Growing Vegetables in Containers

You do not need a backyard to grow your own food. A sunny deck, balcony or doorstep can keep you in salad greens, herbs and even tomatoes all season. Containers make growing possible wherever you are.

Pots dry out faster and need more regular feeding than garden beds, but they also give you control. You can move them into the sun, out of the wind, or under cover when frost threatens.

Choosing pots and position

Bigger is better with containers. Small pots dry out within hours on a hot day, while a large tub holds moisture and gives roots room. For anything substantial like tomatoes or courgettes, use a pot at least thirty to forty centimetres across.

Put your containers where they get at least six hours of sun. On an exposed balcony or coastal deck, group pots together and tuck them against a wall for shelter, because wind dries pots out fast and can flatten tall plants.

The right mix and feeding

Use a quality container or vegetable mix, never plain garden soil, which compacts and drains poorly in a pot. A good mix holds moisture and air around the roots. Tui makes mixes blended for New Zealand conditions.

Container plants run out of food quickly because every watering washes nutrients out the bottom. Feed regularly through the growing season with a seaweed or fish-based liquid fertiliser, and mix slow-release sheep pellets through the soil at planting.

• Use a quality vegetable or container mix, not garden soil
• Feed every week or two with seaweed or fish liquid fertiliser
• Mix sheep pellets through the soil for slow-release feeding
• Always check the pot has good drainage holes

Best crops for pots

Salad greens, lettuce, spinach, herbs, spring onions and radishes all do brilliantly in containers and crop quickly. Cherry tomatoes, chillies, dwarf beans and strawberries also thrive in a decent-sized pot in a sunny spot.

Keep a watering can handy, because the number one reason container crops fail is drying out. In high summer you may need to water daily, and twice a day for thirsty plants in small pots.