With the way things are going in the housing market, it seems like only a few of us will have the luxury of a spacious backyard garden. But having limited space does not mean you can’t have a great edible garden. Whether you are downsizing your family home or just buying your first, here are some great vegetable plants for small space and container gardening.
Leafy Vegetables
Leafy greens are the number one choice for many vegetable gardens, big or small. Lettuce, kale, Swiss chard and spinach are fantastic additions to vegetable gardens because of their cut and grow again properties. This means that they can be continually harvested throughout the growing season. Plus, the size of the container isn’t a limiting factor in the success of these plants.
Herbs
Much like leafy greens, herbs are a standard for any container garden. They are small plants that will continually produce. Just make sure you are planting herbs that you will use, otherwise they are just taking up valuable space. Great herbs for containers include mint, chives, thyme, rosemary, and basil.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be good container growers but it depends on the variety. Large beefsteak type tomatoes will need much more space than smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes. Some varieties, such as Sweet n’ Neat Red/Yellow, are even created to be extra compact and suitable for small containers.
Amy, our T&T expert extraordinaire, highly recommends Cherry Fountain. They are heavy producers and don’t get too large and out of control. They can also be grown in a hanging basket to save coveted floor space!
Beets
As long as the container is deep enough for the roots to grow, beets are fantastic container vegetables. They do not like to be disturbed once planted so be sure to choose an adequately sized container from the get-go. Beets are easy to grow and will do well in nearly any condition. Don’t forget that beet greens can also be eaten! It’s like two for the price of one!
Eggplant
Eggplants are not only delicious, but their plants look great too! Eggplant plants produce pretty purple flowers that eventually develop into fruit. These flowers also attract bees! Any pot with at least 5 inches of depth can be used to grow eggplants. Plants will need to be supported with stakes as they grow larger.
Peppers
Any variety of pepper can be grown in containers, just be sure to give them enough space to grow. The roots of pepper plants need lots of room to spread out. Smaller peppers need a container at least 2 gallons big while larger peppers need at least 5 gallons. Make sure your peppers are getting lots of sun!