Container Gardening: How to Grow Lots of Food in a Small Space

It only takes a small patch to start container gardening. Even a tiny yard, patio, or balcony provide room for several potted plants.

That may not sound like much, but you’d be surprised how much food you can grow in such a small area, if you pick the right plants for the amount of sunlight they’ll be getting.

Do You Have Room?

The idea of growing your own food may seem out of reach, especially if you live in an urban area or have limited outdoor space. But container gardening allows you to cultivate a beautiful and productive garden, even in the smallest of spaces.

Even if all you have is a tiny balcony, a small patio, or just a sunny windowsill, container gardening opens up a world of possibilities. By growing plants in pots, planters, and other portable containers, you can grow fresh, homegrown produce, herbs, and flowers.

The Benefits of Container Gardening

Container gardening is a great way to save money. It also helps you know exactly what you’re eating and take pride in your ability to provide for yourself and your household.

Flexibility

Containers can be placed just about anywhere that gets enough sunlight. This means you can create a garden in even the most limited of spaces, such as balconies, patios, decks, or even indoors on a sunny windowsill.

Mobility

Another advantage is the ability to move your plants around as needed. You can easily move them to take advantage of changing sun patterns. Or you can rearrange them for convenience, as you harvest some vegetables earlier than others.

And you can even move them indoors when it gets cold.

Soil Control

Container gardening gives you complete control over the soil quality. Unlike in-ground gardens, which can be subject to poor soil conditions or contamination, container gardening lets you to start with a high-quality, nutrient-rich potting mix tailored to the specific needs of your plants.

Reduced Pests and Weeds

Container gardening can also make it easier to control pests and weeds. This can significantly reduce the time and effort required for maintenance.

Easier Maintenance

Tending to a container garden is generally less physically demanding than caring for a traditional in-ground garden. The raised height of containers can make tasks like watering, weeding, and harvesting more accessible, especially if you have mobility challenges or limited physical abilities.

Expanded Growing Season

Container gardening can also extend your growing season. By placing your plants in portable containers, you can easily move them indoors or under shelter during bad weather or freezes.

Selecting the Right Containers

Size

The size of your containers will depend on the types of plants you want to grow and the available space you have. As a general rule, the larger the container, the more soil volume it can hold, which allows for deeper root growth and better moisture retention.

Larger containers are great for plants with extensive root systems, such as tomatoes, peppers, or dwarf fruit trees. Smaller containers, on the other hand, work well for herbs, lettuces, and other compact plants.

When in doubt, err on the side of getting a larger container. It will be easier to maintain moisture and nutrient levels.

Material

Containers are made from many materials, each with some pros and cons.

Terracotta: Porous and breathable, terracotta pots allow for excellent air circulation and drainage, but they can be fragile and prone to cracking in colder climates.
Plastic: Lightweight and durable, plastic containers are easy to work with, but they may not be as aesthetically pleasing as other options. (I’ve used them in the past, but now wonder about what the plastics could be putting into the soil.)
Wood: Wooden planters or boxes can add a natural, rustic charm to your garden, but they need more maintenance over time.
Metal: Metal containers, like galvanized steel or aluminum, are long-lasting and can provide a modern, industrial look.
Ceramic: Glazed ceramic pots are gorgeous, but they can be heavy and expensive.

Consider the overall style you’re aiming for, as well as the climate and weather conditions in your area when deciding what materials you want for your containers.

Drainage

Proper drainage is essential for plants. Make sure your containers have adequate drainage holes at the bottom to allow excess water to escape, to prevent waterlogging and root rot.

If your chosen containers don’t have built-in drainage, you can drill holes or line the bottom with gravel or small stones to facilitate drainage.

Accessibility

When positioning your containers, think about how easily you can get to them. Place taller containers on stands or pedestals to make watering, weeding, and harvesting easier.

For smaller containers, consider placing them on rolling casters or plant stands to allow for easy movement and rearrangement.

Choosing the Right Soil and Potting Mix

The soil or potting mix you use in your containers is crucial for the health and growth of your plants. Unlike in-ground gardens, where soil can be amended and improved over time, container soil needs to be specially formulated from the start.

Look for a high-quality, well-draining blend that is specifically designed for container gardening. These mixes are typically made up of a combination of ingredients, such as:

Peat moss or coir (coconut fiber) to retain moisture
Perlite or vermiculite to improve aeration and drainage
Compost or other organic matter to provide nutrients
Limestone or other soil amendments to adjust pH levels

Avoid garden soil or topsoil in your containers. They can become compacted and heavy, leading to poor drainage and oxygen circulation.

Note that some plants, like succulents or citrus trees, may need a more specialized potting mix formulated for their unique requirements. Be sure to read the label and choose a mix that’s suitable for the types of plants you plan to grow.

And leave a few inches of space at the top to allow for watering and top-dressing with additional compost or fertilizer as needed.

Selecting the Right Plants

One of the joys of container gardening is just how many different kinds of plants it can support. From gorgeous flowers and aromatic herbs to vegetables and even dwarf fruit trees, the options are endless.

Sun Exposure

Take a look at how much sunlight your container garden receives throughout the day. Most plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, but some, like leafy greens and shade-loving flowers, prefer partial shade. Match your plant selections to the available light in your growing area.

Plant Size and Growth Habits

Consider how big your plants will get, and how they like to grow. Trailing or vining plants, such as tomatoes or cucumbers, may need larger containers or support structures, while compact, bushy plants like herbs or dwarf vegetables can thrive in smaller pots.

Compatibility

When planning your container garden, group plants with similar watering, sunlight, and nutrient requirements together. This will make it easier to care for your plants and ensure they all receive the optimal growing conditions.

