What Vegetables Grow Well In Container Gardens?

Have you ever wondered what vegetables can be grown in containers? If you have a backyard homestead with no space for a big garden, then container gardening may be just the thing you are looking for.

Almost anything that can be planted in soil can be grown in containers of various shapes and sizes, such as flowers, vegetables, and even trees. Although not an exhaustive list, in this post, we will discuss vegetables that shine in container gardening.

This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

Tricks for success

Before we start, let’s discuss a few keys to keep in mind about container gardening. Make sure the vessel’s diameter and depth are large and deep enough for the plant(s) you will grow, that it is heavy enough to not tip over in the wind, and it has sufficient drainage.

Other things to be aware of with container gardening is that your plants will need watering and feeding more frequently. Potted plants are more susceptible to changes in temperature and may overheat and freeze easier than their in-ground counterparts.

When planting several things together, make sure they are compatible in sun, watering and nutrient needs. For a fuller appearance, plants can be spaced about one-third closer than in-ground planting. Check out Vegetable Companion Planting for Insects, Vegetable Companion Planting for Yield and Flavor, and the Vegetable Companion Planting Cheat Sheet.

Often the smaller varieties grow best in containers. These may be labeled as bush, compact, dwarf, miniature, patio, or trailing. They should be groomed regularly to prevent fungal diseases and pests and to stop unwanted sprawl.

Leaf lettuces and leafy greens

Leaf lettuces and leafy greens, such as chard, kale and spinach, are hard to beat because they are fast growing and their roots are shallow so they only require about six-to-eight-inch soil depth.

Lettuce Seeds for Planting, Red Romaine Lettuce, Bibb Butter Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson, Green Ice Iceberg Lettuce, Non-GMO…1000+ Lettuce Mix Seeds Please Read! This is A Mix!!! 20 Varieties Seeds Heirloom Non-GMO. Seeds are not Individually Packaged!Organic Garden Greens Vegetable Seeds – 8 Varieties of Heirloom, Non-GMO Salad Green Seeds – Lettuce, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Kale, and Spinach

 

These grow best in the spring and fall because they don’t like the heat of summer. In many climates they may do well with partial sun or even mostly shaded areas in the summer.

For a continual harvest, pick the outside leaves first to keep them growing, or plant successively every two weeks if you take the whole head.

Nightshades

Nightshades, such as tomatoes, eggplant, and both hot and bell peppers do well in pots. Potatoes, although a nightshade, have very different growing needs and will be discussed next.

Pepper Seeds for Planting 8 Varieties Pack, Jalapeno, Habanero, Bell Pepper, Cayenne, Hungarian Hot Wax, Anaheim, Serrano, Cubanelle Heirloom Seeds for Planting in Garden Non GMO Gardeners BasicsSow Right Seeds – Sweet Bell Pepper Seed Collection for Planting a Home Garden – Orange, Red, Yellow, Purple and Chocolate Brown Bell Peppers – Non-GMO Heirloom Variety Pack Vegetable Seeds to PlantSow Right Seeds – Cherry Tomato Seed Collection for Planting – Large Red Cherry, Yellow Pear, White, and Rio Grande Tomatoes – Non-GMO Heirloom Varieties to Plant and Grow Home Vegetable Garden

 

Generally speaking, one plant per large pot, but the size of the pot is determined by the size of the fruit, with a larger pot for larger-sized fruit. These are sun and heat loving plants, so place in full sun.

Keep the soil moist, but well drained, watering deeply from the base of the plants. As they grow tall, these will need staking to keep the fruit from breaking the stems. Tumbling cherry tomato varieties can hang down from hanging baskets or window boxes.

Growing in containers keeps these plants off the ground, which assists in preventing diseases and pests from easily overcoming your plants. Space containers so that if one plant gets infected, it won’t spread easily.

