Growing Fruit & Vegetables in Containers

Living in a unit or with a small garden shouldn't mean that you can’t grow fruit & vegetables yourself, there are many fruits & vegetables which can be easily grown in pots. Some of the larger fruits & vegetables also have miniature varieties, which are perfect for containers.

Advantages of potted fruit & vegetable gardens are that they can take up as much or as little space as you require. They can be moved to different locations depending on the season. They save you money, taste so much better than store bought vegetables & don't contain many of the nasty chemicals that purchased vegetables have. Growing fruit & vegetables at home is also a great activity to involve the children with.

Some common fruits & vegetables which can be grown in containers include;

• Tomatoes

• Strawberries

• Capsicum

• Chilli

• Beans

• Lettuce

• Garlic

• Potatoes

• Herbs

• Cucumber

• Melon (miniature varieties)

• Pumpkin (Golden Nugget, Jack Be Little)

• Radish

• Broccoli

• Eggplant

• Citrus (oranges, lemons, mandarins etc.)

• Spinach

• Spring onion

There’s a huge array of pots & containers available some more attractive than others. These include plastic, terracotta, old wine barrels, hanging baskets, buckets, garbage bins, wooden boxes, large polystyrene boxes, yoghurt containers. You can even grow straight out of the potting mix bag. Just remember to drill holes in the bottom of your containers if they don’t already have them to allow for drainage.  

Two vegetables which are unsuitable for container planting are;

• Pumpkin (Golden nugget & Jack Be Little are suitable for for containers due to their small size, most other varieties grow too large)

• Corn

How to set up your container vegetable garden

You will need to buy the following;

• Containers

• Stakes (for taller plants such as tomatoes)

• Good quality potting mix

• Fertiliser

• Mulch

• Watering can

Caring for your plants:

Sunshine, water & nutrients are the three key ingredients required to grow plants.

Food;

Use good quality potting mix & fertilise regularly. As plants are in a confined area, nutrients are used up quickly & will need to be replaced regularly. Always follow the manufacturers instructions & use the correct fertiliser for the crops you are growing.

Water;

Pots have a tendency to dry out quicker than plants in the ground, so regular watering is a must. Check them daily & water if needed. Mulching will help prevent evaporation.

Plants need proper drainage or roots will rot. Ensure all pots have drainage holes in the bottom.

Sunshine;

Place in a sunny position, which receives at least 8 hours of daylight.

Taller plants such as tomatoes will require staking to prevent them falling over.

 Organic Food Gardening Beginners Guide