Container Gardening by Emmanuel Mwesige - HTML preview

RECOMMENDED PLANTS FOR CONTAINER GARDENING

There are so many plants that will grow successfully in containers. The simpler question may be what can’t you grow? To begin, research the needs of your favourite varieties to determine the space you will need for the root system and the type of soil you will use to ensure a thriving plant.

In the list below a list of the conventional container plants is shared. This serves as a general guide to the pot size and the right soil combination for each. Note that the pot sizes listed are the minimum requirements. Some plants will have to be re-potted into larger containers or else they will become root bound.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are the superstars of container gardens. If a gardener wants something that offers a higher yield, he/she should go with cherry tomatoes. Gardeners should not forget that they will need to get a tomato cage to give the plant extra support when it gets taller.

Since cherry tomatoes are so easy to grow, they are also a great option if a gardener looking for one of the best plants for a children’s garden.

Cabbages

Growing cabbage in containers is easy, as long as you don't crowd them. Cabbage plants can get huge, growing as high as 4 feet (1.2 m) and nearly as wide. Limit your plants to one per 5-gallon container.

Your container grown cabbage will still grow planted closer together, but the heads will be noticeably smaller.

Spinach

Spinach is another leafy green that does great in container gardens. In fact, they do so well in pots; you can even grow spinach inside. When you are picking out a pot for you spinach, get an 8-inch container for each plant. Spinach plants don’t need much depth, but they do need some width.

Basil

Basil is one of the most useful and beautiful herbs you can grow. There are so many different types of basil with more appearing every year. The tiny leaves of the bush basil are very tasty as well as lovely to look at.

Mint

Mint is an attractive, useful herb and the aroma is nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, it is not always well behaved and when it is grown in the garden, this pretty little plant tends to be a bit of a bully. Mint container growing is an option if you are concerned about the aggressive nature of this rambunctious plant or if you just do not have space for an herb garden. Place potted mint plants on your front step where you can snip the leaves as needed or grow mint in containers indoors.

It is possible to grow mint from seed, although germination is undependable. If you want to give it a try, plant seeds for growing indoors any time of year, but be sure they have plenty of warmth and sunlight. If you are not interested in planting seeds, purchase a small mint plant at a nursery that specializes in herbs. This is the easiest and most dependable way to grow mint in pots. Fill a container with quality potting mix. Any type of container is fine as long as it has a drainage hole in the bottom and measures at least 12 inches (30 cm.) in diameter. Mix a little time-release fertilizer into the soil before planting mint, and again every spring.

Do not over-feed container grown mint, as too much fertilizer can diminish the pungent flavour. Once the plant is safely in the pot, put it where it receives at least six hours of sunlight per day. Mint tolerates a little shade but thrives in full sunlight.

Parsley

Parsley is a biennial herb but also grown as an annual. If growing parsley as an annual, you can choose a small pot about 6-8 inches deep minimum. For growing parsley as a biennial crop, choose a rather large pot, at least 10 inches deep and wide similarly or more, you can grow one or two plants in such a pot.

Thyme

Thyme is both a culinary and aromatic herb. An excellent container for growing thyme is a clay planter. Other types of pots will suffice, but a clay pot will allow the thyme herb to dry out between watering and prevent overly wet roots as thyme is not tolerant of soggy root conditions. The container should have at least one large drainage hole. A good mix of sand, potting soil, peat moss and perlite will provide adequate nutrients and drainage.

Thyme can tolerate indirect light, which makes it perfect for the kitchen herb garden. The best results will be found when thyme is planted where it receives six hours of daylight. Once the thyme has been planted, place the container in a southern- or western-facing window if possible. Growing thyme inside will require temperatures in the daytime around 600F (160C) or more.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of the favourite vegetables to grow in any container garden. You will not believe how tasty and crisp they are when you pick them right off the plant.

They like to climb, so make sure they have a trellis or some other type of support. While pretty much any type of cucumber can grow in a container, some experienced cucumber growers recommend getting a space master cucumber since they can handle a smaller growing area.

Beans

Eggplant

Eggplants like full sun and are one of the best heat tolerant vegetables you can grow in container gardens. While you can grow eggplants in plastic pots, a clay pot is a better option because it helps the plant stay warm. Once an eggplant starts to grow, it will need some type of pole for support. These plants tend to produce a lot of fruit.

Lettuce

If you like to eat salads, you will love growing your own lettuce. It grows fast, and you can harvest it multiple times during the growing season. In fact, lettuce grows so fast, it is one of the best fast growing vegetables if you need a quick harvest.

Onions

Since we routinely cook with onions, I feel like they are a great addition to our container garden. To make sure you get a nice, full bulb, plant your onions in a container that’s at least 5 inches deep.

Pepper

You will have great success growing pretty much every type of pepper in a container. If you are looking for something that almost everyone in the family will enjoy eating, consider growing sweet peppers.

If you give your sweet peppers plenty of sun, consistent watering, and good drainage, you will enjoy a bountiful harvest. You can pick sweet peppers when they are green.

However, if you leave them on the plant until they turn red, they will give you more vitamin C than an orange. This is important since vitamin C is a great natural cold remedy that actually works.

Radish

Radishes are actually one of the best vegetables for beginner gardeners because they grow quickly and easily. If you decide to grow some of the short, red radishes, you can use a 6-inch container. Just keep in mind that radishes do not like to get too hot. Plus, do not forget that the leaves are also edible.

Squash

While pretty much any type of squash can grow well in a container. It’s an incredibly productive plant, so you will get plenty of bang for your buck when you grow one.

Just keep in mind that squash takes up space when it grows. It will also need a large container, lots of sunlight, and consistent watering.

Pumpkin

Carrot

Like a lot of other root vegetables, carrots do well growing in pots. They prefer cool weather. They also like to have moist soil or they will start to crack. However, you want to make sure your container has adequate holes for drainage because you do not want to overwater your carrots.

Strawberry

Even though strawberries need room to grow, they still do well in containers. For the best results, make sure they get plenty of sun and harvest them regularly so you can make room for additional growth.

Potatoes

Once you experience how good freshly dug potatoes taste, you will never want to buy them from the store again. Fortunately, it is incredibly easy to keep potatoes growing in containers year-round.

Turnips

Since turnips are root