The Perfect Garden Vegetables to Grow In Pots

If you’re looking to expand your garden area this year but feel as though there just isn’t enough space to make it happen, it’s time to think outside the box. The term “garden” doesn’t mean that it necessarily has to be in the ground. Adding vegetables to grow in pots for your spring and summer gardening plans can be a great way to grow more healthy food, even when your space is quite limited.

Growing your own vegetables doesn’t mean you have to have acres of land. There are many garden vegetables to grow in pots including tomatoes, beans, lettuce, kale, and potatoes. If you’re looking for some simple ideas to grow more vegetables easily and quickly, you aren’t going to want to miss these tips.

Is growing vegetables in plastic containers safe?

Using plastic containers to grow your vegetables is fine just as long as the plastic isn’t broken down, scratched up or too worn out. There are food-grade quality plastics out there that would be perfect for growing your vegetables in.

And if you happen to just have some of them lying around your house, it’s a simple way to recycle and reuse those plastic items as well.

What are the benefits of container gardening?

Believe it or not, there are actually several benefits when it comes to container gardening for your upcoming food needs and wants. Not only does it provide you a contained space to easily take care of and maintain, but it also means that you’re not going to have to deal with any of the weeds that seem to just sprout out of the ground.

Growing your vegetables in a container is a great way to add rich soil and nutrients to a small space so your vegetables can grow and thrive.

What is organic container gardening?

This type of gardening is just the same as growing vegetables in a plant except you’re making certain that you’re doing so in an organic method and fashion. This means that you’re not using any sort of chemicals on your vegetables throughout the time of planting and growth.

What vegetables grow best in pots?

Vegetables are actually really great and not that hard to grow, however, that doesn’t mean that every vegetable is a great candidate for growing in a pot.

The top vegetable that is most often grown in pots is tomatoes and this is because they’re able to thrive in small spaces and actually grow upwards as well.

An assortment of wet vegetables, including broccoli, tomatoes, and cucumber on a wooden surface outside.

Garden Vegetables To Grow in Pots

Now that you know a little bit about growing vegetables in pots, it’s time to talk about the wide variety of vegetables that you can easily grow.

Tomatoes

Even though they were just mentioned above, it’s important to mention them again because they really are quite simple. Cherry tomatoes are great to grow in pots right off the back patio area so you can easily just walk right outside to your door and pop a couple in your mouth.

(and I do know that tomatoes are actually considered a fruit but for gardening purposes, they get lumped into the vegetable category).

Tomato cages can be placed in containers just like they can be used in the ground. If your pots have a large enough diameter, this is an excellent choice for container vegetable gardening.

Beans

Beans are another vegetable that can actually grow upwards as well which means that they don’t really need a big space to continue to grow. If the pot starts to get a little bit cramped, they’ll just sprout up and over the sides without issue.

Or you can use a trellis in your pot to assist with vertical growing.

Make sure you have 6-9 inches of good soil in your pot and that your pot has adequate drainage.

Kale

Kale can literally grow anywhere. It does not matter. This is one tough vegetable and in some parts of the world, you can easily grow kale all year long.

As soon as you think you’re caught up in eating it, it will have grown almost overnight and will keep producing in whatever size pot you put it in.

Lettuce

Lettuce is the same as kale and will continue to produce and regrow over the span of several months. It will fill up the entire circumference of a pot easily and won’t take long in doing so, either.

Growing lettuce in pots is a perfect solution for patio gardening. A pot of lettuce, a few pots of tomatoes, carrots, and maybe some peppers, and you’ve got a summer full of salads at your disposal!

Carrots

Since carrots grow down in the soil, you need to make certain that whatever pot you’re using gives them and their roots space to grow. Keep in mind that there are actually all different sizes of garden containers and pots so if you’re going to choose to grow carrots in a pot, I would recommend choosing a larger size so that there is more room for the roots.

It’s recommended to have a pot with good drainage and at least 18-24 inches of soil to give your container carrots enough room to grow.

Potatoes

Potatoes are the same as carrots in the sense that they need space underneath the soil to grow. Just make certain that you have a big potting plant and deep soil that that their roots can “do their thing”.

Onions

Onions are a great vegetable to grow in a plant because even though they do grow under the soil, they aren’t deep growing vegetables like others. This means that you can use a tad smaller container and less soil and still produce delicious and juicy onions.

While the vegetables listed above are the most popular vegetables to grow in pots, here is a quick list of a few more that could make a great addition to your gardening area as well:

Spinach
Broccoli
Radishes
Peppers
Green beans
Sugar Snap Peas

As you can tell, there are a lot of great vegetable options when you’re limited to the space of a pot. Remember to check the soil requirement for each vegetable before planting as well as your planting zones to ensure your timing is right.

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And with any garden – keep a record of your plantings. What worked, what failed, and what you might want to rotate the next year.

What else besides vegetables can you grow in pots?

Just because I think it’s important to point out, don’t forget about all the amazing and tasty herbs that you can grow easily in pots as well. And while they might not technically be a vegetable, they are something that adds great flavor to vegetables and other dishes easily.

One of the easiest herbs to grow in a pot is cilantro and it also smells amazing as well. If you can have your potted plant sitting on your porch, you’ll be enjoying the sweet smells of cilantro every time you walk by.

For more herb info – check out these tips you won’t want to miss when growing herbs *including the most important tip for mint!!

Now that you’re well-versed about what simple vegetables you can easily grow in pots, the possibilities of growing your own little garden this year are endless. Who says you have to have an actual garden spot when you can grow delicious vegetables in a pot with ease?!