How Do I Start a Container Garden?

by Tonya

I am wanting to start a container vegetable garden. I am not sure what vegetables I should start out with at first.

Also, regarding the vegetables I do plant, I'm not sure if I should plant them all together in one big container or plant each vegetable in an individual containers?

Also what size container do I get if I do them in one big container or individual?

Answer:

Hi Tonya,
Some of the easiest vegetables to grow in a container garden are lettuce, radish, onions and tomatoes. Many other vegetables are pretty easy to grow in pots as well.

It's really up to you to decide whether to mix smaller vegetables such as lettuce and onions together or plant them separately.

You probably should plant a tomato by itself in a 3-5 gallon size container. Most of my containers are 3-5 gallon size, but you can use larger or smaller containers depending on your situation.

You can find many different sizes and types of containers at your local garden centers; from very inexpensive to shockingly expensive.

You might check your garage or garden shed and see if you have any containers on hand that you can recycle for your container garden.

I am not trying to be vague about answering your question. But the fact is that many different containers and planting techniques will work just fine. You can mix vegetable seeds and plants or plant separately.

The most important consideration is finding a sunny location for your garden, and having ready access to water. You will want to water your container garden every day unless the soil already appears wet.

It will also help to fertilize your growing garden with a liquid plant fertilizer every week or two. Follow the directions on the fertilizer container for exact timing and measurements.

I hope this helps. For more information, read some of my pages on container and potted garden ideas.