There is no better thing than harvesting your own vegetables. Just think about those juicy, deliciously sweet, and sour cherry tomatoes that you freshly picked from the plant on your balcony. Without a doubt, homegrown vegetables are altogether different from the ones you purchase at the grocery store.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a garden. The good news is that many vegetables that grow in the soil can be grown in a pot or container. Some of them are very simple to grow, even for beginner vegetable gardeners. You will be surprised by the number of crops you can harvest when growing veggies in containers.
Vegetables are meant to be grown and eaten in the season when they taste best! Here are our TOP 10 vegetable crops to try in containers.
1. Tomatoes
Homegrown tomatoes and what we can buy in supermarkets are worlds apart and can’t be compared. It is very easy to grow your own tomatoes. Started from seed, it takes about eight weeks to develop seedlings ready for transplanting. However, if you don’t feel confident enough to grow them from seed, then buy a grown plant. Tomatoes grow in pots, grow bags, or hanging baskets. Bush or trailing varieties are best for containers. What they need is some sun, some fertilizer, regular watering, and you to be around when the tomatoes ripen!
2. Salad Leaves
via ventnorpermaculture.wordpress.com
Growing salad leaves is certainly the simplest crop to start your veg garden with. Try sowing a mix of seeds to have different leaves and cut the fresh leaves just 3 weeks later! They will keep growing as long as you keep harvesting the leaves. Another great thing about growing leaves in a pot or hanging basket is that it eliminates the problems with slugs and snails!
3. Carrots
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Depending on which type of carrot you go for, the long roots, such as ‘Nantes‘ or the shorter ones like the ‘Thumbelina,’ choose the adequate pot to be deep enough for your carrots. Usually, the short-rooted varieties do well in pots. Once the seeds are sown (sow it thinly 2-3 cm apart) and make sure to keep the soil damp. Two months later, you can harvest the sweet and crispy carrots!
4. Radishes
Growing radishes in a pot or container are easy as pie. During spring and summer, sow them directly into the ground and water them regularly.They will be ready to harvest in a month. Peppery radishes are great in sandwiches, or add them to salads.
5. Chillies
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Being tropical plant chillies need two things light and heat. It’s perfectly possible to grow chillies on a window sill, not only in a greenhouse! They can also survive outdoors in a warm spot with strong sunlight. Did you know that the temperature determines the spiciness? The warmer the conditions are, the spicier the chillies!
6. Beans
via www.grow-it-organically.com
Green beans, broad beans, runner beans. They are all fairly simple to grow in a container. Make sure to have enough room for the climber types and train them onto wires or support frames. Bush beans are also a great option, but they produce their crop all at once. Try the ‘Blue Lake Pole,’ ‘Helda’ romano, or heirloom ‘Kentucky Wonder.’
7. Spinach
via www.grow-it-organically.com
Spinach needs regular water and cool temperatures. Avoid too much hot sunlight that leads to bolting and too little water to make the leaves taste bitter. You can sow seeds directly or transplant seedlings to prepared soil. Spinach is a great crop for containers. Harvest your baby spinach in 3-5 weeks!
8. Beetroot
Beetroot grows well in pots and containers, including window boxes. It is easy to grow and can be sown directly into the moist ground from March to July. Make sure to thin the seedlings to about 3-4cm apart. This way, you will have beautiful colorful beetroot from May to September to harvest!
9. Potatoes
Growing potatoes in a container are the perfect option for gardeners with limited space. Potatoes don’t need a lot of room to grow, only deep soil. Any sort of deep containers like barrels or plastic dustbins will do the trick. Click here for more advice on growing potatoes.
10. Onions
via blessedhomemaker.blogspot.com
Onion is a great crop for containers because they don’t need deep soil, and they are also very easy to grow. Did you know that spring onions regrow once the leftover roots are placed in water? You just have to change the water once in a few days, and you will have new onions in about a week. Click here for our list of foods you can regrow from kitchen scraps.
I have just herbs on my balcony, but veggies are way better. My plan for next summer 😀
http://rajkoralkov.blogspot.com.tr/
This year grew grape tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, parsley, oregano, and rosemary in container on my deck.,, I never thought potatoes would have enough room in a container to grow.. But I see they grow very well. I will have to try that next year(2016). Thank you for the link to see what potatoes grow best in containers.. Thank you for the information. Faye
I want to know if I have to keep my plants outdoors I have ample sunshine in my kitchen and I have ample squirrel action on my fireasscape so this is why I’m asking… please let me know what to do?
Thanks