Easy Edible Container Garden

Now is the perfect time to start planting a garden that you can enjoy throughout the next couple months. Fresh vegetables and herbs are a great addition to any garden. Even if you are new to gardening, the addition of edibles is a great way to reap the fruits of your labor from late spring to early fall! No garden space? No problem! I have compiled a list of easy edible plants that can be grown in containers.

Small Container Edibles

If you have very limited gardening space, small container herbs and greens might be the best choice for you. These edibles thrive in smaller containers that are typically 6 to 10 inches deep and 12 inches wide. To increase times between watering try adding our Superior rug pad to the bottom of your container before adding your soil. The dense felt rug pad will absorb the excess moisture that would usually drain out of your container and help keep the soil moist for longer.

Herbs

Herbs are some of the easiest edibles to grow in general and are especially suited for growing in containers. Members of the mint family are actually an invasive herb so growing them in containers will prevent them from taking over your garden. Most herbs thrive in smaller containers but a couple will need to be grown in larger containers (16 to 18 inches deep). Chives, cilantro, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme, and chervil can all be grown in smaller containers. Basil, lavender, rosemary, dill, and lemongrass should be grown in larger containers. Most herbs thrive in full sun and little to regular watering so they are by far some of the easiest edibles to grow and are perfect for first-time gardeners!

Salad Greens

Salad greens are another super easy edible to grow in containers. Romaine, mesclun, spinach, arugula and microgreens are the most common salad greens and can all be grown in smaller containers. One of the best things about salad greens is they thrive in partial shade. This means they can easily be grown on a windowsill or balcony.Another great thing is they absolutely love cold weather! They are cole groups! Plant them outdoors now and you will amazed at how quickly they grow! If you don’t have any gardening experience, start with lettuce and work your way up from there.

Large Container Edibles

If you have the space, try a large container vegetable. Large container vegetables have the most bang for their buck and provide a bit of color to your edible garden! Typically a larger container vegetable thrives in a container that is 12 to 18 inches deep and 16 to 18 inches wide.

Tomatoes

Many people are afraid of planting tomatoes because of their reputation for soil borne diseases. Growing tomatoes in a container with fresh soil is the easiest way to avoid this problem. If you are still worried, there are plenty of disease-resistant hybrid seeds and starter plants that are on the market nowadays. If you are growing them in a container make sure to include stakes because tomato plants like to grow upwards. As they grow, tie the stem to the stake so the plant does not get weighed down by the fruit. Be sure to water your tomato plant regularly. If you find your tomatoes are developing cracked skins, this is a sign that you are over-watering.

Strawberries

Strawberries are an excellent fruit to grow in any garden because you can easily find a variety that works in almost any climate. Strawberries do have a short-lived fruiting cycle but are perennials so you do not have to worry about replanting them every year. Strawberries thrive in a variety of container sizes. If you are planting on a balcony, try a hanging container. A hanging container looks great and helps to avoid snails and slugs that like to eat fresh strawberries.

Summer Squash/Eggplants

I chose to combine these plants simply because they thrive in very similar environments. If you are growing in a container, make sure that the container is wide. You typically want a container that is around 18 inches wide. Eggplants do prefer deeper containers than squash varieties but both should thrive in 12-inch deep containers. Both of these vegetables produce beautiful flowers before they fruit. The flowers themselves are edible too. The most popular variety of edible blossom is from the zucchini plant. If you are growing in a container, be sure to look for bush varieties. The great thing about these edibles is once they start producing they will just keep on producing well into the early fall!

Bush Beans

Bush Beans are some of the easiest vegetables to grow in a container. Make sure when buying bean seeds to select the bush variety and not vine, because the vine variety will climb up literally anything. Bush beans produce an earlier crop and grow throughout the summer and early fall. But be aware, you will produce quite a lot of beans during their growing cycle and this can become quite overwhelming. My family grows one row of beans every year and we end up giving half of our crop away and freezing the other half to use for the rest of the year.

Edibles are a great addition to any garden and these are especially easy for use in containers. Try a couple out this spring, you will be happy you did!