I have a dream that one day I’ll have enough land to grow food, keep chickens and maybe a miniature goat or two but until then I grow food in any available space and look at pictures of chickens.
When Paul and I moved into an apartment with a patio we grew loads of different vegetables in pots and harvested food for 3 months. Today we still grow food in pots because I run out of ground to put stuff in and I get better results with some foods in pots as opposed to the ground.
The kids love growing food in pots because it’s easy for them to water so it’s a lovely way to get kids into gardening.
If you’ve never grown food in pots before there are some easy veggies to get started with:
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Chillies
- Carrots
- Courgettes
- Radishes
What Do I Need to Grow Food in Pots
Pots of various sizes, compost, seedlings (small plants) and a sunny spot to place your pots. It’s really easy to grow food in pots, you just need to follow 3 golden rules:
- Make sure your pots have drill holes in the bottom for water to escape
- Use the best compost you can afford
- Water consistently (either a really good soaking twice a week or a little top up every day)
From Seed or Seedling
You can buy seeds from loads of places and follow the instructions on the back to sow seeds in an egg box or seed tray (grow on a sunny ledge or in a greenhouse) until you get seedlings (little plants) big enough to replant into a bigger pot and place outside. Alternatively loads of supermarkets and garden centres sell seedlings that you can plant into a larger pot and place outside immediately.
Watering
Your potted veggies like a consistent environment so leave them in a sunny spot and water either a little every day or preferably a good soaking twice a week. If it’s a really hot summer then check more regularly that the soil isn’t drying out too quickly. Remember soil in pots dries faster than in the ground.
Harvesting
You will probably be able to tell when your veggies are ready to harvest, but if you want to be sure keep the information from the seed or seedling packets as it will tell you when to harvest. There is nothing quite like eating something that you grew in your own space, no matter how small that space might be.
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