Five-a-day the container way: growing vegetables in pots

For those of us of a certain mindset there’s little more pleasing than the morning check on the latest developments in the garden. Have the foxglove flower spikes grown? Is that a larkspur sprout? And do those peas have any pods yet? Growing vegetables, watching the fruits of your labour develop into something you can then eat, is particularly exciting. What’s more, it can be done without fuss in a limited space. Many edibles thrive in pots and there are several advantages to this method of cultivation. Containers can be moved in difficult weather to shelter them from the potential ravages of sudden unseasonal hail, storms, gales or an excessive heatwave. They generally need less weeding than they would in open ground and are ideal for no-dig gardening on a small scale. And they’re perfect for trying out new crops that may not work or that you discover you’re not particularly partial to.

Most suitable are edibles that make optimum use of space; those that mature quickly and can be successionally sown, those with a long cropping period and those with high yields that can be trained upwards, like beans. This offers us a surprising variety of plants – leafy greens, small root crops, tomatoes and peppers, and legumes like beans and peas.

Growing veg in pots is also a great way to introduce children to gardening. Easy to manage and fun to do, edibility adds an extra layer of engagement so can help vegetable refuseniks develop a functional relationship with them. Quick hit plants that mature in a few weeks are best, like salad leaves, radishes and baby carrots.

Getting the basics right

Generally, edibles need a sunny spot. But some are perfectly happy in light shade. These include leafy greens such as spinach and salad leaves and roots like carrots and beetroot.

Most vegetables are hungry plants, demanding good amounts of food and hydration, and they need large, deep containers for their root systems to develop properly. Deep pots will also ensure that any necessary supports are well anchored and don’t topple or come loose. For courgettes and other climbers and creepers use an 18in/45cm pot for each plant and for aubergines, peppers and tomatoes, grow one plant per 12in/30cm pot. Dwarf edibles with shallow roots will grow happily in small containers such as window boxes and hanging baskets.

Peat-free compost rich in loam is ideal but peat-free multi-purpose will work well too. Remember to feed and water regularly. Plants need watering more often than when they’re in the ground, especially if in terracotta pots.

Sowing and planting

Buying small plants is more expensive than growing from seed but better if you don’t have time for seed sowing or somewhere to sow tender and half-hardy plants. There’s also less chance of them being ravaged by slugs and snails, which love a delicate, juicy seedling. Tender and half-hardy veg such as courgettes won’t tolerate frost. So until the risk of frost has passed – usually around May – it’s best to bring them indoors or place under cover at night.

Half-hardy and tender plants: sow seeds under cover in spring and harden off young plants before planting out once frost is no longer likely. At this point, seeds can be sown outdoors too.

Hardy plants can be sown outdoors where they are to grow; follow the instructions on the seed packet. Successional sowing every two to four weeks of fast-maturing crops – small carrots, beets and radishes – and those prone to bolting, such as spinach, should ensure a steady supply throughout the season.

Climbers and creepers

Tender beans, climbing tomatoes and cucumbers need something to cling to, as do peas. Use vertical canes for tomatoes and cane wigwams for climbing beans, peas and cucumbers, inserting supports early on to avoid unnecessary disturbance. Pots with sides that are more vertical rather than being narrower at the bottom are best to maximise the depth of space available.

Dwarf French beans are more suitable for containers than climbers because of the root space required. They mature more quickly than climbing varieties although don’t crop for as long. They don’t need much support but put a few short canes or strong sticks in the pot to stop pods trailing on the ground where they may rot in wet weather. It is possible to grow climbing French beans too and I have grown runner beans in pots. The latter are tricky though as they’re just too energetic, reaching a point where there’s nowhere for them to run and requiring a complicated series of strings tied to convenient parts of the shed to accommodate them.

Cucumbers can be grown outdoors or in greenhouses depending on variety. Most suitable for containers are mini (compact and quickest to mature) and bush types.

To make a wigwam Click Here

Tender courgettes, with enough food and regular watering, will crop heavily and are famous for their tendency to produce a glut which then has to be distributed among friends and neighbours. In containers they’ll probably be less prolific, however, and can also be planted in grow bags. Opt for compact varieties such as ‘All Green Bush’. The flowers are edible too but leave female flowers to their own devices (they’ll become courgettes) and enough males to pollinate them. (Male flowers appear first and have a longer, thin stem. Female flowers have a short stem, swollen at the base.)

Both cucumbers and courgettes are prone to powdery mildew so try not to wet the leaves when watering.

Roots

The root veg grown in pots are small and mature quickly. While long carrots need deep pots, short and round types such as early cropping ‘Chantenay’ or ‘Paris Market 5 Atlas’ can be grown in shallow containers and even in window boxes. Both take around 12 weeks from planting to harvest.

Multi-tasking beets, sometimes dismissed, are delicious when sweet and young. They’ll only take 6-8 weeks to grow, and you can pack more into the pot too. Young foliage can also be used in salads and mature tops cooked like spinach or chard, Another summer favourite, salad radishes can mature in a month.

Potatoes

These comfort-food staples can be grown in a porous bag or even a recycled compost bag with drainage holes in the bottom. Earlies are best as they mature quickly and take up least space. Plant first earlies (which mature in 10-12 weeks) around late March and second earlies (ready in13-15 weeks) around mid-April. Unlike most other container-grown veg they don’t need feeding as the compost will be topped up several times during earthing up.

Gardeners’ World’s Alan Titchmarsh demonstrates here

Aubergines and peppers

Beautiful, shiny, deep purple aubergines come in different shapes and sizes and there are lilac striped and white cultivars too. Both they and multi-coloured sweet and chilli peppers are tender and usually grown in greenhouses, but given a south-facing spot in a mild, sheltered area and a long, hot summer, they will fruit outside, although probably not prolifically. Aubergine stems may need propping up with a cane as the fruits are heavy. Neither sweet peppers or aubergines are particularly quick to mature – harvesting usually begins around August. But if the thought of an experiment appeals, they’re worth giving a go. Pinch out the top shoot when plants are around 30cm tall to encourage side shoots and more fruits.

Eat shoots and leaves

Tasty cut and come again plants just carry on giving. Keep cutting a few outer leaves at a time and you’ll encourage more to grow. Annual salad leaves usually take just 6 weeks to mature while rainbow-stalked perennial chard will overwinter in a sheltered spot. Spinach prefers cooler temperatures so plant in part shade. It can be harvested a few leaves at a time or all at once and sometimes cutting it back like this encourages a second crop. Both should mature in 6-10 weeks. Beware slugs and snails with these leafy greens.

Hanging baskets and window boxes

Crops for smaller pots and window boxes include short or round carrots, baby beets, small lettuce, salad leaves and spring onions. Or try trailing cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets.

Exotics

While climate change is not to be welcomed, we need to adapt and may as well make what we can of it while we attempt to undo the damage we’ve caused. There are several plants that stand a fighting chance in the garden in warmer areas and sheltered spots that we couldn’t consider growing before. Treat them as tender annuals and sow under cover. Tomatillos (Mexican green tomatoes) grow well in pots and make an utterly delicious sauce, salsa verde, for eggs, cheese or chicken as well as any number of tortilla and taco dishes. Harvest from late summer to autumn.

The joy of growing veg is partly in the colours they present you with. Not merely green, courgettes might be yellow and beans purple, and beets can be golden or striped candy pink. While some carrots are orange, others are white. And some edibles flower too. They’re all a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Cultivating crops in pots may not sustain a large family but it’s a rewarding way to get your five-a-day and absolutely worth it if there aren’t many mouths to feed.

Best crops for shade? Click here