The thought of growing vegetables and fruits at home, in our balconies or mini gardens, may seem overwhelming, however it has a handful positive aspects to consider.
Apart from being very simple and straightforward, it can bring other benefits such as saving money on groceries, it’s a therapeutic activity, it could improve health due to freshness of ingredients and reduction of stress, it’s eco-friendly, and... it’s organic!
Tomatoes
Depending on the variety, tomatoes can grow with ease in almost any sized container.
The plant will develop its roots along the buried part of its stem, establishing a robust root system. Therefore the deeper it’s planted, the better.
Good drainage is mandatory as well as sun exposure. Tomatoes have an average of 95% water, therefore watering consistently the soil is also important for their growth.
Basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme
Some herbs grow well in pots and most of them need alike requirements, such as good sun exposure. Care must be given to avoid over-watering, as the effects could be devastating. During winter times, herbs should be brought indoors during the night to avoid frost damages.
Small tip: When watering basil, avoid getting the leaves and stem wet. As for rosemary, a bit of sand at the bottom of the container and mixed with soil can improve drainage substantially.
Summer squash
We could say that any squash variety will grow well in containers, particularly summer squash, since they are strong and versatile plants. It is important to harvest them once the squash starts to develop to help the plant from getting bogged down.
Peppers
Sweet peppers grow well in containers, yet its size is influential as well as direct sun exposure. The plant needs room to grow and not be squashed, therefore for small varieties it is recommended a pot of around 5-10liter whilst larger ones 20-40liter pot size.
Spinach and Kale
Spinach is quite easy to grow in a pot, yet it demands care: it is a bit sensitive to sunlight and high temperatures, yet it is an outdoors’s plant. Growing spinach demands regular watering, especially during heat waves.
Strawberries
Strawberries thrive in containers, they are truly one of the best plants to grow in pots as long as they count on direct sunshine. There are many different varieties, all falling into three categories: June-bearing, everbearing, or day neutral.
The first ones give a large crop once a year, during a three-week period (normally in June.) Parallelly, everbearing strawberries produce two crops, one in spring and another in the late summer. Accompanying, day neutral are considered the improved range, since they are able to bear fruit continuously from June through September. These strawberries strike it rich at cooler temperatures, and will not flower in hot conditions.
Pineapples
Pineapples are lovely plants that can grow with simplicity in pots. Starting from the fresh fruit, cutting off the crown, and then soaking it for a day or two to allow soaking up moisture. Following, planting it in a container of 4-5liters providing warmth and direct sunlight.
dedicated to my life guru.
Pictures: Pixabay.com