Wait until tomatoes and peppers are fully ripe for the best flavor. Some varieties of tomatoes can be harvested in less than 60 days. Eggplant is best picked when the fruit is young with small seeds and thin skin.

Potatoes

While potatoes are technically a nightshade, they grow very differently than the other nightshades. Smaller “new” potatoes do best in containers, rather than big Russets. Growing potatoes in containers protects against fungus and blight.

Start potatoes in the spring and keep the container shaded from the hot summer sun because when the roots warm up, they may stop producing. However, the foliage needs 6-8 hours of full sun.

You will need a container that is about 2-3 feet tall with a 10–15-gallon capacity. If it is taller, the tops may dry out while the potatoes get soggy and rot. Make sure your container has good drainage.

Plant by starting with 6-8 inches of potting soil and space seed potatoes about one foot apart and add six more inches of soil. Throughout the season add six inches of soil at a time, leaving six inches of foliage exposed.

Simply Seed™ – Russet Burbanks – Naturally Grown Seed Potatoes – 5 LBS – Ready for Spring Planting !Seed Potato Mix, 5 lbs. Certified Seed Non GMO Red Lasoda, Golden Yukons and Blue (5)

 

Harvest when tops turn yellow, or at the first frost (if you don’t bring the pot inside). Gently sift through the soil so you don’t bruise the potatoes, and brush off the extra soil. Store without washing.

Legumes

Peas and beans are both legumes that are beginning gardener friendly. Bush beans won’t require any trellis, but pole beans and peas will require a trellis, wall or fence to grow up onto.  Growing up with enough air circulation also inhibits diseases and pests.

4 Pack Indoor Trellis Small Trellis for Potted Plants, 15.7 Inch Stackable House Plant Trellis for Climbing Plants, Indoor Plant Trellis Decorate Plant as Christmas Tree, Metal Trellis for Ivy VineSurvival Garden Seeds Sugar Peas Collection Seed Vault – Oregon Sugar Pod II Pea & Sugar Daddy Snap Pea – Non-GMO Heirloom Varieties to Grow Delicious Cool Weather Vegetables on Your HomesteadTower Obelisk Garden Trellis for Climbing Plant，59inch Rustproof Metal Potted Plant Climbing Support for Indoor Outdoor Flowers Vegetable Fruits Vines Support (Black)30 Early Frosty Pea Seeds for Planting Heirloom Non GMO 7+ Grams English Pea Garden Vegetable Bulk Survival

 

Peas are a cool weather crop, enduring light frost and even a light snow, but you will need to protect them from a hard frost. They stop flowering when temperatures are in the 70’s F. Once the pea harvest is over, the pot can be used for another crop that likes the nitrogen the peas have deposited in the soil.

There are two types of beans, green beans in which the whole pod is eaten, and dry beans where the beans are shelled. Beans should be planted after the last frost and can be planted successively for continuous harvesting.

25+ Blue Lake Pole Bean Seeds for Planting Heirloom Non GMO 7 Grams Garden Vegetable Bulk Survival HominySow Right Seeds – Tri Color Bush Bean Seed Collection for Planting – Individual Packets Contender, Royal Burgundy and Golden Wax Bush Beans, Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds to Plant a Home Vegetable Garden…Organic Pinto Beans – 15 g Packet ~22 Seeds – Non-GMO – Farm & Vegetable Garden – Bulk Emergency Supply Storage

 

Both peas and green beans should be harvested while they are young and tender. Harvesting them often, even daily, will encourage more to grow. Dry beans should be left on the vines until the beans rattle inside the pods.

