Container vegetable gardening is becoming more prevalent in these days of smaller yards and more hazards with our food supply.
More people want to grow some of their own vegetables in an attempt to avoid buying non-organic product or having to pay the high prices of organic produce.
With the recent prevalence of outbreaks of salmonella, e.
coli and other from products such as green onions and spinach, we are left concerned about whether any of the produce we buy is really safe.
The problem is, the produce we eat is mass produced and mass processed.
This means a lot of hands are touching each and every item we end up eating.
When you grow your own vegetables, you know whose hands are touching your food! Of course, most of us don't have the space for large gardens.
Many of us have very small yards.
Apartment and condo dwellers may have no space at all!That is where container vegetable gardening is very handy.
Growing vegetables in containers means you can grow your vegetables on a deck or patio, or even indoors using special grow lights.
Because of container gardening, we can now grow our own vegetables no matter where we live.
Some types of vegetables are more appropriate for growing in containers than others.
Some of the larger types of plants won't do as well in containers.
For example, corn is so large that you would have to use a very large, very heavy pot to support it.
Large melons grow on long vines and may set out multiple root systems, thus they don't do well in containers.
Very large varieties of tomatoes and squashes may be hard to support in pots.
Some types do especially well in containers.
Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy vegetables typically do very well in containers.
Smaller varieties of tomatoes such as salad tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and grape tomatoes are great for container growing.
Many types of bush beans and peas do well in containers.
If you use large tubs, you can even plant potatoes in containers!It's not difficult to do this, and they grow remarkably well in this manner.
In fact, most smaller varieties of vegetables will grow just fine in pots.
The biggest concern with regards to growing your vegetables in containers is choosing the right size of container for your plants.
You should look up the average root depth, as well as the average diameter of the plant.
If your plant has 6 inch deep roots and normally grows about 10 inches wide, you should get a container that is about 8 inches deep and 10-12 inches wide.
You should always leave a small amount of room for error.
Sometimes your plant's roots may grow a bit deeper than normal, or the plant may grow larger than expected.
You don't want to have to risk damaging your plants by transplanting them if you don't have to.
If you are concerned about the safety of your food, I suggest you give container vegetable gardening a try.
Remember, you can also grow many types of herbs and even fruits in containers, too!