Container Vegetable Gardening

Container vegetable gardening is ideal if you don't have the space for a conventional vegetable plot in your garden.

Or if you just want a few tasty vegetables without the effort of maintaining a proper vegetable plot.

Grown on the patio, veranda, balcony or any spare space you can find, some vegetables in pots and containers will look attractive as well as supply fresh veg for the kitchen table.

You can grow them almost anywhere, even in pots and tubs on the sides of driveways or pathways, providing they are wide enough of course.

The only requirement is that they receive some sunshine during the day and are accessible for watering and harvesting.

That's one of the best things about container vegetable gardening, you can grow them in all sorts of pots, tubs, boxes, hanging baskets, old buckets indeed anything that is suitable and large enough, can hold compost, and drainage holes can be made in the bottom.

Really, nearly anything goes for containers, just use what you have laying around, you'll be surprised what you can find and use.

The only real recommendation for vegetable containers is that they are at least 30cm (12inches across).

When you have chosen your container, make drainage holes in the bottom if necessary.

Now all you have to do is cover the bottom drainage holes with old crocks, or a layer of stones, large enough so they don’t fall through the drainage holes.

It's an absolute must that the container and crocks or stones are clean. So before you start give them a good wash. This will help stop any soil borne, or other diseases from multiplying in the confines of a container.

Make the crock or stone layer about 2.5cm (1inch) deep minimum, the idea of this is to allow water to drain through and out of the container and not lay in the bottom.

Fill your container with ordinary potting compost, peat based or non-peat based is ideal. Don't use ordinary garden soil, this contains to many weed seeds and soil diseases.

Fill the container to about 2.5cm (1inch) from the top, this allows enough room to give your vegetables a good watering without the water spilling over the edge.

Sow your vegetable seeds in the container, gently firm in and water well.

That's all there is to it.

Well is container vegetable gardening easy or what?

Well that's all very well but what vegetables can you grow in containers?

Ok, here's a few to get your taste buds going and they are quite easy too

Beetroot (F1 hybrids)
Cabbage (Shelta)
Carrot (Amsterdam forcing)
Cauliflower (Avalanche)
Chilli (F1 hybrids)
Courgette (Cavilli)
French Beans (Dwarf varieties)
Leek (King Richard)
Lettuce (Little gem)
Parsnip (Dagger)
Pepper ( Sweet pepper)
Radish (Rougette)
Runner Bean (Dwarf varieties)
Spinach (F1 varieties)
Spring onion (Feast)
Turnip (Primera)

Potatoes (Accent, Rocket, Swift, Mimi, Foremost, Nicola, Lady Christl) - Grow them in potato barrels, potato planters or thick large plastic sacks or large pots or tubs.

Tomatoes (Red alert, Totem, Micro Tom, Balcony Red, Tumblin Tom, Tumbler)

Just remember to keep all your vegetable containers well watered especially on warm breezy days, don't let them ever dry out.

Give them a liquid fertiliser feed at least twice a week during the peek growing period.

With vegetables like beans, peppers and tomatoes keep harvesting to encourage more to grow.

Well what are you waiting for.

If you haven't got your seed catalogues yet, go and get them.

The earlier you get them sown the sooner you can start your container vegetable gardening and reap the benefits.

A couple of good tips to remember