You don’t need a sprawling allotment or a massive back garden to embrace an organic lifestyle and grow your own vegetables. All you need is a few large pots on a balcony, patio or courtyard to produce a surprising amount of fresh, vitamin-packed food.
Here, gardening author and allotmenteer, Rob Smith, shares his pick of the best organic vegetable seeds to grow in a container garden…
Why grow vegetables in containers?
Image: Organic Pea ‘Half Pint’ Seeds from Dobies
If you’re new to gardening, starting with pots and tubs is the easiest way to begin. You just need a container and a bag of compost. Unlike growing vegetables in the ground, containers require far less weeding and are easy to move around to the sunniest spots. You can also gather them close to the back door, meaning you’re more likely to check them, water them and, most importantly, pick the fresh produce for dinner. And for those who rent, container growing is a no-brainer. If you move, you can simply take your garden with you. Here are my three top tips for container veg growing:
1. Don’t scrimp on the compost
In a container, your plants are entirely dependent on the ‘growing medium’ you provide. They can’t send their roots deep into the earth to find nutrients, so the quality of your compost is everything. Choose a high-quality, peat-free compost to provide the structure young plants need to breathe and the nutrients they need to thrive. For a real boost, try mixing in some of your own homemade compost or a handful of organic fertiliser to keep your crops productive all summer long.
2. Focus on leafy greens and ‘cut and come again’ crops
For the ultimate return on a small space, ‘cut and come again’ crops like salad leaves, basil, kale and spinach are a great investment. Exactly as they sound, these crops can be harvested a few leaves at a time, rather than pulling up the whole plant. As well as reducing waste, they make good use of every inch of space and are usually fast-growing, making them incredibly satisfying for beginners.
3. Try dwarf vegetables for more variety
Containers don’t limit you to growing leaves and salads. Thanks to modern breeding, many traditional vegetables now come in dwarf varieties. These plants stay compact and tidy, meaning they won’t take over your patio or require massive support structures. You can get fantastic yields of tomatoes, beans, peas, and even carrots from plants specifically designed for life in a pot.
The best organic vegetables to grow in containers
Image: Organic Carrot ‘Chantenay’ Seeds from Dobies
If you’re not sure where to start, these are my favourite organic vegetables to grow in pots:
- Organic Lettuce ‘Mix’
- Organic Mizuna ‘Red & Green Mix’ leaves
- Organic Wild Rocket
- Organic Spinach ‘Palco’ F1
- Organic Swiss Chard ‘Rainbow Chard’
- Organic Spring Onion ‘Parade’
- Organic Radish ‘Rudolf’
- Organic Beetroot ‘Rhonda’
- Organic Dwarf French Bean ‘Compass’
- Organic Pea ‘Half Pint’
- Organic Tomato ‘Koralik’ (bush variety)
- Organic Cucumber ‘Passandra’ F1
- Organic Carrot ‘Chantenay’
- Organic Dwarf Kale ‘Green Curled’
- Organic Chilli Pepper ‘Early Jalapeno’
Quick tips for container vegetables
Image: Organic Lettuce ‘Red Salad Bowl’ Seeds from Dobies
To help your organic container garden thrive, here are some simple rules to keep in mind:
- Provide proper drainage: Ensure every pot has holes in the bottom so the plants don’t get waterlogged.
- Go large: While you can grow in small pots, choosing the largest container you have room for will prevent the soil from drying out too fast.
- Consistency is key: Water regularly – containers can dry out in just a few hours during a heatwave.
- Keep feeding: Once your plants are growing strongly, give them a liquid organic feed every week or two.
- Harvest often: With cut-and-come again crops, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce!
- Group your pots: Grouping containers together creates a humid microclimate and makes watering much faster.
- Slug watch: Keep an eye out for slugs and snails, as they love fresh, organic leafy greens.
Many fruits and vegetables can be grown in containers and, if you want to put a small space to the best use, our guide to vertical gardening has some great ideas. Looking for natural solutions to pest control in your new organic veg garden? Read Rob Smith’s companion plant guide for practical tips.