Container Gardening
Learn more about growing vegetables and plants in gardening containers.
Container gardening is a fascinating gardening practice because it allows us to grow plants in small spaces, add interest to our beds in the garden and have herbs that are easily accessible while we cook. As a result, container gardening is equally valuable to people who live in apartments or the country and with full-fledged yards.
Gardening in containers vs a ground bed.
Growing in a garden container is a very different experience from growing in the ground. As such, there are practices that you should be aware of. In order to successfully grow in a container, you need to use soil mixes designed for that purpose instead of normal gardening soil. If you try to use garden soil, you’ll notice that the soil’s poor drainage prevents the plant’s roots from receiving enough oxygen which will cause them to die.
Soil Mixes
for Containers (Pots)
When growing in a pot, it is best to use commercial soil mixes because they contain a combination of useful materials like peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. There are also more sustainable options instead of peat but do your research before choosing a different material.
If you want to make your own soil mix, be sure to use a combination of composted hardwood bark and garden compost (if it is a 2 gallon or larger container).
for Raised Beds
If you’re growing in a raised bed, be sure to use topsoil or compost (or a combination of the two). If you’re familiar, the Hugelkultur method works well in these situations, too. It is an older method that leverages a traditional method of building a raised bed from rotten logs and plant debris.
If you want to learn more about the Hugelkulter method and growing in a raised bed, check out our workshop.
Choosing the Right Containers
Explore different growing containers you can use for gardening.
There is an endless amount of different and unique containers you can use for gardening—from ornate pots to ice cream buckets with holes punched in it. At the end of the day, the choice of which you go with depends on your budget and your taste. However, the container that you choose does have an impact on the plant you’re growing.
When choosing a container, the colour, texture and size are important considerations, as is ensuring that it has sufficient drainage holes. The size of the container is important in the Okanagan because of our hot summers. During that time, containers can dry out fast so it pays off to use as big of a container as you can so that the increased volume will take the soil longer to dry out.
Quick Tip: If you have a fancy container, place a nursery pot inside and grow the plant in that. This is especially important when your fancy container is too heavy to move around.
Recommended plants for container growing.
A lot of plants will do well when being grown in a container. Most herbs, flowers or vegetables you’d want near the kitchen while cooking are sure to do well. Here is a list of plants that will grow well in a container:
Annuals
Bulbs
Herbs
Perennials
Tender shrubs
Vegetables
In a 1-gallon pot…
Beans
Cabbages
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Spinach
Swiss chard
In a 2-gallon pot…
Beets
Carrots
Eggplant
Peppers
Radishes
In a 3-gallon pot…
Tomatoes