Best Vegetable Varieties for Container Gardening

Reader Contribution by Karen Newcomb
Published on April 5, 2013
article image
Flickr/Jonti Bolles

Potatoes to beans can have large yields when you choose the best vegetable varieties for container gardening.

If you find yourself short on garden space but want to grow your own fresh vegetables, container gardening may be your answer.  You can grow your garden almost anywhere by squeezing in a container or two around the patio, balcony, in a flower bed, hanging baskets from the rafters or even in pots on a windowsill or in a window box.

You can plant in standard containers that you buy from a garden center, or you can turn almost anything into a vegetable container. As a general rule, the larger and deeper the container, the better the yields. While you can grow small-type tomatoes in smaller containers. The larger varieties require up to 20 gallons (3 cubic feet) of soil to produce a good crop.

In an outside window box, you can grow almost anything.  In window boxes it’s easiest to plant in pots and simply set the pots in the box.

Planting Your Patio

If you have six hours of direct sunlight a day on your balcony or patio, you can grow any type of vegetables.  Patio gardening follows outdoor gardening rules, however, have some light problems that the average garden doesn’t have.  The reflection of direct sunlight on wood, brick, or concrete can produce tremendous heat.  Tomatoes, eggplants, and other warm season plants can survive this, but more sensitive plants, like lettuce may burn.

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