Vegetable gardens in containers are simple to start. For beginners who just want to grow a few plants, or the avid gardener here in New York State in this weather we have, this is perfect. You can move plants in and out with ease.
Put on your gardening gloves, grab a container (anything that holds dirt and has drainage, or you can add drainage, and use it!), and roll up your sleeves!
The size of the container will also depend on what you're planting. Use the next chart as a guide.
- Melons (watermelons, cantaloupes, etc.) should be grown in the biggest pot you can find, with plans to trellis the plants and provide fruit sacks.
- At least a 3-gallon pot for eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers. Greater is always preferable.
- 10 quarts for zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, runner beans, and peas, and think about trellises.
- Flowers—there is simply too much variation in flowers; plant your seeds, bulbs, and cuttings according to the directions.
- Nearly all herbs, especially culinary ones, should be prepared in a minimum of a 6-quart pot.
- Greens should be grown in a 6-quart pot and harvested frequently.
But it also means that, unlike in smaller pots, your plants won't become root-bound. Your decision is the only one that matters.
Let's Discuss Dirt
You want the best dirt you can buy, to be honest. Or if you have access to composted manure and materials you dig up from your own backyard, that works best.
Where can I purchase soil? My first purchases were presumably Miracle-Gro products many years ago. Alternately, I could have purchased my own vermiculite, combined it with borrowed (and thoroughly rotted) compost, added a ton of bone meal, and prayed for the best.
Given how much vermiculite is still functional in the majority of my pots and containers, I sincerely assume it is the second one.
For instance, the summertime humidity in the Deep South never ends. In order to prevent mildew, mold, and other unpleasant things from sprouting in the topsoil of pots, put in something that regulates moisture.
Someone who lives in an extremely dry climate might want moisture-controlled soil, but for very different reasons.
Choose whatever fits your budget, and don't let anyone shame you for doing what's right for you.
Water, again.
Although I already mentioned overwatering, I felt the need to do so. The two leading causes (tied) of container garden death are insects and overwatering. Disease frequently kills your plants since it grows from dampness in decaying objects.
To determine whether a plant needs watering, stick your finger in the top 1′′ of soil. Don't push your luck if the soil in this location is still moist. Although soil in pots (and totes) drains more readily than soil in the ground, there are still numerous problems with long-term drainage, plant comfort, root rot, and other factors.
Final Reflections
Lift your trowels, my fellow gardeners. Start working. It makes no difference if you receive one plum tomato from your plants or a thousand from a single lanky stem.
Go out and grow things!
Attributions:
1. Our Best Container Gardening Ideas. (2023, May 1). Southern Living. https://www.southernliving.com/garden/creative-container-gardens
2. Grant, E. (2023, May 8). How To Start An Easy Vegetable Container Garden. Self Sufficient Projects. https://selfsufficientprojects.com/how-to-start-an-easy-vegetable-container-garden/