Container Vegetable Gardening

If you have been longing for a vegetable garden but just don't have the space or want to go to the trouble of tending a whole garden, you may want to consider Container Vegetable Gardening.

Growing vegetables in containers makes gardening much more manageable and you can grow a surprising amount in much smaller spaces.

As long as you have a space that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day, you can most likely start planting and reaping your veggie rewards quicker than you thought!

I will share some tips and ideas to help get you started growing your own vegetables in containers as you follow along with this article.

Image courtesy of Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

Where To Place Your Vegetable Containers

Image above courtesy of Maggie Hoffman

Your vegetable garden containers will of course need plenty of sunshine for them to grow properly.

Choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. Some vegetables do well in partial sunlight, but the usual rule of thumb is the more sunshine the better.

Any sunny location is a prime spot as long as it is close enough for you to water your containers at least once a day.

Unless you have self-watering containers or make use of soaker hoses you will need to locate your containers close to water sources. Otherwise, be sure to water your growing veggies well if you want them to thrive.

Consider sunny locations on a porch, balcony, deck, a windowsill, patio or along a sidewalk as some gardening location options.

Image above courtesy of Hair Squared

In the following video, I like the container that 'briandudeathome' is using to grow his vegetables. Pay attention to what he says about using a clear type container. You could of course use an opaque container instead. Check out his watering system as well. It looks simple and very effective. He also has updates to how his balcony gardening venture develops in some of the other videos he posted.

Which Containers Are Best?

Image above courtesy of kwbridge

Usually when starting a container vegetable garden you will need to think about using larger and deeper containers. The bigger the container the better your vegetables will grow in most cases. Keep in mind that you need to allow lots of room for their roots to spread out as they grow and mature.

Make sure your container will withstand being wet and will not rust. If using metal containers, galvanized metal will hold up better and longer.

Of course, you can also use wood or plastic containers. Most gardening centers and online stores have containers of all depths and sizes for your container gardening needs. If planting vegetables, make sure your containers are food safe. Any wood, plastic, or metal needs to be safe for your vegetables. Use wood that is untreated, plastic that is food grade, and non-corrosive metals when at all possible for growing food.

Take care when using containers that are dark in color as they will absorb more heat and could potentially damage the tender roots of your vegetables.

Recycle and reuse whenever possible and safe for the plants you are growing. Newspapers and most cardboard can be used to make seed starters in and then transferred to the ground once the plant is established.

Ceramic, glass, or terracotta containers are all fine to use as long as you have the proper drainage. Many people use galvanized wash tubs to plant their vegetables in as the tub accommodates several plants and it allows room for larger plants.

Make sure your container has plenty of drainage holes in the bottom.

You can also use large plastic storage tote containers for your garden. I've seen photos of people using just about anything they can find around their home place to grow their vegetables in.

If you are using smaller containers such as flowering pots, make sure there is enough room for the roots of your plant to spread and grow. If the plant is a permanent plant then you need to allow for a few years of root growth in the bottom of your container.

Image upper right courtesy of briannaorg

This man demonstrates how to create your own Earth Box for container gardening. Get creative when considering your containers and keep in mind to use food safe containers if you are planting food.

Anyone that likes to grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers will benefit and probably enjoy the versatility that comes from container gardening.

I can't tell you how thrilling it is to plant something and then to watch it peek it's tiny little head through the soil. The whole process is fascinating to me.

Other users might include -

Anyone that cooks with herbs or vegetables.

People that live in apartments or small living spaces.

Those with small yards.

Children that need summer hobbies.

Classes at school that want to teach appreciation for gardening or to help supply fresh food to the cafeteria.

Anyone that loves to watch things grow!

Image courtesy of missyredboots

These containers are just a few options for your container vegetable gardening projects if you are placing them outside.

Click on any image for more options if you don't see what you need!

Image Courtesy of johninportland

Feel free to check out these other gardening and vegetable articles by me, Itaya Lightbourne.

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I would love to hear your thoughts about container vegetable gardening or gardening in general! :)