The Best Vegetables to Put in Planters

Root Vegetables

• Root vegetables are ideal for containers because they can tolerate some shade. Many of these plants take up very little room, especially if you select varieties that were specifically bred for container culture. Beets, carrots, onions, radish, turnips and potatoes do well in containers. Potatoes do especially well when grown in straw in short trashcans or large plastic tubs. Short varieties of carrots, radish and onions thrive in window boxes. Containers that are larger in diameter are a better choice for beets and turnips since this allows you to grow enough for a meal all at once.

Leafy Vegetables

• Cabbage, kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, mustard greens and spinach are a few of the leafy vegetables that thrive in containers. Select miniature varieties of cabbage if space is a problem. Window boxes are good choices for lettuce and spinach. Clean, food-grade, 5-gallon buckets are ideal for cabbage, kale, Swiss chard and mustard greens. Growing leafy vegetables in containers extends the growing season or gets a head start on it. Select window boxes that are lightweight; remember they are heavier when filled with soil.

Fruiting Vegetables

• Bush beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, squash, corn and peas are examples of fruiting vegetables that thrive in container culture. The majority of these plants perform better in clean, food-grade 5-gallon buckets as well. Do not overcrowd the plants. One tomato, cucumber, eggplant, squash or pepper plant per bucket is best. Plant 12 bush bean or pea plants per five gallon bucket. To grow three ears of corn, you need a container that is 21 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Shake the stalks several times a day once the tassels are formed, so that the pollen falls onto the corn silks.

Perennial Vegetables

• Asparagus and rhubarb are two perennial vegetables suitable for container culture. Choose large 10-gallon pots, so that these plants have plenty of room to grow and multiply. Perennial vegetables come back from their own root system year after year. However, if you are growing them in containers in cold climates, protect the root system during the winter. Moving the container to a protected area, covering it with a cold frame, is a box-like structure with a clear glass or plastic top, or wrapping the containers with blankets are all ways to ensure the plants roots survive the winter. Mulch the top of the pot with straw or compost further protects the root system.