Contain Yourself! Growing Veggies in a Container
Growing your own fruits, veggies and herbs is not only rewarding, but a great way to help the environment and promote healthy eating! Container gardening is a great way to grow food if there is limited space or sun exposure.
The Container
Any container that can hold soil in place can be used to grow plants. All the container needs is are holes for water to drain. Holes can be made by drilling if need be.
Ceramic or plastic pots, wooden boxes, baskets, a large bucket, swimming pools, stacked tires. . . you name it, you can grow food in it!
The Soil
The soil in containers needs to be light and not compact so that water can get to the roots--you want to make the most comfortable bed for your plants to grow in! Potting soil can be purchased at a plant nursery, a hardware store, or even a grocery store. If using soil from the ground, mix it with things like peat moss and vermiculite to make it light.
The Plant
Plants come in all shapes and sizes, so a general rule of thumb is larger plants need larger containers. Tomatoes, for example, can be grown in a 5 gallon container.
Watering
Plants in containers need to be watered more because the soil dries out more easily. Just like you, your plants should get a drink of water every day!
