The Benefits of A Container Garden
As I mentioned before, container gardens can benefit everyone. Let’s break down all the reasons why:
Focused Care - In a container garden, your attention is not drawn to the garden as a whole but more or less focused on each individual plant. This is beneficial to you and your garden since each plant gets the individual care it needs.
Flexibility - Container gardens are super flexible and adaptable to any space, large or small. They work great in a small yard or on a balcony; no plot of soil is required.
Premium Soil - With many in-ground gardening methods, you begin with depleted soil that takes years to improve. With container gardening, you begin with premium soil that is much easier to maintain its fertility.
Portability - A container garden is also portable. You can move plants to get more sun or to avoid bad weather. Container gardens can make any space look better by turning a dull spot into a beautiful garden.
Less Weeding - Using pots and planters keeps unwanted plants (aka weeds) out, and keeping weeds out of your garden makes caring for your garden simpler and more fun.
Easy on the Back - Those with physical limitations can set up their containers to be wheelchair accessible or higher to eliminate the need for crouching.
Container Gardening Disadvantages
All gardening methods have downsides, and we shouldn’t ignore that container gardening has a few. The most common complaints are that the soil in pots dries out faster, containers can inhibit roots from spreading to support a healthy plant, and nutrients need to be replenished over time.
The upside is that choosing the right pot can greatly reduce the impact of these limitations causing the benefits of container gardening to far outweigh the the downsides.
Selecting the Perfect Container
Choosing the right containers and sizes is essential for your garden's success. I use the 3, 5 and 10-gallon sizes the most often.
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Three-gallon pots work well for a single pepper plant or for growing several leafy greens, strawberries, beans, flowers or herbs.
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Five-gallon pots are great for most crops, including tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and cabbage.
- Finally, the ten-gallon container is so large that you can easily grow things like potatoes. Use it for a tomato plant with basil around it, loads of spinach and salad greens, or whatever your heart desires. A ten (or fifteen) gallon pot can even be used to grow a dwarf citrus tree.
Whether you use grow bags, hang baskets, grow in tiered vertical planters, or choose pots, there are pros and cons to each type of container.
Here is the information you need to make a wise choice:
Container Type |
Pros |
Cons |
Hanging Baskets & Windowsill Planters |
You can create a garden with little to no yard space or even patio space. These isolated planting areas seem to attract fewer pests. |
Hanging baskets and planters may be too small to handle many of your regular vegetable plants. They dry out more quickly and require more maintenance and consistent care. Depending on what material your basket or planter is made from, it will have the pros and cons listed below as well. |
Peat Pots |
Lightweight, breathable, and made from a biodegradable product. |
Peat Pots have a short life, around 3-4 months, and they are not good for indoor use. As the peat breaks down, they often mold which can harm your plant’s health. |
Plastic Pots |
A plastic pot is very lightweight. The 5-Tier GreenStalk Original Vertical Planter is a great choice because it is made from high-quality, food-grade, UV-resistant, BPA, BPS & PVC-free plastic. Pro-Tip: Picking lightly colored pots is a simple way to avoid “baked roots.” Lighter pots reflect the sunshine and heat, whereas dark pots absorb it into the soil. |
Plastic pots are not breathable, trapping excess water (even when they have drainage holes in the bottom) that can lead to root rot, mold, and other issues. Polymer-based plastics can possibly leach BPA into your soil when hot. |
Clay Pots (Terracotta) |
Unglazed terracotta pots are breathable and wick away moisture, allowing excess water to leave and plant roots to get more oxygen. |
Terracotta is very heavy and fragile. If left out over winter, it can absorb moisture, freeze and crack. Clay pots heat up and dry out faster in the summer which can bake roots. |
Fabric Pots (Fabric Grow Bags) |
Fabric pots are as lightweight as peat and as breathable as terracotta. They are also BPA-free, long-lasting, and very easy to store. Handles make them super easy to move around and they can be used to grow indoors. Grow bags are also better at controlling the internal temperature and water content of your soil than traditional pots. The porous material is less likely to hold in excess water, so your chances of facing root rot while gardening with grow bags are slim. |
Fabric pots really have no downside other than that they will dry out quicker. Plan to water them about twice as often as standard pots. |
As you can see, fabric pots have a lot of things going for them. With all the benefits of plastic, peat, and clay pots but with none of the drawbacks, fabric grow bags are my number one choice for container gardening. And I haven’t even shared my favorite benefit yet: air pruning!
Normally, when growing through the soil, roots touch the surface of a regular pot, turning and growing in a circle. Over time, this creates a restricted root ball—not in a fabric pot, though!
