Houzz Contributor. I'm a full-time mom and part-time gardener in St. Louis, MO. After a 20-year career in marketing communications, I decided to follow my passion and went through the Master Gardening program through the Missouri Botanical Garden. Two years ago I started my own container gardening business at Contained Beauty (http://www.facebook.com/containedbeauty) and haven't looked back!

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With all the emphasis on buying locally sourced food these days, it’s easy to get excited about buying fresh produce close to home. And what’s more local than your own garden? One of the most convenient, practical and attractive ways of going local is planting herbs and veggies in containers. Done right, they can become a focal element in your landscape design.

The key to success in growing crops in containers is choosing the right plants, the right pots and the right location, and providing the right care. Here, six essentials for edible gardens and how to use them.

by Exteriorscapes llc »

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1. A container. It’s been said that when choosing a container, you are limited only by your imagination and a drainage hole. Proper drainage is essential, as edibles do not like wet roots.

Here, chives, oregano and other herbs grow in a custom steel planter with two layers of planting area and plenty of drainage into a gravel courtyard.

by Modern Country Lady »

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Window boxes are a lovely and effective means of growing small edible crops like herbs and greens, especially in urban settings with little or no yard. Pictured here are pansies, which have edible flowers.

by The Gardensmith »

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Size matters when it comes to containers for edibles. Most vegetables have rather large root systems that require pots to be deep and wide. Plus, larger containers won’t dry out as quickly, making it easier on you and less stressful for your plants. Find pots at least 12 inches wide and deep; 16- to 20-inch pots are even better.

by Amy Renea »

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2. Plants or seeds. Generally, it’s easiest for beginner gardeners to buy plants rather than start from seed. The exception is root vegetables, which do not like to be transplanted. So if carrots and beets are your favorites, sow these directly in your pot following the seed packet directions.

With the popularity of container gardening increasing, many growers and seed companies are offering varieties of vegetables specifically for growing in containers. These varieties are practical for smaller pots, but you might be able to use regular-size varieties if you have a container that's large enough. For example, a single standard-size tomato plant would be happy in a container at least 20 inches deep and wide.

by decordemon »

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3. Soil. One of the biggest advantages to growing edibles in containers is that you can use a high-quality potting medium to help ensure success. Find a potting soil that is specifically formulated for containers. Wet the soil well and allow it to drain before adding your plants or seeds. This ensures that the soil won't wick moisture away from the plants you're adding.

4. Fertilizer. At the time of planting, add a granular, slow-release fertilizer that supplies the proper nutrients over three to six months. Because edibles are heavy feeders, you can also supplement with a liquid organic fertilizer twice each month.

by Kim Gamel »

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5. Water. One of the most critical duties in container gardening is watering. The key here is moist yet well-drained soil. Drip irrigation is the best method for achieving this. If you're watering by hand, you will need to water once every couple of days when the weather is moderate, and at least once daily when temperatures are at their peak.

If you water only once per day, choose the morning so that there is less chance for fungus to develop. For the same reason, it’s also best to water the base of the plant rather than the leaves.

by decordemon »

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6. Sun. Most edibles will perform best in full sun, so choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight daily, even if you need to move your pot to achieve it. Putting your pots on wheels makes this easy.

by Kim Gamel »

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Tend to your containers daily if possible. Pick herb leaves throughout the growing season, being sure to snip the tops to keep them from going to seed (setting flowers). Harvest vegetables as soon as they have reached the size you want. Picking them early and often will help to keep the plants productive.

Oh, and one more thing: patience. With a little time and effort, you will be rewarded with the fruits of your labor. There’s hardly a more satisfying feeling than picking a ripe vegetable from a plant you’ve nurtured.

Best of luck, and let me know in the Comments section how your edibles are growing!

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Comments

Judy Chives are a nice little herb you can tuck into your perreniel garden. A clump of chives' pink flowers are every bit as pretty as any other.

10 months ago · Like ·

Kim Gamel I agree! Plus, you can crumble the flower head into a salad for a nice presentation. Just be aware that the flowers taste oniony as well.

10 months ago · Like

smoreau163 Planted my first garden ever this year. One zucchini plant has given me 10 zucchinis already. Lots of tomatoes almost red now. Spinach and lettuce have already been harvested a couple of times. Cucumbers are going strong and onions are getting fatter.

9 months ago · Like ·

Stephanie Gutierrez Because I live in N. AZ where the ground is hard and ungiving w/o extreme amendment I've started container gardening, so I've scrounged old galvanized trash cans and old wash tubs where ever I can find them. I often go scrounging after our trademark wind storms. As well as scrounging from local ranchers that have feed/water troughs that have gotten holes in them and are now useless to the ranchers. Last autumn my husband amazed me by bringing home 5 old metal rectangular trash cans from work that were being discarded for me to plant in, I have visions of lavendar and trailing rosemary dancing in my head. And of course, according to the gardners creed, next year will be amazing!

5 months ago · Like ·

Steve Masley Consulting and Design If you want to grow container vegetables organically, choose an organic fertilizer instead of chemical granular fertilizers. Dr. Earth 7 Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb fertilizer is a good one, as is Down to Earths Vegetable blend. You should also mix good compost and/or worm castings into the potting soil when you plant. I blend my own organic fertilizer using alfalfa meal for early season nitrogen, feather meal for late season nitrogen, rock dust or soft phosphate for phosphorus, greensand for potassium, and oyster shell flour for calcium. I build all the organic fertilizers into the potting mix before I plant, so all I have to do the rest of the season is water, tie plants to stakes, and harvest. You can see the recipe at http://www.grow-it-organically.com/fertilizing-container-vegetables.html. It's also good to inoculate the plant roots with myccorhizae, a symbiotic fungus that forms a dense, fibrous root system that holds moisture and helps summer vegetables extract more nutrients from the potting mix. Look for organic potting mixes that have myccorhizae in them, it's cheaper than ordering separately online.