Container Gardening: A Guide to Growing in Small Spaces
You don’t have to have a large growing space to get into gardening – containers offer an excellent alternative to large veg patches and flower borders for those of us with smaller spaces to use. With a bit of planning and work, you could be growing your own fresh produce and beautiful flowers on balconies, windows, and patios.
What is container growing?
Put simply, container growing is a very broad term to describe growing plants in something that isn’t the ground or a raised bed. It can be in anything, but people most commonly use pots, planters, and grow bags. Container growing is an excellent way of utilising space, and there are a huge variety of plants that can be grown in containers.
What are the benefits of container growing?
Beyond the obvious space saving benefits, there are a huge number of other reasons to grow plants in containers. Firstly, container growing makes growing much more accessible and can be an easy way for beginners to get started. Containers are often small in size, meaning that they are simpler to weed and maintain, and it is great for soil control. If you have poor soil, it is much easier and far less expensive to put high quality growing media in containers than to try and fix the soil in large parts of your garden. It also makes containers ideal for plants that require a specific type of soil or a different pH level.
What containers should I use?
With such a broad range of traditional and non-traditional containers to choose from, there is something out there for every space and style. The most important thing to remember is that any container you use needs to have plenty of drainage holes to stop your plants from sitting in water, especially in the winter.
Whichever types of containers you use, they will all need regular watering, especially during hot weather. This is because containers don’t retain water in the same way as beds and the soil will dry out quicker. Plants grown in containers will also really appreciate regular feed during growing season as there is only a small amount of compost in the container for them to get all their nutrients from.
What containers should I use?
The size and depth of your containers is one of the most important things to consider. There’s no point cramming a large plant in a small pot as it will become root bound and be unable to absorb the nutrients that it needs. Equally, a long-rooted plant cannot go in a shallow pot as it will just topple out.
Generally, larger pots will almost always be better. They have more compost in, which means more nutrients and moisture for your plants to use. They will also have more room to grow, helping them to thrive.
Smaller pots will dry out faster and require a lot more watering and feeding to help your plants do well.
Here’s a breakdown of some common pot sizes and which plants they’re best for:
3-5 litres: This is the right size pot for a lot of herb plants as it gives good space and reasonable depth. Most herbs need at least 6-8 inches in depth, while deeper-rooted herbs like parsley and basil need something that’s at least 10-12 inches to grow well.
5-7 litres: Annual bedding plants like begonias, marigolds, and petunias need a pot of this size to flourish. There will be good moisture retention for the roots and you’ll need to water them less.
5-10 litres: Quick growing vegetables like radish and salad crops like lettuce will grow well in this size container. Shallow containers will also work well as they don’t have deep root systems.
10-15 litres: Woodier herbs like lavender and rosemary need larger pots to allow their root systems to fully develop.
20-30 litres:Â While dwarf varieties will do well in pots of a slightly smaller size, this is a good size for a lot of vegetables like tomatoes and chillies. Depth is more important than width as many vegetables have large root systems.
What plants can I grow in my containers?
There’s a huge range of flowers, vegetables, and herbs that all do well when grown in containers. Consider the space you have and the amount of sun that your plants will be getting when choosing your varieties and have fun with it!
Mix tall zinnias with trailing lobelias and give texture with dichondra or amazing fragrance with nicotiana.
There are lots of dwarf vegetable varieties like peppers or beans that do excellently in pots, whilst quick-cropping salads like rocket or spinach are easily accessible.
Our guide to growing a window box herb garden gives a lot of information about different herbs that you can grow in containers – start small and experiment with what works for you and your space, and you’ll find container growing a fun and rewarding experience.
Our carrot planters are an excellent place to start. It is designed to provide deep, healthy root development for carrots while offering plenty of space for other vegetables to grow. Durable and reusable, it’s designed to give both excellent drainage and aeration, delivering strong yields even in limited spaces.
