Enjoy Healthy Fresh Veggies Year Round With Container Vegetable Gardening

Just about any kind of vegetable can be grown in a container, however, not all of them will do equally well. Man-made soils are quite suitable for container vegetable gardening. These types of soils are found in your local gardening store.

Often it is helpful to compost them with peat moss, vermiculite, sawdust or wood chips. In addition, you may include some type of garden fertilizer that provides the plants all the nutrients they require. Ask your local gardening center for advice, once you've decided on the type of vegetable you'll grow. Then mix all the soil ingredients thoroughly and add a small amount of water.

What everyone should know about containers

When choosing a container make sure that it has good drainage at the bottom. It is also a good practice to clean and sterilize any container before using it for your plants. This will prevent disease and kill off unwanted weed seeds. Hot soapy water will do the trick, just be sure to thoroughly rinse away all soap residue.

Different pot sizes will likely be needed for different container gardening projects. For example, if you are growing small herb plants like parsley, a small container will do the trick. Other vegetables like a tomato need more space because its roots grow deeper than that of a parsley plant.

To have success with container vegetable gardening any pot used must have sufficient drainage. You can punch holes in any container with a sharp, pointed object or use a drill to get the job done. Not only should your container include holes on the bottom, but also a one-inch layer of gravel will improve drainage even further.

Generally speaking, container vegetable gardening plants grow best in direct sunlight rather than shade. Eggplants, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes are a few sun loving vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and parsley are a few plants that can handle less sunlight and more shade.