Growing your own vegetables can be an exciting and rewarding experience. I love knowing where my food came from, how it was grown, if it was sprayed with anything, and how fresh it is. That makes backyard veggie gardens the best. However, if you’re just starting out there are some veggies that are much easier to grow than others.
This is especially true if you’re growing them in containers. I love container gardening because you do not need lots of space to grow delicious food. Since so many of us live in cities and suburbs this is very important. Also the weeding and general maintenance needed to do container gardening is very small, so bonus points there.
To make it easier for newbies, below you’ll discover my top five vegetables to grow in containers.
Top 5 Vegetables to Grow in Containers
1. Radishes
Radishes might be one of the last vegetables you were thinking of growing. However, they can be an excellent vegetable to start with due to how simple they are to grow. They can be directly seeded in early spring and they do all the work, super easy. One of the best things about them is the fact they’ll potentially be ready to eat in just one month. You’ll just need to ensure they have plenty of water and sow them in small batches regularly for a continuous harvest.
Let a small patch of them go to seed and you will have yoru seeds for the following year as well. Easy peasy!
2. Chilies
Another great veggie for beginners is the chili plant. Chilies go fantastic with a huge range of dishes and you’ll be surprised just how delicious they are when grown at home. It is best to grow these in a small greenhouse or at least under glass. If you have any old windows, you can make a lean to greenhouse for your chilies. You’ll find that the warmer the weather they are grown in, the spicier they will be.
3. Potatoes
You may be surprised to find potatoes on the list, but they can grow surprisingly well in containers provided they are large enough. Ideally, you’ll need a potato bag or a similar size container for the best results. You can use mesh wire like I do, just form a circle or square about 3-4 feet tall and line with weed fabric.
The most important issue with potatoes is soil depth. As the plants grows and send up new shoots and leaves you need to add more soil continuously. You start at the bottom of your planter and end up with leaves and growth at the top. All your potatoes will be buried under the soil. They are pretty easy to look after and they are really fun to harvest.
4. Spinach
Spinach is considered a superfood and it’s easy to grow in containers, even when other greens are not yet growing because they like cool weather. The key thing to remember is to ensure you’re using a very rich soil. Spinach also needs light shade, rather than direct sunlight. In drier weather, you’ll also need to water it frequently as otherwise you could find it ends up tasting really bitter. Container growing spinach makes meeting all these requirements super easy.
5. Lettuce
Enjoy fresh harvested salad greens by growing your own lettuce. They grow fast and they are super easy to care for. Sow them in intervals, seeding new ones every other week, so they mature at separate times. You can also cut them at soil depth when harvesting, leaving the base and roots intact so they will regrow.
Again, as with spinach, the soil used will need to be rich and also kept continuously moist. It’s also a good tip to water the plants in the morning.
Overall, there’s so many different types of vegetables that you can grow in a container. However, some require a lot more maintenance than others. The five above are especially well-suited to beginners and those looking for the easiest types of veggies to grow.