Air pruning happens because the roots grow through the fabric pot and touch the air. When they touch the air, they die off and fork, making two new roots. That means you are doubling the plant's root mass, creating a far healthier root system that leads to a far healthier plant.
Ideal Crops for Container Gardens
Choosing the right crops for container gardens can save you a lot of hassle, frustration, and wasted time. Look for “Container Friendly” under Plant Attributes when choosing your MIgardener seeds.
Vining crops like pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons generally don’t do as well in container gardens, and neither do tall crops like corn.
Growing large varieties in a container garden is possible, but it requires a lot of work. My recommendation, especially vegetable container gardening for beginners, is to start with smaller plants. Small plants take up less space in the garden and require less energy to maintain.
With that in mind, here are my top recommendations:
Tomatoes and Peppers - Dwarf varieties and determinate tomato varieties are good choices for pots. Try the Pimento L Pepper, the Firecracker Ornamental Pepper, the Tiny Tim Tomato, the Geranium Kiss Tomato, and the Wherokowhai Tomato.
Peas - Tom Thumb Peas are a true dwarf variety that needs no trellis.
Herbs - Many herbs are great for growing in containers, especially varieties that thrive in dryer, hotter climates. Thyme, basil, and parsley are all-time favorites for patio gardening. Piccolino Basil and Dwarf Greek Basil both have a smaller growing habit perfect for windowsills and pots. Pro-Tip: Choose container gardening for herbs that spread very easily, like mint, chives, and oregano.
Flowers - Chamomile and Johnny Jump Up Violas are lovely in a tiny garden, but the Sunspot Dwarf Sunflower may be the most adorable heirloom flower I have found yet!
Miniature Cucumbers - The Spacemaster 80 is an ideal miniature variety for a container garden. This plant will stay the perfect size for pots or even hanging baskets. Cucamelons are fun if you want to try growing vegetables vertically.
Swiss Chard - Rhubarb Swiss Chard is heat tolerant, slow to bolt, and extremely productive, making it a good choice.
Lettuce & Spinach - Leafy greens will grow well in the early season cooler weather. Little Gem Butterhead Lettuce and American Spinach both do really well in containers.
Carrots - Did you know that not all carrots need deep raised beds to grow? The Parisian Carrot and the Little Fingers Carrot are both fantastic varieties for the patio gardener.
Perennials That Aren’t Cold-Hardy - Plant these in containers and take them indoors near a sunny window when the weather gets cold. Figs, pomegranates, and Rosemary are good examples.
The Best Soil for Container Gardening
For a container garden, use well-draining potting-specific soil, not topsoil or bagged compost from your local garden center. Good potting soil should be fluffy and soft, with perlite or vermiculite that is favorable for your plants, won’t pack down, and has good porosity.
Pro-Tip: Here is my guide for making your own Ultimate Organic DIY Potting Mix.
While a good potting mix contains some nutrients, you’ll still need to fertilize potted plants (except very quickly maturing plants like lettuce and spinach). Apply a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer like Trifecta+ to provide essential nutrients for your container plants.
Pro-Tip: Fertilize about 25% more when using fabric grow bags than you would with a standard pot. Every part of a fabric pot drains and breathes, so more nutrients are lost. I fertilize heavy feeders about once a month.
Container Gardening Tips
Selecting the perfect container, choosing the right crops to grow, and sourcing quality soil will get your container garden off to a great start. Follow these tips to maximize your success.
Start Composting
Mineralization (decomposing of nutrients) will not happen naturally in a container garden as it would in the ground, so compost is crucial. Compost stays loose to allow for good root growth, retains moisture well, keeps containers from drying out, and houses beneficial microbes and fungi necessary for healthy plant growth.
If you do not have access to homemade compost, make sure you purchase a high-quality organic compost mix.
Practice Plant Diversity
Plant two different plants next to each other to achieve natural pest control. This can be accomplished by planting in the same pot or in separate pots that sit close together. This pest control tactic is called interplanting and is based on the permaculture method.
Not only will this method save space in the garden, but it will also maximize the overall yield. Interplanting positively affects the entire garden. Mixing different scents, essential oils, and plant pheromones all contributes to pest control because these scents often confuse tiny predators from finding their prey.
For example, planting marigolds near tomatoes or spinach near carrots will mask each other's scents for any pest that might be interested.
Hand Pollinate
Pollination is the key to life. In a traditional wide open garden, insects and bugs will come to pollinate flowers; however, if you only have one tomato plant on your balcony or a single cucumber plant, the bugs won't naturally come around as much.
