How To Grow Vegetables In Containers If You Have A Small Space
Growing vegetables in containers – whether inside the house, in a greenhouse or just on the porch – has many advantages. Soil maintenance is easier. Pest control is simpler. There are more options for adjusting light and temperature levels.
Other than vegetables that take up large amounts of space, such as pumpkins and cucumber, most vegetables will do well in containers. Peas, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes will do just as well, if not better, when grown in a container.
Be sure to select a container that is large enough to accommodate the full grown plant at harvesting time. Use weed free soil and add the right amount of fertilizer even before you plant. Synthetic soil-like media are an option. Mixtures of peat moss, perlite, wood chips and others can be a good choice for a variety of species.
Be sure to prepare the soil before planting, or use a synthetic medium. This makes water control easier. It is important to balance adequate drainage and good retention of moisture to keep container-grown plants healthy. Place some marbles at the bottom of the container to keep holes from clogging and to ensure proper drainage. Mix in commercial soil prep to break up clay particles.
Even when the soil or medium is well prepared, water with care. When containers are near a window, soil can easily dry out. It’s easy to introduce root rot by over watering or to forget whether watering chores were completed, so keep a soil moisture tester nearby.
In most cases, soil straight from the outdoors isn’t a good choice for containers. Very clay-like soil outdoors can be compensated for somewhat by natural features that drain the water away. In a container, the strong ability of clay to retain water is exaggerated. Very sandy soil will need to be built up. If that much effort is required to adjust outdoor soil, it’s easier just to buy professionally prepared media.
Most vegetables enjoy lots of sunshine. Putting tomatoes in a south-facing windowsill that gets light several hours per day will help produce a great crop. They also love lots of heat so there’s less risk of burning. But some, like lettuce, prefer it a little shadier. Put them where there’s less direct sunlight. Fortunately, with container gardening you can move a plant easily on those days when the sun and clouds aren’t cooperating.
Keep after insects in a container garden just as you would otherwise. If the plants sit outside in containers, pests have open access. But even indoors most small insects can readily find their way through screen mesh and small cracks in doors. Sometimes, if the eggs were laid in the soil before planting, larvae will develop even if your house is sealed tight. Insecticide soap and other commercial mixtures, when used correctly, are safe for the plants and you when you eat them.
Having fresh vegetables readily available offers convenience and healthful options for your diet. Though container gardening requires some effort, the rewards are well worth the time investment.