Seasonality

Think about the timing of your container garden and choose a mix of plants that will provide interest and productivity throughout the growing season. Start with cool-weather crops like lettuce, spinach, or pansies in the spring, then transition to warm-weather plants like tomatoes, peppers, or zinnias in the summer.

Edible vs. Ornamental

Decide whether you want to focus on growing edible plants, like vegetables and herbs, or if you prefer to create a more ornamental container garden with flowering plants and foliage. You can also mix the two, creating a visually appealing and functional garden.

Some popular container-friendly plant options include:

Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, dwarf or bush-type beans, carrots, radishes, lettuce, and greens
Herbs: Basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, and mint
Flowers: Petunias, marigolds, geraniums, impatiens, and trailing vines like ivy or nasturtiums
Fruits: Dwarf citrus trees, strawberries, and compact berry bushes

Remember to choose plants that are well-suited to the growing conditions in your area and the size of your containers.

Caring for Your Container Garden

Maintaining your container garden requires a bit of ongoing care and attention, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Watering

Proper watering is one of the most critical aspects of container gardening. Plants in containers tend to dry out more quickly than those in the ground, so you’ll need to monitor soil moisture levels and water accordingly.

As a general rule, water when the top inch or two of soil becomes dry to the touch. The frequency of watering will depend on container size, plant type, weather conditions, and soil composition.

Larger containers retain moisture longer, while smaller pots and plants with high water needs, like leafy greens or tomatoes, may require daily watering.

Be sure to water thoroughly, allowing the water to drain out of the bottom of the container. Avoid letting your plants sit in standing water, as this can lead to root rot and other problems.

Fertilizing

Container plants need regular fertilization to replenish the nutrients that get depleted over time. Choose a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer formulated for container gardening and apply it according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.

You can also top-dress your containers with a layer of compost or aged manure to provide a slow-release source of nutrients. This can be done at the beginning of the growing season and again mid-season.

Pruning and Deadheading

Regularly pruning and deadheading your container plants can encourage continued growth and flowering. Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage, and pinch back or trim spent blooms to promote the development of new flowers.

For plants like tomatoes or vining crops, you may need to provide support structures, such as cages or trellises, to guide their growth and prevent sprawling.

Pest and Disease Management

Regularly inspect your plants for signs of insect infestations or fungal problems, and address them promptly with organic or natural remedies.

Overwintering

If you live in a climate with harsh winters, you’ll need to take steps to protect your container plants during the colder months. This may involve moving them indoors, providing insulation around the containers, or even storing them in a cool, dry place until spring.

My Personal Tips for Container Gardening

This article started out as a collection of notes I made for getting started on container garden, and it grew from there.

Choosing your plants and tools

Most plants need a minimum of five hours sunlight per day. If your growing area doesn’t get that much sunlight, choose leafy vegetables like cabbage and lettuces that grow well in shade.

You can actually grow sunlight-craving plants indoors using special light bulbs as their light source.

The best pots are glazed ceramic. Cedar and redwood are rot-resistant and therefore good choices if you want wooden containers, as long as you make sure they’re not treated with anything that could hurt the plants.

You can compost to make quality soil for your garden. But remember: if you want to actually make your compost organic, you can’t put chemically treated waste into it. But you can put used coffee grounds into compost.

There’s a general consensus that if you carefully wash the skin of a vegetable that wasn’t grown organically, it’ll be okay for compost. But if you want to be absolutely safe, just buy some organic soil for your garden at first.

Then begin composting strictly from the garden, and any organic produce you buy. Those of you with yards can include your yard waste if you know there’s nothing nasty being sprayed on it.

In short: to keep your compost organic, don’t put non-organic produce or non-organic yard waste in it.

Researching for your area

Research each plant you’re interested in growing. You need to know what soil mix it needs, how much water, what fertilizer to add to the water, and what sort of container it needs.

Go to your favorite search engine and query “container gardening [your city/state/country/region]”. This will bring up online articles from local newspapers and other region-specific tips.

It may also direct you to offline resources, such as gardening groups you can join. Don’t expect the best results to be on the first page. You may need to dig a bit (no pun intended).

Of course, check the library/bookstore for research, too. Libraries and used bookstores often have more variety than bookstores.

Some plants may attract insects, so you need to learn what you can spray on them or plant next to them to repel insects . You also need to learn which insects are not your enemy.

Many bugs can benefit your garden in some way, and while you don’t want them eating your whole harvest, a few bug-nibbled leaves here may not be worth going to war against bugs.

Log everything you do, and the results you got from it. This will help you refine and improve your methods as time goes by. Chances are you won’t remember from one spring to the next exactly what you did.

Saving on water

After you get a container garden initially set up, your biggest expense is likely to be water. Fortunately, there are so many ways to be frugal about that.

First of all, with a few caveats, you can use “gray water”. That’s all non-toilet water produced from tubs, showers, sinks, washing machines, and dishwashers.

This water may contain residue from soap, conditioner, grease, etc. But that’s okay. Traces of soap will be consumed safely by organisms in the soil. Here’s a basic guide:

When you shower, catch that first stream of water you run until the water’s hot enough. This is completely fresh, clean tap water.
You can water plants with used bathwater, as long as it’s relatively clean. That is: no bubble bath, bath oils, bath salts, and no grease or substances from working on cars or something like that.
If your shower has enough room, keep a bucket in there to capture some of your shower water. Use this to water plants.
Dishwater generally has too much soap to be good for watering a garden.

You can also collect rain water in a “rain barrel.” Set up a sizable plastic or metal container to capture rain. You can buy a specially made one that even has a hookup for your hose.

Even apartment gardeners can sometimes capture rain from a balcony or patio.