Container gardening is a wonderful way to grow more plants without needing a large garden plot. You can container garden anywhere - from your patio to your windowsill to an apartment balcony! Choosing the best soil mix for your container garden will help your veggies grow strong, healthy, and happy!
Let's chat about how to start your garden containers and choosing the best soil mix for growing your plants.
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First, What is Container Gardening?
Container gardening is the method of growing plants in containers rather than directly in the ground. Container gardening is a great option for urban areas, but it can also be done anywhere that you want more plants!
Want more color on your porch or patio? Container gardens!
Live in an apartment but hungry for some fresh veggies? Containers!
Have a large garden but still need more space? Add some large barrel planters around your yard for leafy greens, tomato plants, or a colorful herb mix.
Whether you have a small space or just can't get enough homegrown vegetables, container gardening is a great way to expand your options and spread the beauty of fresh plants in new places, too.
In addition, it can also be an ideal growing medium if you want to prevent soil-borne diseases from affecting your plants. See the bottom of this post for more articles all about container gardening!
What Vegetables Grow Well in Containers?
When you're planning your container garden, choose vegetables that don't need a lot of space or that produce smaller amounts over a period of time (versus most of their fruit at once). Many garden suppliers also offer dwarf varieties that work well in smaller areas and containers.
Here are some vegetables that tend to do well in container gardens:
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Swiss chard
- Cabbage
- Peas
- Cucumbers
- Pole beans
- Radishes
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
No matter what vegetables you choose to plant in your containers, you'll want to check the soil regularly and water often. Container plants dry out faster and usually need more water than in-ground plants. You can also use a drip irrigation system to make sure your plants get enough to drink. See my full post for The Best Vegetables for Container Gardening!
How to Choose a Good Container for Vegetable Gardening
It seems like there's no end to the options for garden containers! You can buy pots or containers, use recycled materials, or build your own boxes out of wood. When you're choosing a container, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Adequate drainage. If your container holds too much excess water, your plants will be prone to rot and diseases. Make sure it has good drainage holes near the bottom, and don't forget to water regularly.
- Non-toxic materials. If you decide to use recycled materials or make your own planters, make sure there hasn't been anything in them that could be dangerous for plants. Even just residue from past toxins can negatively affect your plants (not to mention that they could be dangerous for ingesting, too!). Avoid jugs that have held cleaning products or other chemicals as well as treated woods.
- Sufficient space. Although you may start with tiny seedlings, take note of how much space your full-grown plants will need! Choose large containers that will support your full-grown veggies.
Some good options for containers include:
- Terra cotta pots
- Black plastic nursery pots
- Wooden boxes or planters (See my DIY Raised Bed tutorial for full instructions!)
- Window boxes
- Grow bags
- Food-grade buckets
- Old milk jugs
- Barrels
If you opt for a DIY container like a food-grade bucket, milk jug, or barrel, don't forget to add some holes in the bottom for drainage. Or create a DIY Self-Watering Planter that has a water reservoir in the bottom!
What size container do you need?
For best results, choose a container that's at least 6-8" deep to provide adequate room for roots to stretch and grow. For large plants, such as tomatoes, opt for larger containers at least 18" deep (a 5-gallon bucket works well).
What's the Best Soil Mix for Container Vegetable Gardening?
For container gardening, you'll want a lightweight potting mix. Container gardens need soil that's less dense than regular garden soil and allows for good drainage and airflow. In addition, you'll want to make sure it has essential nutrients for supporting your container-grown vegetables.
Years ago, I realized how expensive potting mix can be and that many of the pricey pre-bagged soils I was buying ended up having a bunch of weed seeds and wood chips in them anyway. And while the cost of suitable soil might not be outrageous if you're just planting a few pots, it definitely adds up if you're planning to fill in a large garden bed or many different container gardens.
I found out that I could actually make some of the best potting soil myself! When you make your own potting soil, you know exactly what goes into it. You can alter it for your plants' needs, and it tends to be significantly less expensive overall.
What makes a good potting soil?
The elements of a good potting soil include:
- Adequate drainage. Good drainage is important for any plants, but it's especially vital for container gardens. Water from container gardens can't naturally drain like it does in in-ground gardens, which can lead to root rot and other issues. A good potting soil will provide adequate drainage instead of trapping the water, and will also allow for good aeration.
- Organic matter. Organic materials, such as compost, provide the essential nutrients your plants will need. And in addition to providing your plants with beneficial organisms, organic matter also helps by improving the soil structure, regulating pH, and increasing the soil's ability to absorb water, all leading to a more productive container garden.
- Fertilizer. Fertilizers provide your plants with essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Oftentimes, store-bought potting soils lack the amount of fertilizer your plants really need to thrive. In some cases, they also lack in quality, and are really just a synthetic mix of nitrogen and ammonium sulfate, which can actually have negative effects on both your garden and the environment in the long run.
My favorite DIY potting soil ingredients
DIY potting soil is super easy. You can make it in a small container or 5-gallon bucket if you only need a little bit. Or, you can pile the ingredients right in your garden bed and then mix them together on site (for larger amounts). Here are the main ingredients I like to use:
- Sphagnum Peat Moss / Coconut Coir. Sphagnum moss comes from peat bogs. It helps to create aeration, retain moisture, and improve the overall soil structure. Some gardeners like to replace sphagnum moss with coconut coir, a substance that's produced from the outside of coconut shells.
- Perlite / Vermiculite. Perlite is a volcanic rock that looks like tiny white styrofoam balls. These lightweight pieces have tiny air pockets in them that help to provide aeration, improve drainage, and create a lightweight mix. Vermiculite is another airy mineral that looks like small brown flakes. They perform similar duties, but perlite tends to drain more effectively (making it better for wet areas). I like to use both if I have them!
- Compost. Compost enriches your soil by adding organic matter and releasing nutrients that your plants need for healthy growth. You can make your own compost, buy compost, and/or add some worm castings as an organic fertilizer to give your container vegetables a strong start. (Learn how to start making your own compost!)
- Coarse sand. Sand helps to aerate your soil mixture. If you don't have coarse sand, then fine sand will also work.
- (Optional) Fertilizer. Espoma Plant Food and Down to Earth Fertilizer are a couple of good organic fertilizer options.
I love that with DIY potting soil, I can adjust the amounts of each of these ingredients as needed and customize the mix for my soil and drainage needs. And if you make too much, you can easily store it to use later. I generally like to combine equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and compost, but honestly, it's not an exact science! These soil ingredients are fairly forgiving.
In my DIY potting soil tutorial, I included a bunch more tips on choosing ingredients, creating the right ratios, mixing, and sourcing materials.
Other potting soil options for container gardening
If you don't want to make your own potting soil, here are some good options for vegetable container gardening:
More Container Gardening Resources
- Tips for Gardening in Small Spaces: Not a lot of space for a garden? Check out this article full of ideas for gardening on a patio, balcony, or whatever limited space you have!
- How to Grow Potatoes in a Container: Perhaps one of the easiest vegetables to grow, potatoes can easily be grown in containers. Find out everything you need to know from planting, maintaining, to harvesting! Plus check out my favorite varieties of potatoes.
- How to Grow Blueberries in Containers: Limited space but still want to grow your own fresh berries? Find out how to grow an annual blueberry bush in a container! This is perfect for someone with no ideal backyard space for an in-ground plant.
- Salad Container Garden: Love fresh salads? You can grow fresh lettuce that will keep producing leaves in a container on your porch or patio. A salad container garden is one of the best things you can grow because it allows you to avoid store-bought lettuce that may be covered with pesticides or contaminated with who knows what. Plus, it is super easy!