Bees prefer large groupings of flowers, so hand pollination leads to higher yields. Check out this video on hand pollination for the best methods.
Plant High Yielding Crops
Gardening can be intimidating for beginners. Normally, the recommended varieties for beginners are the ones that yield the most satisfying results. This means everything is easy to grow, which gives the heaviest yields possible.
In a container garden, planting varieties that grow a lot of food is also the best use of your small space. Pole beans, peas, zucchini, greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers are all the most productive options.
Plant What You Love
Think about the foods that you love to eat. Planting what you love will allow even the smallest harvests to taste the best. Homegrown food has so many flavors, and the freshness can't be beaten. So grow what you love; even the smallest harvest will be huge.
Location & Sunlight
Position your containers in areas that receive the appropriate amount of sunlight for your chosen plants. Most large vegetables and flowers, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and zucchini, require at least 5 to 8 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight daily.
Smaller plants and cold hardy varieties like brassicas and Swiss chard should get 4 to 6 hours of sun daily. In low light conditions, which is 3 or 4 hours of daily sunlight, you can still grow basil, thyme, rosemary, lettuce and spinach.
Watering
Water in your plants deeply. Water your container garden on a consistent schedule and continue to check the soil moisture regularly, as containers can dry out quickly. Remember, when using fabric grow bags, plan to water them about twice as often as standard pots.
Don’t Overdo It
If your plants are spindly, unproductive, or yellowing from the ground up, chances are you are paying too much attention to them! Easy access can lead to excessive watering and fertilizing. Plants will bolt from nitrogen overload, and the cell membranes of your plants will burst with overwatering, causing leaves to be limp and yellow.
Understand Microclimates
If you place varieties in the wrong spot, it could lead to sun and temperature damage. Especially for apartment gardens, planting near a brick or concrete wall creates a microclimate. (A microclimate happens when the heat of the day is increased from 10-20 degrees because of the warmth the wall adds.)
The great thing about this gardening style is if something isn't in an ideal place, you can pick it up and move it!
Use Proper Spacing
Depending on the variety, multiple plants can fit into a container. This can only become a problem when pruning is neglected, and plants become overgrown in their pots.
Fungal diseases spread much faster without proper airflow. Regular pruning will allow for aeration, and beneficial insects will easily gain access.
Gardening On a Budget
Budget container gardening is all about finding ways to save money without sacrificing quality. Buying affordable seeds at the beginning of the season will help to save you loads of money on starters for each plant.
Before you go shopping, take a look around your house and see if you can find anything that could be upcycled into a planter. As long as the container has drainage (holes in the bottom), it can be used for planting!
For example and inspiration: gallon ice cream tubs, milk cartons, unused plasticware, and even plastic comforter packaging are all perfect! If you are going to buy, don't break your bank. Dollar store containers, fabric shopping bags, canvas totes and kiddie pools work just as well.
Some people find it easier to use a soil bag alone. This technique usually automatically creates a 2x4' bed with no extra work! Additionally, many cities offer community composting, garden swaps, or co-ops. These places often have seeds, plants, and tools to get you started.
I hope this guide has helped you overcome obstacles to starting a container garden and has inspired you to get out there to grow something big!
FAQ
What are the benefits of container gardens?
Container gardens are great because they can be moved around, they save space, and they are perfect for small areas.
What are the best vegetables to grow in containers?
Tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens are all good veggies for containers.
Which herbs thrive in pots?
Herbs like basil, cilantro, mint, thyme, and rosemary do well in pots.
How do plastic pots and clay pots compare?
Plastic pots are light and cheap but aren’t breathable. Clay pots are breathable but are heavy and can break.
Are fabric pots a good choice?
Yes, fabric pots breathe well, are lightweight, and are easy to move and store. They also encourage air pruning.
How should I choose container sizes?
Choose a pot size that fits the plant’s mature size.
What are the key ingredients in potting soil?
Good potting soil contains peat moss, perlite, and worm castings, which help with drainage, air, and soil flora for plants.
Can I make my own potting soil mix?
Yes, here is the link to make my Ultimate Organic DIY Potting Soil Mix.
What are the best watering practices for container gardens?
Water containers regularly. Soil should be moist but not soggy. Containers dry out fast, so check often and water as needed.
How can I control pests in my container garden?
The diversity of a garden has scientifically been proven to be the best control method for garden pests. It seems like a strange concept, but it is true. Use natural methods like neem oil when necessary.
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