Growing Plants In Containers

June 21st, 2012 Garden

If you live in an apartment or condominium, you may have no space for gardening out of doors. Do not despair; you can use what space you do have to grow a few veggetables anyway. Many apartments and condos have balconies or a patio space, and even a few pots and containers can provide a surprising amount of vegetables.

Growing a few herbs may be the best place to start since they do not take much room. You can experiment to find the best location for growing plants before using larger containers for other plants. Plant the herbs you know you can use to season the dishes you usually make. Chives go great in many salads or on baked potatoes, while parsley, thyme and rosemary add great flavor to cooked dishes. Even if you do not have any outdoor space at all, herbs can be grown in small pots on a window sill.

Tomatoes and peppers make great container plants. You may be interested in trying one of the hanging planters available now. Tomatoes and strawberries are the plants they are typically used for, and if you would like a few flowers, they can be used for that too. A slightly larger container can be used for beans and peas. Place the planter near a wall and use a trellis for climbing varieties of these plants.

Root crops such as potatoes, beets and carrots need more space and take longer to produce, so you will not see results very soon from them. There are some varieties which produce “baby” vegetables, and they do not need as much space and produce edible vegetables sooner.

The size of your containers will depend on the space you have available. You also should take into consideration whether or not the containers may need to be moved from one spot to another. Do not use containers which are so big that they are too heavy to move once they are filled with soil. A plant dolly could make large pots easier to move if that becomes an issue. A pot which is 12 to 18 inches across the top is probably as large as you would want to go. Smaller pots can hold individual plants and are easy to move.

When you purchase seeds or potted plants, look for instructions on the package or pot. Use containers which have water reservoirs or drain dishes to keep a water supply available for the plant longer. Most plants should not sit in the sun all day long, but will do best if they have sun at least 50 percent of the time. This is where it is convenient to have movable containers.

Unfortunately, pests will find your plants eventually. Some birds are happy to feast on your fruit and even some vegetables. Certain bugs are also attracted to garden vegetables, and the treatment for them will depend on which vegetables you have that are being eaten.

Strawberry pots make great containers for growing some delicious berries. You might also check out dwarf fruit trees if your space is adequate.

Even though container gardening can be challenging, the rewards make it worthwhile. Use the information provided in this article to get started with enough vegetables to supplement the fresh produce you buy.