Best Vegetables to Grow in Pots

Any vegetable that grows in the ground can be grown in a container. But some crops, such as corn and pumpkins, may not be worth the effort. Most standard-size vegetables are suitable for container culture. There are so many varieties of vegetable that can really thrive in containers, which could be anything from pots on your patio to window boxes outside your kitchen window. Even if that’s all the outdoor space you have, there’s still something you can grow.

1. Tomatoes

Without a doubt, tomatoes are the most productive vegetables you can grow in pots. Tomatoes need ample sun (5-6 hours minimum). The pot size depends on the type of tomatoes you are growing. In containers, growing dwarf varieties of determinate type is best. You should also try cherry tomatoes for higher yield.

2. Carrots

Like potatoes, carrots need deep soil to grow well, but there are short-rooted varieties that do well in containers. Sow thinly (2-3cm apart), from now until July, place in a sunny spot and only water during dry periods. Be careful not to bruise or crush the foliage as the smell may attract the root-ruining pest, carrot fly.

3. Beans

Most of the beans are climbers or bushier type and they grow upward. They are productive in pots and are easy to grow. You can grow them on a trellis near a wall and within weeks, you will get a green wall of beans running across the trellis. For growing beans you need a sunny place, and a pot that is minimum 12 inches deep (the bigger the better) and a strong trellis like structure for support. Since beans fix the nitrogen most of the vegetables that require more nitrogen are good to grow underneath them. If you’re growing beans in a very large pot you can grow summer savory, kale, or celery with them.

4. Potatoes

Potatoes are productive if there’s ample room for tubers to develop. Bury seed potatoes in an 8-in. layer of soil at the bottom of the pot. As plants grow, pile more soil up to the top set of leaves. Try small- to medium-size ‘All Blue’, ‘Red Pontiac’, or ‘Yukon Gold’.

5. Salad Leaves

Salad Leaves are quick and easy to grow and make the perfect vegetable crop for growing in shaded containers. Choose ‘cut and come again’ blends of salad leaves such as Colorfully Mild Mix so that you can harvest a few leaves at a time, as and when you need them. Grow salad leaves in convenient window boxes just outside the kitchen window.