Tips For Growing Vegetable In A Container Garden

Grow Fresh Food In Tiny Spaces With Container Gardening

Many folks dream of having a big garden filled with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, potatoes, and all sorts of goodies ready and waiting for a delicious meal. But, many of us also are lacking the yard space to create such a garden.

Never fear - all you really need is sunshine, water, seeds or plantings, and something to put them all together. Let's take a look at what is known as 'container gardening' to see how easily food can be grown in a limited space.

The Elements

Of course, we need to start at the very basic; the elements. Here we mean sun and water. Without these two basic requirements, it doesn't matter how fancy you build your container, nothing will grow.

Pick a spot in your yard (or patio, balcony, or wherever you plan to plant) and watch it throughout the day. Is the sun hitting it most of the day? Is there water accessible nearby? This is essential, but, for beginner container gardeners it's something that can be missed. So, pay attention to these simplest of details - sun and water - and pick the spot accordingly.

The Container

Here is where the fun begins! Most of us really enjoy searching for the right containers for our new garden. But, again, we have to remember the basics. When it comes to planting a garden in containers, you will want to think about what an in-ground garden provides for the plants.

Good garden soil holds moisture but also provides for drainage. If water puddles, the plants will rot and drown. If water runs right through, the plants will be starving for moisture and will dry up. A good garden also has plenty of room for the roots to grow.

In order to duplicate a good in-ground garden in containers, you will need to provide a container that; a) holds moisture, b) drains excess moisture, and c) has plenty of room for roots. Just about any container can work, but only if you create the right environment.

If you are using a porous container, such as clay or wood, you won't have a big problem with adequate drainage as the excess moisture will seep right through the container. However, you will still want to provide a layer of drainage material, such as rocks or old broken pots, in the bottom to keep the roots from sitting in water that may accumulate. Even with this layer of rocks for drainage, you will still want to have some holes in the bottom of whatever container you are using.

Go ahead and use metal, plastic, or even tempered glass containers to grow your garden. In this case, you will need to plan for plenty of drainage since these materials are not porous and moisture will not dissipate easily. Remember to choose containers that have holes in the bottom, or containers that you can drill holes into.

The Soil

Once you have a sunny spot with plenty of water, and a container that's big enough to let the roots spread out and take hold, and you have provided good drainage, it's time to choose the soil.

Garden soil is not appropriate for container gardening as it is typically more dense than you need. Remember, the soil in a container garden needs to drain well because it's, well, contained. Unlike an in-ground garden plot, your container won't have as much surface area to let the plant breathe.

Choose, instead, good potting soil you might use for your indoor plants. You may even find soil specifically made for outdoor container gardening, but any good light potting soil will work.  If you wish, you may add a bit of peat moss or vermiculite to the soil to help excess moisture evaporate and to help keep the soil light and airy.

Now that you have the perfect place chosen, have the container ready, and have filled it with  good soil, it's time to choose your plants and dig in! With a bit of care you should be enjoying your delicious fresh produce in no time at all.