrients that they need to fuel their growth. Most gardeners make their potting soil by combining perlite or vermiculite with peat moss. But there are two other organic materials that you could add to your potting mix. leaf mold and compost. I always love making my own organic soil to fill my containers with. I use my garden soil and composted chicken manure. Adding composted chicken manure to the garden soil can help you create the best mix. This mix can support plants for a year or two without additional fertilization. But, before applying any fertilizer to your soil. You have to test your soil first so that you know what nutrients it lacks and how much fertilizer to apply.
Chicken manure for vegetable garden fertilizing i excellent. This natural fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus. Chicken manure composting gives the manure time to break down some of the more powerful nutrients so that they are more usable by the plants.
How much chicken manure to mix with your garden soil?
When it comes to using composted chicken manure as a fertilizer, you have to mix it with your garden soil at a ratio of one part composted manure to four parts soil. However, because chicken manure is high in nitrogen, you may want to adjust this ratio depending on the type of plants you are growing. For example, if you are growing vegetables that are heavy feeders with require more nitrogen such (Asparagus, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and squash), you can use a higher ratio of chicken manure to soil. Conversely, if you are growing vegetables that are light feeders, such (Carrot, garlic, onion, and chard) you will want to use less chicken manure as they don't need too much nitrogen.
The first of all, before applying any fertilizer to your soil. You have to test your soil first so that you know what nutrients it lacks and how much fertilizer to apply.
Top Vegetables for Containers Gardening
Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes in containers is easy and with one single plant you can have many tomato to enjoy. Most tomato plants are best grown in big containers. You need a container that is at least 1 square foot or around two gallons. A larger container of around 2 square feet is better. The tomato plant will need staking or a tomato cage. I simply use bamboo canes to support my plants. This support keeps the heavy fruit from bending and breaking the vines.
- USDA Growing Zones: Grown as an annual in all zones.
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter, good drainage, The soil pH should be slightly acidic (6.2 to 6.8).
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Broad Beans
Broad bean is known as the horse bean, the field bean, the Windsor bean, and the most famously as the fava (Vicia faba). The plant love cool weather, full sun, and can be grown in a variety of climates, broad beans are an excellent source of protein and vitamins A, C and B. Rich in fiber and so delicious, they are definitely worth growing in small places such containers.
- USDA Growing Zones: Can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 2-10
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter.
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Beets
Beets grow very well in containers, both indoors and outdoors. Start planting beets in the spring, three-two weeks before the last frost date in your zone, and you can continue to sow seeds every 3 to 4 weeks until the temperature starts to reach above 80 F (27 C). You can begin plant again late in the summer and early in the fall when the temperature starts to come under the range of 85 F (29 C).
- USDA hardiness zones: 2-10 are best for growing beets because of their ideal climates
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter.
- Container: You can grow beets in small containers but ensure they are a minimum of 8 inches deep. I recommend 10 to 12 inches deep containers they are the ideal as they will encourage beet roots to develop.
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Potatoes
If you don't have big space for planting potatoes, or you don't have a garden. You can grow potatoes in containers ad enjoy harvesting a few of your home grown organic potatoes in summer. Containers for potatoes are an excellent solution for patio or small space gardeners. You can plant potatoes about two weeks before the last frost in your region. Ideally between the beginning of April and the middle of May. The temperature outside should be at least 10°C, preferably 15°C, and at night, and no lower than 5°C.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 10B
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun
- Soil Needs: Multipurpose potting soil is good, but i mix it with my garden soil and some of my own garden-made compost. I also add a couple of handfuls of organic fertilizer, such as well aged chicken manure. Composted chicken manure not only helps to build the health of the soil by adding organic matter and increasing water holding capacity but it also acts as a fantastic fertilizer adding vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to your potato plants.
- Container: Potatoes can be grown in many different types of bags and containers. Ideally, about 2 to 3 feet tall with a 10- to 15-gallon capacity. Avoid containers taller than this, because it can be hard to water the plants evenly, which can cause potatoes to rot. Whatever you choose, make sure they have good drainage.
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➡️ 🌐 Growing potatoes in bags or containersPeas (Pisum sativum)
Peas are one of the veggies that you could grow indoors in containers. Plant in early spring. Depending on the variety grown, most peas will require some type of support. Plant them in early spring. Once it gets warm and they finish producing, pull them out and plant something else in that container.
- USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11.
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Enriched or loamy soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5.
- Container: A good-sized container – at least 3-5 gallons, in which you can grow 3-5 pea plants.
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Peppers
Growing peppers in containers is the ideal solution if you are low on space or have a short growing season. Most varieties of peppers grow well in containers given the right conditions!
- USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11 (usually grown as annuals).
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter.
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic (6.0 to 6.8).
- Container: The ideal container size for growing peppers is 12 inches.
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Cucumbers
Growing organic cucumbers in containers is a great way to enjoy their fresh, homegrown. It is also a great choice if space is limited. Growing cucumbers in containers also allows you to better control the heat and moisture levels that the plants are exposed to.
