Have you ever thought about growing vegetables in containers? It's a great method when suitable land is not available, and it's also physically easier.
That makes container good for older vegetable gardeners, those who are physically handicapped, young children or anyone who may find cultivating and weeding in-ground beds too physically demanding or time consuming. But they do need more frequent watering than those growing in the ground.
A sunny disposition
Many cold-hardy, cool-season vegetables and herbs can be planted now and grown successfully in containers. You just need to give them proper care.
Select a sunny location outdoors. All vegetables grow best in full sun. The location should receive direct sun at least six hours a day. Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, parsley, mustard greens and collards, will produce fairly well with as little as four hours of sun. But they will produce better and faster in full sun.
Container considerations
Choose larger-sized containers. The larger the container, the more choices you have of vegetables to grow, production is generally higher, and you don’t have to water as often. And remember, it is far easier to take care of a few large containers than many smaller ones.
Plastic or clay pots, tubs, half whiskey barrels or other containers can be purchased. But virtually any container that you can cut or punch drainage holes into may be used, such as inexpensive Styrofoam ice chests, livestock watering troughs or recycled 5-gallon paint buckets, for instance. Make at least four holes evenly spaced around the sides at the bottom of the container.
Fill the container with a commercial potting mix or potting soil. You may want to blend some finished, homemade compost into the potting mix before you fill the containers. I mix up to one-third sifted homemade compost to two-thirds potting mix. Homemade compost is packed with beneficial fungi and bacteria that encourage healthy roots and vigorous plants. The compost also provides essential plant nutrients.
After planting, the level of soil should be one or two inches below the rim of the container. This is called head space and helps facilitate proper watering.
It is a good idea to use small bricks or pot feet to raise containers off wood porches or decks. This helps drainage and can help prevent water staining concrete or rotting wood decking.
If the pot fits, plant it
You can plant containers with vegetable seeds or transplants (root crops must be planted using seeds). The following are some of the vegetables that can be planted now and the minimum size pot to plant them in. The number of plants that can be planted in the container is shown in parentheses (this is primarily based on the size of the vegetable plant at maturity).
One-gallon container: beets (2 to 3), carrots (3), celery (1), Chinese cabbage (1), collards (1), garlic (2), kohlrabi (1), leeks (1), lettuce (2), mustard greens (2), bunching onion (2 to 3), parsley (1), radish (2 to 3), shallots (2 to 3), spinach (2), Swiss chard (1), turnips (2). You can plant more vegetables in a larger container. For instance, you can plant six turnips in a 3-gallon container or 10 turnips in one 5-gallon container
Three gallon container: broccoli (2), cabbage (1 or 2), kale (2), Brussels sprouts (1), cauliflower (1). In a 5-gallon container, you could plant three or four broccoli, two cabbage or two cauliflower transplants.
Avoid overcrowding the vegetables planted in a container. Crowded vegetables are not as productive and may lead to crop failures and increased pest problems. The larger the container, the more vegetables you can plant in it. You can even combine different types of vegetables in the same container.
Care and feeding
Check the soil daily and water often enough to keep the soil evenly moist. Do not allow the vegetable plants to wilt before watering. An even supply of water is important for best production and crop quality. Always water gently until water runs out of the drainage holes of the container. To minimize foliar diseases, avoid wetting the foliage when you water.
A general-purpose soluble fertilizer (the kind you dissolve in water to apply) applied every two weeks works well for container vegetables. Organic options include fish emulsion, liquid kelp or other fish or seaweed-based fertilizers. General purpose slow-release fertilizers can also be used and reduce the need to repeatedly apply soluble fertilizer.
Follow label directions for the product you use. Plants show a need for fertilizer when the plant is pale green, lacks vigor and the older, bottom leaves are yellowing. Without adequate fertilizer, vegetables take longer to develop and will produce less to harvest.
Weeds will occasionally appear in container plantings; remove them promptly. This is still far easier than weeding beds.
Check plants daily and control insects and diseases when needed. Fortunately, insect and disease problems occur far less often in the winter than in the summer growing season. If problems do occur, contact your parish LSU AgCenter Extension office for help in diagnosis and control.
Finally, harvest your vegetables regularly, promptly and at the proper stage for maximum quality. After all, this is the reward for the effort.
If you have given up growing vegetables due to physical limitations or don’t have land to plant, consider planting in containers.