by Amanda

It is a common misconception that you need a large plot of land to grow your own delicious vegetables. All you really need are sufficient containers, sunlight, and lots of love! Many varieties of vegetables, with a little care, can be grown in containers on balconies, patios, or even as an added aesthetic element to your existing garden. One of the most important aspects of having yummy success with your container vegetable garden is choosing the right containers. It doesn’t matter exactly what the container is; a pot, window box, or if you’re a funky gardener a re-purposed bathtub – all you need to make sure is that your container is large enough (around 5 gallons) and has drainage holes. Drainage holes are necessary so any excess water will drain out the bottom and not rot your precious plants! As for soil in your containers, use any organic potting mix that you can pick up at your local gardening center. If you have compost readily available, the more the merrier! Make sure to use Organic Vegetable Fertilizer to feed your plants all season long, which will promote better growth and healthier plants. Be sure to check your vegetable plants daily to see if they need a drink – containers need more watering than plants in the ground. Now, to the important part – which veggies to plant! Tomatoes I have heard “I wish I had room to grow tomatoes” countless times from my friends. Really, all you need is a large container and a stake or tomato cage to help them grow up. Cherry tomatoes such as Organic Black Cherry Tomato Seeds or our Small Tomato Blend Seeds will thrive in containers. Other favorite varieties such as Heirloom Organic Brandywine, Heirloom Rutgers, Roma, or Beefsteak can also produce delicious results in containers – you will want to make sure to give the plants extra water (check and water each day if needed). Lettuce Lettuce is perfect for growing in containers. You can cut leafs as they grow to enjoy in delicious salads and the plants will keep growing for months. Try planting Organic Red Salad Bowl, Salad Bowl, Black Seeded Simpson, or Buttercrunch in containers for fresh, delicious salads all season long. Peppers Many pepper varieties will thrive in containers – you will just want to make sure to stake larger peppers once they get tall enough. Try planting Heirloom Yellow Banana, Jalapenos, our Sweet Frying Mix, or California Wonder. Herbs Most herbs are perfect for planting in containers and they allow creativity as they can be planted in most small containers. Try planting Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme, Sage, Chives, or Catnip for quick, flavorful herbs to season your favorite dishes. Plant your favorite herbs in a window box outside your kitchen window – they will provide a gorgeous display of greenery and remind you to pick them as they grow! Beans It may be a surprise that pole beans are great for containers – many think that they need a huge amount of space but, because they grow up, all you need is a large container and climbing support to grow your own! Try planting varieties such as the Heirloom Kentucky Wonder Bean this season. I hope this information finds all of you small-space and urban gardeners excited about trying your own vegetable garden this season. It is absolutely worth it to pick your own ingredients for a stir fry or salad and know that it came from your own fingertips and (not so) hard work! What kind of funky containers have you grown vegetables in? Please feel free to comment below! Happy Gardening!