6 Best Vegetables You Can Grow in Containers

Lack of gardening space should not stop you from growing your favorite vegetables at home. Do you know that several vegetables can adapt to the limited space of a container and produce a good yield? All you need to do is provide the right environment for their growth depending on their temperature, soil, water, and light requirements, and choose the right container for them. 

Here are the six best vegetables that you can grow in containers without a shadow of a doubt!

Broccoli

Container volume: 5 gallons per plant 

Container depth: 11 to 18 inches 

Varieties: ‘Early Green,’ ‘Calabrese,’ ‘Waltham’

A vegetable of health enthusiasts, broccoli comes in different colors, including green and purple. You can grow broccoli in a container using seeds or transplants. When grown from seeds, it will take about three to five months to mature, while from transplants, it will mature in about two to three months. 

Broccoli requires a cool temperature of around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and at least six hours of direct sunlight. A highly fertile, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH between 6 and 7 is best for growing broccoli in containers. Your seedlings will also need 14 to 16 hours of light a day.

Onions (Bulbing)

Container volume: 2 gallons per plant 

Container depth: 11 to 18 inches 

Varieties: ‘Granex’

Onions are another common vegetable found in the kitchen, and growing them at home in containers can be extremely beneficial. 

There are three types of onions to consider:

• Short-day bulb onions: They grow well in warmer zones (7 and above) and require 10 to 12 hours of sunlight.
• Long-day bulb onions: Require 14 to 16 hours of sunlight and grow well in colder zones (up to level 6).
• Day-neutral bulb onions: These onions are adaptable to many areas and need 12 to 14 hours of sunlight. 

Generally, onions are planted in early spring, and they take about six months to harvest. However, in warmer climates, you can plant them in Autumn, and they will take around 12 months to mature (also called overwintering). 

Plant onions in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter and has a pH of around 7. You may use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer for a better yield. Lastly, water your onion plants up to 1 to 2 inches every week and ensure that the water flows out through the drainage holes of the container. 

Cucumbers 

Container volume: 5 gallons per plant 

Container depth: 11 to 18 inches 

Varieties: ‘Space Master,’ ‘Straight Eight,’ ‘Boston Pickling’

Want to eat home-grown pickled cucumbers? Well, what’s stopping you? Both bush and vine cucumbers can grow in containers. 

Cucumbers need warm temperatures between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It is better to grow them inside in indirect, bright sunlight until seedlings form. Then place the container outside where it gets at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. 

Use a potting mix designated for growing vegetables or mix half potting mix with half compost for growing cucumbers. The pH of the soil should be between 6 and 6.5. Lastly, remember to water your cucumber container for at least 1 inch every week. 

Carrots 

Container volume: 5 gallons per 12 plants  

Container depth: 11 to 18 inches 

Varieties: ‘Tiny Sweet,’ ‘Danvers,’ ‘Nantes’

Carrot salad, carrot cake, carrot soup, ah! So many recipes can be made from carrots, and now you can grow this delicious vegetable in containers at home. 

Carrots require full sun (at least six hours a day) and grow well in zones 4 to 10. You will need rock–free soil, preferably a well-draining, sandy, loose soil with a pH between 6 and 6.8 for growing carrots. Water this container vegetable at least 1 inch per week and harvest your carrots in around 65 to 75 days after planting. 

Spinach 

Container volume: 2 gallons per three plants 

Container depth: 4 to 6 inches 

Varieties: ‘Melody,’ ‘Tyee,’ ‘Space’

Grow this nutrient-packed vegetable in containers at your home and eat healthy on a budget. Spinach grows well in cool temperatures between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, however, young seedlings can easily tolerate temperatures between 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant the seeds in moist, rich, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. 

This container vegetable needs just 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight. Provide shade in the afternoon to keep the soil cool and 1 to 2 inches of water every week for a healthy crop, but do not water from the top. Spinach generally takes two months to harvest. 

Potatoes 

Container volume: 5 gallons per three plants 

Container depth: 11 to 18 inches

Varieties: ‘Yukon Gold,’ ‘Red Pontiac,’ ‘Gold Rush’

Do you have a five-gallon bucket, garbage can, or burlap bag in your home? Good news! You can use any of them to grow nutritious potatoes in your backyard or patio. 

At least six hours of sunlight and a temperature around 60 degrees Fahrenheit are appropriate for growing potatoes. But, you may plant the seed potatoes when the temperature reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It is better to use seed potatoes or tubers rather than true seeds as the latter produces a smaller yield.  

Potatoes also require a well-draining and slightly acidic soil with a pH between 4.8 to 5.5. Water the potato plant at least 1 inch weekly and use a mulch to retain the soil moisture. Lastly, potatoes can take up to 120 days to harvest, depending on the variety you choose. 

Build Your Container Garden

Growing vegetables in a container is a space-saving option that helps you grow nutrition-packed vegetables at home. Most container vegetables discussed above require at least six hours of sunlight and well-draining soil. The temperature conditions can be a deciding factor about which vegetables you should grow at home. 

Have you grown any vegetables in a container? Share your secret tips in the comments below.