Category: Container Gardening

In the articles below, learn everything you need to know about container gardening indoors, outdoors, on a patio, in the yard, or on your countertop—including how to make planter boxes yourself!

Container gardening is a great way to grow veggies if you’re short on space. If you live in an apartment or only have a small balcony, you can still enjoy heirloom tomatoes, fresh greens, and crunchy cucumbers.

Gardening always comes with a learning curve, though. Container gardening is no different. The five most common mistakes you’ll make when you’re growing vegetables in containers are: putting too many plants in one box, not having any drainage, not watering enough, mixing unfriendly plants in a small space, and using poor soil.

Soil quality is always a factor in gardening, but it’s imperative if you’re growing vegetables in containers. There is some possibility that plant roots can stretch out to find the nutrients they need in the ground, but they can’t do that in a container.

Watering a container garden is another big one. The simple fact is that water evaporates much more quickly from the soil in containers. And some popular containers, like terra cotta, absorb water quickly. Of course, this is easy to remedy—plan to water your container garden more frequently and make sure you have proper drainage.

Whether you have a tiny balcony off your fifth-floor apartment, a concrete driveway, or a sunny spot on your deck, container gardens are a valid option for anyone. You can build your own vegetable garden box out of wood, buy a galvanized steel version, or even use an old five-gallon bucket for a “folksy” look. A lot of people seem to think using a box limits what you can grow, but that’s only partially true, and it really depends on all sorts of circumstances in addition to what container you use.

In the articles below, we dive into all of these approaches to container gardening, and you can learn more about it in our How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: 10 Things Every Gardener Needs to Know Before Starting a Food Garden freebie. Enjoy!

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Container Gardening

How to Make DIY Plant Containers from Recyclable Materials

diy plant containers

I have a confession. I get a major thrill when I repurpose something I have lying around the house. So when it comes to homes for my plants, I’m all about that DIY plant container life. What’s even better, is when I can repurpose plant containers out of recyclable materials. Because it’s basically free AND I’m using sustainable materials! I’m willing to bet that if you looked around the room you’re sitting in right now, you’ll be able to find at least one bit of recyclable material that could easily be turned into a DIY plant container.  Here are some tips and ideas to remember when making your DIY plant containers from recyclable materials.

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Container Gardening

How to Clean Terracotta Pots of Algae, Minerals, and Disease

Plants don’t just absorb nutrients from their environment; they actually filter them out too! That’s why we’re able to grow plants using manure, for instance. If you’ve inherited old pots from previous owners, you may be wondering what was used inside them before they were yours. Plastic—which certainly has its own risks—can be washed down […]

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Container Gardening

How to Fertilize Container Vegetables for Best Results

Have I told you how much I adore container gardens? Container gardens are the quiet MVP of the vegetable gardening world. Container gardening provides accessibility to everyone. If you rent a house or apartment, a traditional garden bed might not be feasible. With the help of containers, you can turn a porch, deck, or balcony into a lush vegetable garden. (All without losing your security deposit!) Before starting out, it’s important to learn how to fertilize container vegetables.

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Container Gardening

How to Build a Vertical Tomato Trellis 5 Ways

Tomatoes are nature’s little miracle, aren’t they? From my favorite summertime tomato recipes to preserving tomatoes for use all winter long, homegrown tomatoes are enjoyed year-round at my house. From seed to table, the key to growing delicious and abundant tomatoes is supporting the plants and keeping the fruits off the ground. Tomato cages are an obvious solution and fairly easy to find at your local garden store. But cages aren’t the only answer. There are different ways to build a vertical tomato trellis that will accomplish the same goals as a traditional tomato cage.

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Container Gardening

5 Ways to Succeed at Apartment Container Gardening on a Budget

Potted basil plant after watering

I might be biased, but if you live in an apartment, container gardening is an easy way to give your space some personality and flare (not to mention some free food). I certainly lived in my share of apartments with white walls, white vinyl blinds, light brown carpeting, and a lease that said I couldn’t change any of that. But it’s truly amazing how much difference even a few plants can make in an otherwise boring space.

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Container Gardening

How to Prevent Fungus on Vegetables in Pots & Containers

It’s a real bummer to find fungus on your vegetables. You spend months nurturing them, ensuring they get plenty of sunshine, water, fresh air, and the Netflix password. Then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, your vegetables aren’t looking so hot.  While fungus on vegetables, herbs, and other houseplants doesn’t look great, the real problem […]

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Container Gardening

How to Prevent Moldy Soil in Container Gardens

I’ll admit, I spent years wondering how to prevent moldy soil in my container gardens. At times it felt like a losing battle, and I’m sad to say that more than a few of my indoor plants suffered the consequences of my ignorance.

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Container Gardening

7+ Perfect Plants for an Edible Front Porch Garden

I’ll be blunt; if you enjoy cooking, you owe it to yourself to have a garden. I realize not everyone has the space for a big garden in the backyard. An edible front porch garden or balcony garden is a lot more attainable. In fact, even if you do have space for a big garden, there are some distinct advantages to growing your herbs and veggies right outside your door.

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Container Gardening

A Review of the Vegepod Raised Garden Bed

If you’re done with rabbits eating your kale, deer munching on your tomatoes, skunks enjoying your cucumbers, and slugs eating your lettuce, you’ll want to know about the Vegepod Raised Garden Bed. What’s a Vegepod, you ask? It’s understandable if you aren’t familiar with the Vegepod Raised Garden Bed. I’ll admit that I only heard […]

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Container Gardening

The Challenges of Growing Vegetables in Containers and How to Overcome Them

I love growing vegetables in containers. Don’t get me wrong; I couldn’t be happier to have the space to grow a big garden in my backyard, but I’ve always loved having a few or more containers full of vegetables on the porch or decorating the front steps. Flowers are nice, but I’ll take a planter full of rosemary any day.