Growing vegetables in planters and other containers is the perfect option for people who have limited amounts of space, such as those who live in city apartments or condos, reports Organic Gardening Magazine. It’s also an ideal way to bring a touch of nature indoors onto a sunny kitchen windowsill, where you can grow fresh vegetables within reach of your stove and fridge. While most vegetables can be grown in planters, some types are better suited based on their smaller size.
Herbs
When it comes to container-based vegetable gardening, the University of Arizona Master Gardener Manual notes that herbs are typically the first plant that gardeners turn to when choosing what to grow in a tight space. Many herbs are naturally small; chives, for example, typically don’t grow taller than 6 inches. Additionally, herbs are hardy and thrive in adverse growing conditions, and they thrive on the constant harvesting and snipping. Example herbs that grow best in planters include parsley, cilantro and onions.
Bush Vegetable Varieties
Many common vegetables are divided into two types: those that grow long vines, and those that maintain a compact bush-like form. The latter type are perfect for container gardens because they don’t sprawl about or need trellises like their vine cousins, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Department of Horticultural Science. Examples include bush types of snap beans, such as Bush Blue Lake and Bush Romano; bush types of lima beans, such as Jackson or Henderson Bush; and bush types of tomatoes, such as Pixie cherry tomatoes and Patio tomatoes.
Root Vegetables
Digging for root vegetables grown directly in the ground can be backbreaking work, and also time-intensive as you search the soil for the fruits of your labor. But when you grow root crops in a container, all you need to do is turn it upside down to instantly locate all the root vegetables that are ready for harvesting, states Grower’s Secret. This makes container gardens an unconventional but optimal way to grow roots. Example root vegetables that thrive in containers include radishes and beets.
Salad Mixes
Leafy crops that you intend to use as salad are one of the most popular, and easy to care for, options for container gardens, according to the Colorado State University Extension. That’s because salad mixes aren’t grown to their full size, but are instead constantly harvested to keep them small and tender and to encourage constant regrowth. For example, the typical lettuce variety can generally be harvested and cut to the ground, then allowed to regrow, three times per plant. Popular vegetables used for salad mixes in container gardens include Swiss chard, mustard greens, lettuce and Chinese cabbage.
References:
1.Organic Gardening Magazine: Container Gardening
2. University of Arizona Master Gardener Manual: Container Vegetable Garden
3. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Department of Horticultural Science: Container Vegetable Gardening
4. Grower’s Secret: Container Gardening with Root Vegetables
5. University of Illinois Extension: Making Herb and Vegetable Containers
6. Colorado State University Extension: Growing Container Salad Greens
