How to Grow Veggies and Herbs in Containers

It’s not too late to plant up some veggies and herbs for summer harvest! While it is too late to start most things from seed, garden centers have already done this for you and have some semi-mature plants just waiting for you to plunk into some earth. No yard? No problem.

If you live in an apartment, condo or townhome, you may have very little outdoor space. Maybe all you have is a small balcony or patio? I’ve been there myself. That’s where containers come in. Most people don’t know that you can grow in pots most things that grow in the ground.

Choosing the right plants is the first place to start. Decide what you want to grow. I chose lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers because I eat them often in salads. I also chose herbs because I use them in cooking. Herbs do really well in pots and the beauty of buying already mature plants, as opposed to starting from seed, is that you can start snipping herbs right away.

Secondly, you need to know your growing conditions. Containers, obviously, but also the light conditions where you intend to locate your pots. Often garden centers will label their plants with tags that say they work well in containers or will tolerate partial shade. If the tags are less than descriptive, a garden center associate should be able to direct you to the right plants for you.

Finally, purchase your containers and soil. Make sure the containers are big enough for your plants once they mature fully (read the plant labels) and your soil is the well-draining variety formulated for veggies and herbs.

Place your pots where you intend them to be permanently, fill with soil, plant your plants, water in well, keep well-watered, and watch your veggies and herbs produce for the rest of summer, no yard required!