Spiky asks: What vegetables are good to grow in pots?
Id like to grow some carrots, sweetcorn, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, courgette. Plus how do you know when the vegetables are ready to harvest.
The answer voted best is:
Answer by Steve
Well i grew chilli seeds in a pot… if that helps.
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i think tomato
Herbs of almost any kind, tomatoes, chili peppers. Carrots and corn need deeper soil. Lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage would probably also do fine.
I’ve never heard of courgette but corn, cabbage, and cauliflower need more space than a pot can supply. Tomatoes, bell and hot peppers, radishes, and leaf lettuce do well in pots. It will tell you on the seed packet or seedling tray when to harvest.
Most vegetables that are not root veggies will do fine in pots. It’s the preparation time put into a container garden that matters. One suggestion, if you are in need of an elevate bed, or to have easier access such as apartment dwellers may need, or the disabled who garden from wheelchairs, do not ‘fall’ for the “raised” beds ads – they’re merely form; in spite of some that can stack, these cost far more than buying great organic produce and herbs at the grocery stores.
One great booklet you can print out is at: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/guides/E-545_vegetable_gardening_containers.pdf. There are others if you Search for “Container Gardening” online.
The results will also depend on the Zone you live in, and again, your preparation. For example, if you are in Zone 7, or a hot climate, be sure you use “plastic” containers, and that they are painted white – which you can do yourself with a spray can of white paint. This protects the roots from being burned by the sun – white deflects the sun’s rays. The adobe and/or clay pots can also be spray painted but check them twice a day instead of once a day, to make sure the plants aren’t wilting.
You can save a lot of money by re-cycling your pots – or using other items to plant in, such as the bags that line cereal boxes, gallon milk containers, milk cartons, packing boxes, etc. Just spray paint them if you’re concerned about them leeching moisture. You can spray paint all outdoor planters, and figures each spring with wonderful news paints that are pebbled, bronzed, marbled, etc. for a more exciting garden appearance, too.
Remember to plan in advance. Plan for the weight you can work with, your reach, convenience to access (Do you want some berries by the door?); protection of the plants from overwatering, storms, etc.
Plants do not like wet feet! Depending on your light, rain, temperatures, wind, and region, you may need to be able to move your containers around – it should not be necessary but some gardeners simply want that option, but pots are heavy, so place Styrofoam peanuts, or broken up Styrofoam in the bottom of each pot to make them lighter to move, and/or pick-up, and keep water from the roots of the plants. Old hay is good to place in the bottom of pots, too – in fact, it’s great to spread over soil and turf in the Fall and leave on – the soil will be 100% richer in the spring.
Don’t fill your pots until you have them where you want them. If you want a high bed, for easy reaching, an old door is a great thing to use and can be found on http://www.freecycle.com in your city (online group), for the asking. I mount a door on 2 sawhorses and cover it with an old shower curain, then put the pots on the door.
Make a drawing of your yard, or areas that you can grow plants in/on. That will give you a better “view” of where and what will not only grow where the light is sufficient, but also how to augment the appearance of your residence. There’s no reason why all of us cannot enjoy some fresh, organic no less, veggies and herbs.
http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/container-gardening.html