Choose the right plants
Many plant varieties are especially suited to container growing.
All good seed catalogues will identify these and will give instructions
as to their culture. Look for plants that have shallow roots but
don’t need constant moisture.
Actually, a combination of plants of different rooting depths is
ideal so that they will not be competing for the same root zone.
Plants in containers tend to me more densely planted than those
in the ground, so every bit of space helps.
And make sure to include a few vines that will drape over the edge,
as well as something tall to counterbalance the vines.
Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Containers
Vegetable |
Container Size |
Recommended Varieties |
Beans, snap |
3 to 5 gallons |
Derby, Bush Blue Lake, Green Crop, Tender Crop, Royal Burgundy |
Beets |
2 to 3 gallons |
Asgrow Wonder, Detroit Red, Little Egypt, Early Red Ball,
Early Wonder, Boltardy, Burpee Golden |
Broccoli |
1 plant per 5 gallons |
Green Comet, Green Duke, DeCicco, Spartan, Italian, Green
Sprouting |
Brussels Sprouts |
1 plant per 5 gallons |
Jade Cross, Long Island Improved |
Cabbage |
1 plant per 5 gallons |
Dwarf Modern, Red Ace, Early Jersey Wakefield, Little Leaguer,
Earliana, Copenhagen Market, Ruby Ball Hybrid, Red Head Hybrid,
Round Dutch, Chinese: Michihli, Bok Choy |
Carrots |
3 gallons (12 inch deep) |
Short & Sweet, Danvers Half Long, Tiny Sweet, Baby
Finger Nantes, Goldenhart, Little Finger, Royal or Red Cored
Chantenay, Ox Hart, Baby Finger Thumbelina, Lady Fingers |
Cucumbers |
3 to 5 galllons |
Patio Pik, Spacemaster, Pot Luck, Bush Whopper, Bush Champion,
Burpee Hybrid, Salad Bush, Parks Burpless Bush, Burpless Early,
PikFanfare, Salad Bush |
Eggplant |
5 gallons |
Slim jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty, Modern Midget, Mission
Bell, Small Ruffles Red, Thai Green, Bambino, Ghost Buster |
Kale, Turnip, or Mustard Greens |
3 to 5 gallons |
Dwarf Scotch, Shogoin, Pupletop, Red Giant Mustard |
Lettuce/Salad Greens |
1 to 3 gallons |
Salad Bowl, Ruby, Grand Rapids, Oak Leaf, Buttercrunch,
Dark Green Boston, Little Gem, Bibb Salad Bowl, Red Sails,
Bibb, Blackseeded Simpson, Arugula, Radicchio, Mesculun Mix |
Onions, Green |
1 to 3 gallons |
Evergreen White Sweet Spanish, Yellow Sweet Spanish |
Pepper |
3 to 5 gallons |
Sweet Banana, Yolo Wonder, Long Red Cayenne, Bell Boy,
Keystone Resistant, California Wonder, New Ace, Red Cherry,
Jalapeno, Thai Hots |
Radishes |
1 gallon |
Cherry Belle, Easter Egglcicle, Champion, Scarlet Globe |
Squash, summer |
5 gallons |
Scallopini, Baby Crookneck, Creamy, Golden Nugget, Gold
Rush, Zucchini, Dixie, Sundrops, Elite |
Swiss Chard |
3 gallons |
Bright Lights, Rhubarb |
Tomatoes |
5 gallons/bushel basket |
Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Sweet 100, Patio, Burpee’s Pixie,
Toy Boy, Ealy Girl, better Boy VFN, Pixie, Red Robin, Sugar
Lump, Tumbli’ Tom Sweet Chelsea, Husky Cherry |
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