Container vegetable gardening is a fun and easy way to keep a fresh supply of herbs and vegetables at your table all season long. It will also save you space and allow you to decorate as well as provide a hearty meal. Additionally it will save you a little money at the market.
Larger raised containers will give you easy access to all vegetables and can reduce the wear on your back and knees. Also, containers offer easier maintenance, no kneeling in dirt and tilling or pulling weeds. Containers will also help the urban gardener who may not have access to land and can grow vegetable on their balconies or patios.
You’ll have much more control over your plants with containers as well. You can bring them indoors if a frost blows in, or move them to areas of more or less sun if they don’t seem happy with their placement.
Containers can also add a decorative touch depending the style and the placement of the one you use. There are a few different types of containers to consider.
The hanging container can be great for all types of veggies like tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, even zucchini plants. You can use this upside-down-gardening method up and out of the way on your patio or balcony and use as accents for corners or bare walls. Some growers have a hard time growing food with their land because their soil is hard and full of rock and clay, but have successful yields with hanging their plants with commercial organic soil and compost.
Long horizontal planter boxes can be used to save space as well. You could maximize space and the amount of plants by a vertical shelving unit with your horizontal planters. You could also attach them to the sides of your fence or house for an added accent.
Raised beds are another great container garden innovation. It is the same shape as a horizontal planter but you build it to meet your size needs. It can be placed on your patio so it’s close to your kitchen. You can build these beds out of scrap material so the cost does not have to be high. The benefits to these gardens is that you can control which type of soil you use which tends to be looser and warms quickly in the spring. You also have less pests and weeds but earthworms are still able to find their way in and give their nutrients to the soil.
Containers are a great way for people to learn to grow vegetables, even if they do not have access to great land and large space. Coming up with unique ways to place your plants can give you the best looking garden on the block and keep you fridge full of tasty produce. -KATIE FLYNN