October 29, 2011

Growing vegetables in pots - what is most challenging?


What I find most challenging in growing vegetables in pots? 

** First - watering and fertilizing **

Soil in pots dries up so quickly, much faster than in other places in the garden.
If I think seriously about growing vegetables in pots, I would invest in self- watering containers or self-watering kit. Unless you have time to water it in the summer even 2 x a day here in my zone 6B.
A friend of mine has installed a self-watering kit, that waters regularly containers standing on the sunny terrace. And guess what? Her plants are thriving!
I am trying to do my best with my watering can, but I can see it’s not the same.
 

** Second - I want my pot veggie garden looking at least well if not adorable **

When I started gardening and I was buying large pots I had this weird idea that containers different in style will look good together. Or maybe rather I should say I was not thinking about...
Today I know that choosing pots for veggie garden is very important and they should be either similar in shape, or material or color. Investing in beautiful pots might be whimsical today for you as well, but it will pay off in the future.

** Third - place **

How to choose the best place for the pots? If you have very sunny, south facing balcony or terrace, forget growing vegetables in pots! Unless you install automatic self-watering kit.
North facing spot might be also suitable for growing some of the types of vegetables. Shady place does not mean you can'r grow vegetables, it means you can't grow all types you wish. Choose the proper ones. For example it might be suitable to grow some lettuces. 

Happy Gardening!
xoxo
Ewa 

3 comments:

Ivy Clad said...

I love growing vegetables in pots. It suits my small garden very well. But you are right; they have to be watered so, so much. I did well growing tomatoes in very large pots a few years ago, but when I tried it afterward in smaller pots I found the constraints of watering to be impractical.

Great post!

-Keri

Dewi said...

Sometimes I grow some vegetable in a pot as well. Especially vegetable that is pretty hard to grow, so I can keep an eye on it. But, I agree that watering it at regular time can be challenging.

Lovely pot by the way!

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

In pots, we can just relocate them to suit sun exposure..... and they look ornamental too.

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