Over the years, I have dabbled with the idea of starting a container garden. Not only will this save us money, but it will be tons of fun for my kids to let them plant the seeds and watch things grow! I have asked readers in the past for tips on this and here’s a list of ideas for you if you want to start one, too:
- Look for seed packets that say “compact plants” which indicates they are good container plants. – Tabatha
- Container gardens require lots of regular watering. If you have a little space to try an in ground bed, I’d highly recommend the square foot gardening method. A four foot by four foot square will yield plenty of produce for a beginner. Building a raised bed is super easy. – Lynnette
- Just water frequently, especially when it is hot, and ours was pretty much self sufficient. I found that our zucchinis grew like CRAZY and took over lots of other plants…they killed my green beans b/c the leaves grow SO big, and the vines ended up growing over half my patio, so keep that in mind with vining plants. Same thing happened last year w/ the pumpkins. We started our plants from seeds. We started them indoors in a seed tray, then transferred the small plants to bigger containers, then some into the ground, and the others into bigger containers. They all came out great! Start early! That way, if any plants happen to die on you, you still have time to replant! And don’t buy too many seed packets! You will be shocked at how many pants you can get out of 1 packet of seeds! – Lori
- I grow tons in containers. tomatoes cucumbers, peppers, herbs. My best advice: Save your egg shells and used coffee grounds and mix it in with your soil (they add nutrients to the soil), use a mix of potting soil and dirt, plant marigolds around your tomatoes to help keep the aphids at bay, and tomatoes also like wood ash (if you have it) just sprinkle it in the soil. – Jen
- Always start a container garden with good compost and fertilizer. I use cow manure and make my own compost. You can grow just about anything in a 5 gallon bucket. Rule of thumb, never let your container garden dry out. Containers need more water more often then ground or raised gardens – Shawndra
- I think one of the easiest things to start with would be a big tub of leaf lettuce. It’ll grow fast and be rewarding for the kids to watch. – Ellen
- I have planted in plastic containers. To plant in a plastic container it needs to be 5 gallons or more. Drill holes around the bottom, not the actual bottom, for water to escape. Then plant. Make sure you water and fertilize like you would any other potted plant. – Nicole
Learn how to save even more money with these Money Saving Tips.