Seasoned gardeners may claim that any vegetable will grow in a container if you provide the optimum growing conditions and a large enough pot.
While this is true, there’s no doubt that some veggies are happier in the ground while others grow like magic in containers. Here are a few of our all-time favorite container veggies:
1. Spinach
Spinach is delicious, highly nutritious, and one of the few veggies that grows like a champ in either full sunlight or partial shade. Although it doesn’t require a deep pot, a wider container allows you to grow a few more spinach plants.
2. Bush Beans
Bush beans are compact plants that do well in a relatively small container. Pole beans require a larger container,but the plants typically produce more beans over the course of the season. Train the vines on bamboo poles, tipi-style.
3. Carrots
Carrots, especially dwarf varieties,are fun to grow in containers. If you want to grow regular-size carrots, use a pot with a depth of at least 18 inches.
4. Eggplants
Eggplants are good-sized vegetables that may not seem suitable for container-growing, but an average-size pot with a diameter of 14 to 16 inches will hold one plant, or possibly two if you’re growing a compact variety. As an added bonus, eggplants are also highly ornamental.
5. Lettuce
Lettuce and other salad greens are one of the all-time favorite container veggies, and you can pick fresh salad fixin’s from a smallish pot outside your kitchen door. If you’re adventurous, try a seed mix that contains various types of lettuce and/or greens.
6. Tomatoes
Tomatoes grow well in pots, but stick with a dwarf variety if you’re short on space. Otherwise, determinate varieties are bushy plants that require less space than indeterminate tomatoes, but they produce only once during the season. If you want juicy tomatoes all season long and you have space for a 5-gallon pot, grow an indeterminate variety.
7. Garlic
Garlic is just the ticket for a balcony or small patio. While it seems like a small vegetable, garlic prefers a pot with a depth of at least 12 inches, thus allowing ample underground space for big, hearty bulbs.
8. Radishes
Radishes are a cinch to grow and you can easily plant several crops in a single season – even in a small pot. They’re great for kids and impatient gardeners because they produce so quickly. A spot in afternoon shade keeps radishes from going to seed too early.
9. Peppers
Peppers, either sweet or hot, are not only easy to grow, they’re downright pretty. Grow a couple of varieties in shades of purple, red or orange to add a spot of bold color to your outdoor space.