Brassicaceae a.k.a. Brassicas or Cruciferous (cabbage/mustard family)

Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, turnips, and radishes are examples of this family of plants. They like cooler weather, so they are best grown in the spring and fall, but they still like full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Cauliflower Seed, Snowball Y, Heirloom, Non GMO, 25 Seeds, Large, Delicious and HealthySow Right Seeds – Waltham 29 Broccoli Seeds for Planting – Non-GMO Heirloom Packet with Instructions to Plant an Outdoor Home Vegetable Garden – Grow Your Own Fresh Green Broccoli – Great GiftBrussel Sprouts Seed, Churchill, Heirloom, Non GMO, 25+ Seeds, Early Sprouting, COUNTRY CREEK ACRESKale Seeds for Planting Outdoors or Hydroponics – Heirloom Leafy Greens Seeds 4 Variety Pack: Non-GMO Lacinato (Tuscan / Dino Kale), Blue Scotch, Dwarf Siberian, Red Russian Kale – Salad Mix Seeds

 

Broccoli actually increases its sugar content to prevent freezing when it is subject to freezing temperatures down to the mid 20’s F. Heat and drought make for bitter broccoli, so keep the soil moist and give it shade when the temperatures start heating up.

Several varieties of radishes mature in less than a month! The foliage is beautiful but there are no roots to eat if the soil is too rich. Harvest as soon as they are ready so they don’t get woody. Radishes can be planted weekly to have a continual harvest.

Cucurbits

This vining plant family includes cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, and melons. They like full to partial sun and fertile, well-drained soil. These are great beginning gardener plants.

Squash Seeds for Planting 5 Individual Packets – Zucchini, Delicata, Butternut, Spaghetti and Golden Crookneck for Your Non GMO Heirloom Vegetable Garden by Gardeners BasicsMini-Me Cucumber Seeds | 10+ Seeds | Grow Your own Food | Mini Vegetable Seeds for PlantingMelon Fruit Seeds For Planting Home Garden 5 Variety Packs – Hales Best Cantaloupe, Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Yellow Canary Melon, Green Flesh Honeydew Melon, Sugar Baby Watermelon by Gardeners Basics

 

Use dwarf varieties of squashes, pumpkins, and melons. Use raised bed type containers, rather than pots, to accommodate the sprawl of these plants. 

Using a trellis to help cucumbers and summer squashes to grow up keeps the leaves dry to better withstand bacterial or fungal diseases and pests don’t just walk up, and it also gives them more sun exposure, and makes harvesting easier.

Derlights 5-Pack Tomato Cages Deformable Plant Supports Tomato Support Garden Plant Cages Multi-Functional Tomato Cucumber Trellis for Climbing Vegetables with 15Pcs Clips2 Pack Garden Trellis, 2 in 1 Plant Cages & Supports for Vines Crop, Plant Trellis for Climbing Plants Indoor Outdoor, Plant Stake for Flower, Vegetable, Tomato,Vines, Pot Trellis for Potted PlantsAboofx Raised Garden Bed Planter Boxes with Trellis for Climbing Vegetables Plants, Tomato Planter Box with Adjust Plant Trellis Clips and Ties, Garden Trellis for Indoor Outdoor Plant Fruit FlowerPlant Support,Tomato Cages for Garden,Garden Stakes for Plants, Plant Cages with 3 Adjustable Rings,Plant Stake for Supporter Climbing Plants,Slip and Shock Resistant(18 inches,Pack of 4)

 

Cucumbers like cooler weather. Harvest them early and often (even daily) which keeps them flowering and producing. Water them frequently to keep them from becoming bitter.

Summer squashes are best when the fruit is harvested young at about 6” long and seeds are small. However, they are still edible if they get much larger.

Harvest winter squashes and pumpkins just before the first frost. Melons are ready when the vine dies next to the fruit and/or the fruit’s underside turns white or cream colored.

Happy Gardening

Although this has not been an exhaustive list, the varieties of foods that can grow well in containers is plentiful. If you don’t have room for a large garden plot, container gardening may be just the thing your circumstances require.

With a little knowledge about the advantages and tricks for success, container gardening can provide you with some of your favorite vegetables and a sense of satisfaction that you grew some of your own food. Happy gardening!

Share the wisdom!