Vegetables in a container? Yes, you’ve read it right. Planting vegetables in a container is so rampant today, especially in urban areas. That is why it is also called Urban gardening. There are many benefits to planting vegetables in a container, so most gardeners prefer it this way. One of those benefits is you can avoid sharing your harvest with deers and rabbits.
Not only that, since you plant your vegetables in a container, you will be able to move them anywhere from the balcony to the rooftop, depending on your plant if they need full sunlight or partial shade. Nevertheless, here are the best vegetables you can grow in a container and additional ideas on how to grow them.
Tomatoes
The traditional way of planting tomatoes in the soil is not a bad idea. However, if you live in an Urban area or you don’t have a spacious area to have a garden, then you can also plant your tomatoes in containers. As a rule of thumb, always use large containers because the small ones will easily dry out, and they might need daily watering when using small containers.
Here are the ways on how to grow tomatoes in a container:
- Buy a large container; a 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide will do, then sanitize them.
- Use good soil or if you are not sure if it’s good soil, then mix them with animal manure to serve as your fertilizer.
- Place your seeds at least three to four inches deep, cover them with soil, and water them gently.
- Lastly, tomatoes love the heat of the sun. With that said, choose a location where they will be hit directly by the sunlight.
Harvesting your tomatoes will usually take between two to three months. But the best time to harvest them is in their breaker stage, which means the features of the tomatoes are half green and half pink.
Eggplant
Eggplant is one of the most delicious vegetables you should grow in a container. Who can resist their smell when you mix them with eggs and deep fry them, right? But you might be wondering right now, why in a container? To answer the question, it will be favorable for the eggplants since they enjoy the sun’s heat. Hence, you can quickly move them to a location where there is full sunlight.
Here are the ways on how to care for and grow them in a container:
- First thing’s first, buy a seed that’s already been germinated to ensure survival in any weather.
- You can use garden soil or any soil and mix them with ½ tbsp of Urea. This is in preparation for when the seeds expand their roots; they can already get nutrients.
- Plant the seed in a large container at least three to four inches deep, and water them but just splash as not to push down the seeds.
- Ensure that your container or the place where you place them is free from ants.
- Lastly, place them in a location where the sun hits them directly. Even at night, eggplants enjoy a warm location.
Usually, it would take five to seven days for an eggplant’s leaves to grow, and it would only mean your eggplant survives its early stage. Just keep putting them in a warm area and water them once a week, and it’s all good. After three months, you can now harvest your healthy and delicious eggplants.
Ginger
We cannot move forward in our lists of vegetables you can plant in a container without including Ginger. It’s very rare for someone to plant Ginger in a container, but little did they know that it is better to plant Ginger in a container than direct to the soil. Why? Because it is hard to harvest Ginger when direct to the soil, and some of it will be left on the soil.
Not only that, Ginger requires shade of the sun partly, and if you plant them in a container, you can move them from one location to another. When choosing a ginger variety, it’s a good idea to choose a Chinese or Indian variety. They are low in maintenance and don’t require much attention. So when you plant them in a container, just place them right away on the top of the soil and not inside.
Potatoes
Freshly picked potatoes from your container taste better than those you bought from the market. With that said, you should definitely try planting potatoes in a container now. Potatoes may want your attention by watering them and adding soil regularly, but the outcome of your hard work will surely pay off. Additionally, you can harvest your potatoes once the leaves start to yellow or dry.
Garlic
Garlic is almost always present in every dish. The good thing is you can easily plant them at home using a container. Since garlic would take at least eight months for you to harvest, make the best out of it. Choose garlic that is large because large garlic means good quality. So when you plant them, the result is also of good quality.
In a large container, you can plant at least four cloves, place them on top of the soil four inches apart, ensure that the pointy one is facing upward, and you are all set. It’s also a good idea to add some organic fertilizer to ensure you get the best outcome.
Takeaway
Those mentioned above are the vegetables you can grow in a container. Now that you have an idea of how to grow them, it would be best to share them with those who want to start a little garden out of containers. With your commitment and determination, you can accomplish this.
