April 21, 2026

Container Gardening 101 - Ep. 297

40 minutes

No yard? No tiller? No problem. If you've got a patio, a porch, a balcony, or even a sunny driveway, you can grow a real, productive vegetable garden in containers.

Today on Just Grow Something, we walk through the essentials of container gardening from the ground up: how to evaluate whether a crop is a good candidate for a pot, how to pick the right container size based on root system and mature plant size, what kind of soil to use (and what NOT to use), how to feed your plants organically, and the special considerations that make container growing a little different than growing in the ground — things like light, drainage, airflow, watering, and trellising.

Whether you're a total beginner or someone adding containers to an existing garden, you'll walk away knowing how to get your best start. Let’s dig in!

SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES

Resources

• Just Grow Something Garden Planning Workbook — https://justgrowsomething.com/shop

• Plan Like a Pro Course — https://justgrowsomething.thinkific.com

• Days to Maturity reference chart — https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/maturity

• The Cantry, Belton MO: https://thecantrypantry.com/?page_id=357

• Fabric Grow Bags: https://amzn.to/4vHDHSO

• Fish Emulsion: https://amzn.to/4sM7nvg

• Kelp Concentrate: https://amzn.to/4u0dcq7

Quick-Reference: Container Size by Crop

Small containers (2 gallons, 4–6 in. deep):

• Lettuce, spinach, arugula, salad greens, radishes, scallions, basil, cilantro, thyme, mint

Medium containers (3–5 gallons, 10–12 in. deep):

• Bush beans, Swiss chard, beets, short carrots, dwarf tomatoes, dwarf peppers, compact eggplant, kale, cabbage, larger herbs

Large containers (8–15+ gallons, 12–16+ in. deep):

• Standard tomatoes (determinate), peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, summer squash, broccoli, large herbs like rosemary

Extra-large containers (15–25+ gallons, 18–24 in. deep):

• Indeterminate tomatoes, winter squash, large sweet peppers, long-season superhot peppers, bush melons

Quick-Reference: Light Requirements

• Fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash): 6–8+ hours direct sun

• Root vegetables (carrots, beets, radishes): at least 6 hours

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, chard, kale) and most herbs: at least 4 hours

Simple Organic Feeding Schedule

• At planting: Mix a balanced granular organic fertilizer (e.g., 4-6-4) into potting mix per label rate.

• Every 2 weeks during the growing season: Water with diluted fish emulsion or fish-and-kelp blend (follow label; skip the first 2–3 weeks after transplanting).

• When fruiting plants start to flower: Switch to a lower-nitrogen, higher-phosphorous and potassium feed (e.g., 3-4-6 tomato & vegetable formula).

University Extension References

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/types-containers-growing-vegetables

University of Maryland Extension — Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/maintaining-container-grown-vegetables

University of Maryland Extension — Maintaining Container Grown Vegetables

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/growing-vegetables-containers/

University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension — Growing Vegetables in Containers (XHT1278)

https://extension.psu.edu/container-vegetable-gardening-four-keys-to-success

Penn State Extension — Container Vegetable Gardening: Four Keys to Success

https://extension.psu.edu/growing-vegetables-and-flowers-in-containers

Penn State Extension — Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Containers

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/container-gardening-grow-vegetables-even-without-yard-space

Oregon State University Extension — Container Gardening: Grow Vegetables Even Without Yard Space

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com

Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses

Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop

Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/

Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething

Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething

Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething

Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

...more

View all episodes

By Karin Velez

5959 ratings