Live in an area where you don’t have much room to grow fruits and veggies? Check out how easy it is to grow them in pots.

Container gardening seems to control a lot of problems you may have gardening in the ground. I have found that I can control critters and diseases in pots. But I have also learned what is really easy to really hard to grow in pots and I would like to share my findings with you. I live in Zone 9 and if you live in a different zone, you may have better luck with certain plants in pots that I seem to find hard to grow.

Take a look at these plants that you can grow even if you do not have a garden plot but do have a patio, porch, or balcony with good sun exposure.

Easy

These are by far my favorite things to grow in pots. So, so easy to germinate and will grow pretty quickly. Some herbs are very attractive in pots and would look great on a table or patio setting outdoors. There are so many varieties of peppers that are ornamental and great-looking, but I prefer to plant green bell peppers for cooking. I use the dwarf variety of kale in pots since kale can get rather large. I seem to get more of a crop out of the dwarf size. 

• Lettuce
• Kale
• Herbs
• Peppers

Not so easy

The first four items are pretty easy to grow in the ground, but in a pot, they would take up so much room that you wouldn’t get much of a crop out of it. If you do decide to try these in a pot, using a larger pot or fabric bag would work best. I know many who grow strawberries in pots, but you usually just get one crop out of it and not many. I prefer to go to a Pick Your Own strawberry patch to get my bucket full.

• Beets
• Onions
• Radishes
• Carrots
• Strawberries

hard

Since these need a lot of room to grow, it’s not a good idea to grow in a pot. Even in a small garden, you would have to go vertical instead of letting them grow on the ground. The reason why I put tomatoes in this category is because of the size of the tomato itself. If you are planning on growing one plant of cherry tomatoes or a very small variety of tomatoes, it’s possible. I grow a bush variety specifically made for pots and then only have one plant in one large pot. I also use a pot-size variety of cucumbers that works well. It’s a smaller cucumber, but it’s great for the two of us.

• Beans
• Cucumbers
• Peas
• Squash
• Tomatoes

hardest

Because of the size of the fruit on all of these listed, it’s a chore to grow them in pots. I have seen people grow potatoes in fabric pots but if you are wanting a large crop, you would need several of them. I have seen a couple of varieties of blueberry bush for pots which may work in your zone. Lemon trees can be grown in pots but only for a couple of years and then you will need to plant them outdoors.

• Blueberries
• Melons
• Lemons
• Potatoes

Small Containers for gardening ideas

Here are a few of my favorite pots/containers to use to plant fruits and veggies. Be sure to use container potting soil which drains better and uses a good fertilizer specifically made for fruits and veggies.

Fabric Bags – The 7-gallon fabric bags are what I use on my back patio. They drain so nicely and with handles, you can easily move them where you need to. When you are finished using them, wash them out, fold and easily put them away for another season.

• 7 Gallon fabric bags
• 7 Gallon square fabric bags
• Fabric Raised Bed
• 15 Gallon fabric bags

Raised Garden Beds – I used raised beds for several years, but I really love these ideas for smaller areas where you won’t have to bend over so much. Great for those with back, knee, and hip problems.

• Self-Watering Raised Bed
• Vinyl Raised Planter
• Weave Self-Watering Raised Bed
• Wooden with Wheels Raised Bed

Large Pots – I have two plastic whiskey barrels and they make great pots to grow veggies in. They have lasted so well in the Florida heat for years now. The larger the pot, the better for your veggies to expand in.

• Plastic Whiskey Barrel
• Galvanized Metal Pots
• Decorative Vinyl Square Pot
• Concrete Look Pot

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