Container Vegetable Gardening Tips, Techniques, and Ideas

Creative Container Gardening

Here are a few great container vegetable gardening plans, tips, and ideas to get your garden off to a successful season of produce!

Watch our video for designing a container garden, and examples of container gardens!

Container gardening is a great and easy option when you want to try your hand at growing your own fresh vegetables, but don't have much space in which to do it!

Glazed Pots Make Good Containers

Planning and planting a container vegetable garden is a great way to save money, and begin a rewarding gardening hobby that can last a lifetime.

Far too many people think that because they live in town or because they live in an apartment, they cannot grow their own vegetables. This is simply not true!

While you can't get the bushels and bushels of produce that people with a farm can harvest, it is entirely possible to provide a good amount of your favorite vegetables for your table through container gardening.

Container Gardening Ideas Video

Designing a Container Garden:

Try Growing a Vertical Garden to Save Space

Vertical Patio Garden

The main advantage of designing a container garden is that it doesn't take a lot of space, or a big back yard to grow your own vegetables.

All it takes is a place to keep your pots, potting soil, and water.

Add a little planning and TLC, and you are definitely going to get results.

The plants that you grow can provide delicious produce that can give you some really terrific meals to look forward to.

Choose a sunny location for your container garden. Southern, western, and eastern exposures are ideal. Northern or shady exposures will be fine for leafy vegetables such as lettuce that prefer somewhat cooler growing conditions.

Container Vegetable Gardening Ideas

Patio Container Vegetable Garden

What kind of containers can you use? Here are some container ideas to help you get started.

• Lots of people like the look of clay pots, but remember that water can seep or evaporate through the sides and they can stain or crack in freezing weather. 
• Terra cotta pots tend to dry out quickly, so be sure to water frequently.
  
• Wooden pots are fine, although they can eventually rot on the inside from the moisture unless lines with plastic.
  
• Using cedar or redwood containers will also slow this process.
  
• Glazed ceramic pots although fragile are beautiful, and they can work very well for this purpose.
  
• Decorative plastic pots are inexpensive and look great, and of course, you can always use plastic buckets or planters as well!
  
• Save money...you can also recycle pots or containers you already have on hand!

Container Garden Plans

Creative Container Garden Ideas

What vegetables can you get started with? A great rule of thumb is that leafy vegetables will tolerate shade, while anything that flowers and then fruits will need more sun.

In this case, if you have limited amounts of sunlight to work with (for instance, if you have a northern exposure or if you have a building that is blocking the light, you may very well wish to stick to growing celery, spinach and lettuce, especially at the beginning.

• Sunny locations are great for growing tomatoes, onions, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers and any other vegetables you would like to try in a pot!
  
• You might also want to add a few colorful flowering plants to your vegetable garden to add beauty and fragrance.

Container Garden Tips

Cherry Tomato Plant in Clay Pot

Also remember that when you are starting container vegetable gardening you will need to use a good potting soil with added nutrients such as compost.

• Small amounts of liquid fertilizer will get you the results that you need as well as using a good potting soil, which allows for good drainage and encourages your roots to spread well through the pot.
  
•  Some people create their own compost pile and recycle fruit, vegetable, and other materials. This is a good thing to do if you have some space for it.
  
• Container vegetable gardening is a lovely way to get some terrific, show-stopping vegetables for your table.
  
• Remember that if you are feeling unsure that you can simply start small.
  
• Some people keep their indoor container gardens going all year in the climate controlled environment of their home.
  
• Think about how good fresh tomatoes in the winter would taste!