Cucumbers need warm soil to thrive and grow. They grow best from around 70° Fahrenheit to 95° Fahrenheit. That means cucumbers should be planted in containers after the soil temperatures are at least 70° Fahrenheit.
- USDA Growing Zones: Grow best in growing zones 4–12.
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter.
- Soil pH: The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.5.
- Container: At least 8 inches wide and 12 inches deep
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Beans
Beans are one of the most productive and pretty crops for containers.
There are two ways to grow beans in containers.
You can either choose bushy variety, which will grow well in a medium container without any extra support, such black turtle beans or dragon tongue beans or you can choose to grow a climbing variety, the two most popular types are runner beans and French beans and these beans love to climb and they need to be grown up a trellis.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3-11.
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil.
- Soil pH: Beans grow best in slightly acidic to neutral soil, pH between 6 and 7.
- Container: For bush beans, choose a pot that's at least 15 inches in diameter. For pole beans, the container should be at least 18 inches in diameter.
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Eggplants
Growing organic eggplant in containers can be a rewarding experience. This beloved vegetable adapts well to container growth, and given the right growing condition and good care can produce plenty of delicious fruits.
- USDA Growing Zones: Hardy in zones 4-10
- Sun Exposure: 8 hours of direct sun.
- Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil.
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral, Between 6.0 and 7.0.
- Container: 12 to 14 inches (31-35 cm.)
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Watch How To Grow Organic Eggplants In Containers
Which is the best location for a container garden?
The best location for container gardening is where you can provide your plants with sunlight. This could be indoors or outdoors, a garden, a backyard, a patio, or a balcony.
If you are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or cucumbers, you should pick a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.
After you have selected your location and determined the types of plants you can grow in it. If in a few months you see that your plants are not growing well. You need to consider moving to another location that may be more suitable for your plans to grow and thrive!
Care guide for vegetables growing in containers
Watering
Plants growing in container tend to deplete soil moisture and nutrients faster than those growing in the ground. So always be sure to adjust your watering and feeding accordingly to keep your vegetable container garden healthy. Watering is the most important thing to give much importance for in your vegetable container garden. So you must inspect your vegetables regularly to make sure the soil hasn't dried out. It's simple you can check by sticking your finger in the soil and if it's dry, it's time to water.
You can install a drip-irrigation system this make watering your vegetable container garden easier as it can automatically irrigate your vegetables for you.
Ideally water early in the morning. Plants gowing in containers should be watered as early in the day as possible. Watering early in the day provides plants with enough moisture to get them through the hotter midday hours. It also ensures that their leaves dry off by the time that night falls as having moisture on their leaves at night can encourage the spread of disease!
Water deeply. Deep waterings encourage the plants to put down deeper, healthier roots, and thrive. All plants need water at their roots, when watering ensure that water reaches down to their roots. To know that, after watering, the soil should be saturated and water should run out the bottom of the pot.
Other important thing to keep in mind is the size of the pot. Smaller pots will dry out a lot more quickly than larger pots, and will require more frequent waterings, so always check smaller pots daily especially in hot days!
Fertilizing containers
After watering, fertilizing is the most important task you’ll need to perform for vegetables grown in containers. The choice of fertilizer will depend on the kinds of plants you are growing. High nitrogen sources would be good for plants grown for their foliage, such lettuces and swiss chard. While vegetable crops would prefer lower nitrogen and higher phosphorous types.
There are several types of fertilizer available for containers, the most used forms are slow-release granular or dry powder water-soluble that is mixed into water.
If there is fertilizer already mixed in with your growing media then your plants should have enough nutrients for a few weeks, after which additional fertilizer will be needed.
Long season vegetable crops such as tomato, pepper, cucumber, and eggplant may need to be lightly fertilized every 2 weeks, to produce a continuous harvest.
Supporting container plants
You must support tall or climbing vegetables with trellises, stakes, netting, twine, or cages.
Vegetable Containers Harvesting Tips
Harvesting home grow organic vegetables is the most satisfying step. The best time to harvest vegetables is early in the day because it is cooler and your vegetables will still be well hydrated.
When harvesting leafy greens such swiss chard, be sure to harvest from the outside in to extend the life of your plant. This will encourage your plant to grow more and extend your harvest for a long period of time. Some leafy veggies such lettuces are best harvested when they are younger and tender. The major rule when harvesting fruits and vegetables, always be sure to harvest only when they are fully ripe. Their flavor will be much better!
Some useful container gardening tools!
➡️ 🌐 Hand shovel
➡️ 🌐 Gardening gloves
➡️ 🌐 Containers
➡️ 🌐 Watering can
➡️ 🌐 Bypass pruner
Growing Vegetables in containers is the ideal solution if you are low on space or have a short growing season. Many vegetables grow well in containers given the right conditions! I hope this will help you to grow our own vegetables in containers!
Don’t hesitate to ask questions or reach out with any suggestions. So please let us know your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. If you like this, you can share with your friends!
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