Growing a garden can be a very satisfying experience on its own, but growing your own food can be even better. There is nothing like enjoying the product of your labour, and nothing tastes as good as it does when you have grown it yourself. For that reason you should try to grow vegetables in pots.
However, starting a garden of any kind isn’t easy, let alone a vegetable garden. It can be a little tricky to grow vegetables in pots especially as they need to be more precisely maintained because they will be eaten later.
As such, it is important for you to grow them to their maximum potential and keep away any weeds or pests that might harm the vegetable. Following are some great tips and tricks to help you get started growing your own vegetable garden.
In this short guide, you will learn how to pick a vegetable, find the perfect pot, and maintain the plant until it can be harvested. A really easy way to grow vegetables in pots.
Trial & Error
The most important thing to remember while gardening is that patience is key. There is a slew of things that can go wrong for your garden, and while you can prepare for many of them, sometimes things just don’t work out.
However, that does not mean that gardening is impossible. So long as you persevere and learn from your mistakes, you can quickly overcome any obstacle in your path to the perfect garden.
Best Vegetables To Grow In Pots
When choosing a vegetable to grow, it is important to remember to pick something suited to your climate. A plant that constantly has to fight an uphill battle against the elements is not going to yield very good vegetables any time soon, and it will be harder to take care of.
It is best to pick vegetables suited for the space you have as well. For example, if you are planning on a smaller garden, look for plants with labels such as a patio, compact, dwarf, bush, miniature and so on.
Plants such as tomatoes are perfect for growing in smaller spaces as they can grow up instead of out through use of a garden trestle.
Choosing The Right Sized Pot
Choosing a pot that is large enough to grow your plants is essential to growing a vegetable garden. There are two important things to consider when choosing the right pot: how big the plant will be once fully grown, and how much room the roots need to expand.
You should research the plants you want to grow before selecting a pot. Once you know how large the plant will be and how much room the roots will take up, it is much easier to choose the perfect pot.
However, do not assume that a plant that is smaller will need less room to root. Even smaller plants can take up a lot of room with their roots, which is incredibly beneficial to their growth.
Typically, most pots for vegetable growing start at around twelve to eighteen inches wide and about eighteen to twenty-four inches deep.
To repeat, however, you should always research your plants before selecting a pot as you do not want them to run out of room halfway through the growing phase. Why not pop to the garden centre at the weekend for a look?
Selecting A Soil
Soil is very important to the nutritious growth of your plant. When choosing a potting soil, be sure to confirm that it will provide the nutrition your specific plant needs to grow and thrive.
While you may be tempted to dig some dirt from your yard to use in your vegetable pots, this isn’t a good idea. Potting soil is specifically made to provide optimal drainage so plants don’t drown.
Soil from your yard can also contain bugs, bacteria, or fungus. These can kill a young plant, so it’s imperative to use potting soil.
You can use an all purpose potting soil or an outdoor potting mix. An outdoor mix is made for container gardens and has more fertilizer in it.
Sunlight: Do’s & Don’ts
Ultimately, the amount of sunlight your plants need will vary depending on the plant. Therefore, when finding a spot to place your garden look for a place that not only gets sun but also has access to shade when it is very hot outside.
If your garden is inside, find a window where your plants will get at last eight hours of sunlight per day. Some plants will have varying needs, so it is incredibly important to research what amount of sunlight is best for your garden.
Keep Pests Away
Pests are perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of gardening as you really cannot control for other critters. Of course, if your garden is inside you do not have as much to worry about as if your garden is outside.
Even plants close to the home, on a porch or patio for example, are susceptible to pests that vary depending on where you live. Here are some simple tips to help keep pests out of your garden.
One of the best ways to repel pests is to barricade your plants. Barricading your plants simply means that you take steps to make it harder for pests to reach your garden. If you live inside, you already have a great barricade, but pests can still slip in.
There are two types of barricades, natural barricades and synthetic barricades. Both of these are highly effective, and what you should use typically comes down to personal choice.
Synthetic barricades are obstructions to your plant that you create and place. For example, placing plants such as carrots in paper towel tubes will keep smaller pests from being able to reach them.
Natural barricades typically come in the form of plants. For example, peppermint and spearmint are natural repellants of smaller insects, so it can be a good idea to plant them near or around your garden.
You can even take steps to mask the smell of your garden to deter pests from even finding it. More odorous plants such as garlic can be planted in your garden to mask its scent from pests.
Planting a vegetable garden can be difficult at times, but it is well worth the effort. Nothing is as rewarding as eating your very own home-grown vegetables.
It can be tricky to get into the wide world of gardening, but with the tips on this list, you can get started on your own vegetable garden, and grow vegetables in post for your own food. Of course, not all vegetables can be grown completely in pots but that doesn’t mean growing them has to be difficult. I recently read about how to grow pumpkins and was surprised it didn’t seem too hard!
