No Space? 8 Easy Tips For A Successful Vegetable Container Garden

Best vegetables for your container garden

You can grow a wide variety of vegetables in containers. Some of the best crops to grow in small pots include:

• Asparagus
• Beans (green, snap, and kidney)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peppers (all varieties)
• Radishes
• Lettuce
• Carrots

Cilantro/Coriander seeds are also great for starting seeds in your vegetable container garden

Cilantro/Coriander seeds germinate quickly and produce a steady supply of fresh leaves. I recommend using cilantro as it has more flavor than parsley, which tends to have a stronger taste when used fresh out of its packet!

Choosing a container

When choosing a container, consider the size of your plant. The bigger the plant, the larger your container needs to be. For example, if you want to grow an 8-foot-tall tomato plant and have a 5-gallon pot, then that’s too small! You’ll need something at least 6 inches deep and at least 5 feet in diameter (the diameter is important because it helps keep plants like tomatoes from falling over during watering).

If you’re growing vegetables inside during winter months (or even during summer), then digging up existing soil can be inconvenient and time-consuming. Instead of doing that work yourself every year by hand or using power tools like trenchers or shovels—which could take hours—you could just buy some new soil mix instead!

This soil is usually a combination of various ingredients, including peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. It’s designed to be light and fluffy so that it won’t weigh down your plants or make them fall over when you water them.

Disclaimer: The links listed below are affiliate links, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. You can read the full disclosure here.

If you’re looking for a good quality potting mix to use in your garden or indoors, then consider buying Black Gold Natural & Organic or FoxFarm Ocean Forest. Both brands are excellent. They’re a tad more expensive than let’s say your basic Miracle-Gro, but through my experience, the better the soil ingredients, the better the vegetables.

Preparing the container

There is no need to go out and purchase new containers. Use what you have. If you want new containers But don’t want to go through a lot of expense or even if you’re not sure you truly want to commit to a vegetable container garden, your best bet would be to use reusable fabric planter grow bags. Not only do they take up space while not in use they are extremely economical. You can find a huge selection on Amazon.

1

Prepare your container

This can be done in several ways, but it’s important that you use a container that has plenty of room for growth and doesn’t have any gaps or cracks that could allow a lot of water to escape.

2

Clean the container

Clean the container thoroughly before planting anything inside it. Use a mild soap solution or detergent with warm water to remove dirt and dust from the surface of any items like metal or plastic containers (the latter may need scrubbing). Make sure there are no scratches or dents in them as these might damage plants over time if they’re not cleaned properly first!

Remove any old plants from inside containers so new seeds won’t get thrown out by mistake.

Think about a trellis to grow vegetables up an existing support structure.

A trellis can be built out of inexpensive wood parts or metal pipes. They’ll give you a place to tie up tomato, and cucumber plants, but they usually won’t support vegetables deep below them. 

If you opt for a pipe, cut it 3 inches in diameter at the bottom, 4 inches in diameter at the top, and 6 inches in length.

The smallest pipe will hold medium-sized carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes; larger ones can handle larger tomatoes and peppers with ease.

For my bushy cucumbers I used large skewers I found at the dollar store. I tied them up to resemble a teepee holding the skewers together with plant tape.

Use some vertical space for herbs and fruits

If you have space, let your imagination run wild. A trellis can be built out of inexpensive wood parts or metal pipes and make it easier to grow vegetables up an existing support structure.

If you’re short on vertical space, consider growing herbs or fruits on shelves or poles in your container garden. You may even want to try growing citrus trees this way!

May would be the best time of the year to start your vegetable container garden. Typically, you’ll want to wait until the temperature remains over 55 degrees Fahrenheit for at least a week or until you’ve experienced your last frost. If you’re starting your vegetable container garden with seeds outdoors, wait until the temperature stays above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. For best results consult the back of your seed package.

The possibilities are endless. Vegetables don’t know if they’re planted directly into the soil or if they’re in a container. One of the key elements to a successful vegetable container garden is to make sure the container/pot/grow bag, is deep enough to allow the roots to stretch out and not be bound.

For a 3-gallon bucket, you’ll want to grow vegetables that are smaller in nature, such as but not limited to, herbs, carrots, radishes, and beets.

This all depends on what toes of vegetables you’re planning on planting. Currently, I have 3 bushy cucumber plants in 5-gallon grow bags.

As long as there is adequate drainage in the container you choose, you don’t really need anything on the bottom of your container. If you do choose to put something there, opt for organic materials such as but not limited to: dried or fresh leaves, shaved bark, or twigs. Pretty much anything organic you’ll find in your backyard; except for rocks. If the roots of your vegetables grow too deep the growth of the plant may stunt due to the roots encapsulating the rock.

Some of the best vegetable plants that are well-suited for a vegetable container garden are beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes, and turnips.

Any and all of the above.

Beans, carrots, green onions, herbs, and radishes.

Brussels sprouts take on average a good 110 days to grow large enough to harvest.

The fastest-growing vegetable from seed to harvest would be the radish, coming in and ready to harvest within 30 days from the day you planted it.

To make your vegetable container garden a success you’ll need to do the following:

• Use the right size container.
• Thin seedlings as needed.
• Fertilize as needed.
• Give them a nice drink of water daily, but don’t overwater the plants.

Depending on the types of vegetables you plan to grow, I would opt for a container of no less than 3 gallons.

Potting soil and potting mix are the same thing. You will need to however look for potting soil that is lightweight and fluffy. If you’re gardening in a raised bed, I would use a mixture of garden soil and potting soil. If you live in an area where your soil is red clay you’ll want to go a little heavy on the potting soil.

Although everyone’s soil preferences are different, I personally would recommend Black Gold Natural and Organic as my vegetables thrive with that soil.

If you’re using commercial potting soil, you won’t have to add anything; however, if you choose to, use either mulch, compost, or aged manure.

The depth of the soil depends on each plant. It’s best to consult your seed packaging. If you’re planting established plants, you’ll want to have a depth of at least 12 inches.

That all depends on the size of the bag of soil.

So, are you ready to start a vegetable container garden?

I’m eager to find out if you’ll be starting a vegetable container garden and what vegetables you plan to harvest. Share with a comment.

Stay Peachy!