SAVE SPACE WITH CONTAINER VEGETABLE GARDENING
Aside from being immensely fulfilling, growing your vegetables at home comes with a whole host of benefits. However, it can feel out of reach unless you have a large plot of land to start a vegetable garden. Others might feel that they are not physically capable of handling the constant back-bending involved with traditional vegetable gardening methods. Worry not; container gardening is here to save the day!
Benefits of Container Vegetable Gardening
We have winter and unpredictable spring weather here in Indianapolis to contend with before we get into the growing season. Container vegetable gardening allows you the flexibility and mobility to start your plants indoors and move them outdoors as conditions improve. It is also a perfect solution for those who lack the time or space for a full-on vegetable garden. You can still have a vegetable garden if you live in an apartment or condo or just have a tiny yard!
Setting up a few containers on the front steps of your home, on your condo patio, or even some small ones in a windowsill can still provide you with a surprisingly large amount of produce throughout the year. Like gardening with raised beds, container gardening removes a barrier for those who are physically unable to spend a lot of time bending or working on their knees because everything is raised well up off the ground!
The final benefit is somewhat obvious but still worth pointing out—you have a produce aisle at your fingertips! You can grow what you want based on your tastes and preferences, and you'll know what products it grew in.
Tips for Successful Container Vegetable Gardening
Starting a veggie garden in containers does differ slightly from planting in the ground. We have a few tips to start you off on the right foot!
Light & Temperature Requirements
Many of the most common fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, require a lot of light—usually six hours a day minimum. If you plan to start your container garden indoors or do not have south-facing access, we recommend assessing the area where you plan to keep your containers before planting. Check it about every 30 minutes for a day close to the time of year that you intend to plant to ensure that your veggie container garden will get enough sunlight.
We also recommend considering soil conditions. Cool-season crops like broccoli, lettuce, squash, and carrots love cold soil, but many others (like tomatoes) do not. If you intend to grow your container garden outdoors, ensure that you are planting only cool-season veggies to start or wait to move your containers outdoors until the soil can remain steady at 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Watering Your Veggie Container Garden
Many veggies need a lot of water to grow and thrive, but sitting in standing water is no good as it can cause root rot. The goal for most veggies is to keep the soil consistently moist—not wet, not dry. A straightforward way to check if you need to water your veggies is simply by sticking your finger in the soil. If the top inch is dry, you should probably water them! Be sure to check your veggies a couple of times a day during the hottest part of the season.
Best Veggies for Container Gardens
There are plenty of delicious options to grow, keeping size restrictions in mind! While you likely won't be growing zucchini or pumpkins on a patio anytime soon, there are tons of dwarf varieties you can select which will be appropriate to grow in pots. We are partial to starting with lettuce greens because they are really easy to grow and develop quickly. If you get going with a planting cycle, you can have a never-ending supply of lettuce greens to pick.
Cherry tomatoes also grow well in containers; just be sure to select a determinate variety or a dwarf plant, as they will be much more manageable in a container garden. Radishes, beans, peppers, and carrots are all viable options for container gardening, as well as pretty much any herb you could want! Kitchen herb gardens are very popular, and there's a reason for it—they're affordable, relatively easy to maintain, and keep you elbow-deep in freshly grown herbs 365 days of the year.
If you're on the hunt for seeds, starter plants, containers, or any other supplies to get your container veggie garden started in Indiana, stop by Damman's Garden Company for a visit! We'll be happy to help get you well on your way to enjoying your home-grown vegetables.