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Planting vegetables in containers is not always an easy task. Many vegetables need rich, well-drained soil and lots of nutrients to grow fast and produce high yields. While container gardening can provide many challenges, some plants, like tomatoes, carrots, and onions, do very well when grown in containers. Other choices for container gardens include leafy greens such as lettuce or spinach, radishes, and herbs like basil or cilantro.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes need at least six hours of full sun per day (heat-resistant varieties can tolerate hotter climates) but appreciate warmer weather than most other vegetable plants for best-growing conditions. When choosing the right size pot for your tomato plant, look for one that has a diameter about the same size as the plant’s root ball. This will prevent the roots from becoming root bound, which can lead to poor fruit production.

Carrots

Carrots are one of the vegetables that grow particularly well in containers. They do best in sunny locations with moist but well-drained soil and require little maintenance throughout the growing season. If you’re using a solid container like a plastic pot, try mixing organic compost into your loam soil to give it additional nutrients for the carrots to feed on.

Onions

Onions need tons of sun, so choosing an area with total exposure is key to getting this crop off to a good start. When selecting onion plants for your garden, look at their height before purchasing them so you can get the right size pot for them. It is also beneficial to add some aged manure to the soil before planting your onion seeds, which will help promote strong root development.

Lettuce

While leafy green lettuces are an excellent choice for container gardens, they do best in soil that isn’t too moist or wet because this can lead to mold growth on the plants. Therefore, it’s best to place lettuce containers near a water source, so you don’t have to water them very often. You can use any container for growing lettuce; just be sure it has suitable drainage holes at the bottom so water doesn’t pool up inside it.

Radishes

Radishes are another vegetable with compact roots and shallow root systems, ideal for planting in containers. There are many varieties of radishes, so it’s essential to choose one suited for your region (most likely short-season). They work best when planted in loose, well-drained soil and require little attention or maintenance throughout their growing season.

Spinach & Other Leafy Greens

Spinach and other leafy green vegetables like Swiss chard, kale, and collards thrive when grown in containers because each variety prefers a certain amount of sun exposure per day. For instance, spinach needs about six hours of full sun, whereas kale can do pretty well four hours per day. Growing these vegetables indoors is also an option if you don’t have enough space outdoors; however, they will require plenty of sunlight through a window.

Basil

Basil is another herb that does well in containers because it doesn’t typically grow too tall nor produce large roots. This plant needs full sun but can tolerate some shade; therefore, it’s ideal for planting near your tomato or cucumber plants to give them an extra boost of nutrients from the nitrogen-rich soil the basil produces. If you plan on growing more than one variety of basil together, make sure to separate them by at least six feet, so they don’t cross-pollinate and affect each others’ taste and growth potential.

Cilantro

Also known as coriander, cilantro is a popular herb that multiplies in containers with rich yet well-draining soil in full sun. Cilantro leaves are best when harvested regularly in the early stages of growth. They benefit from being grown in pots with good drainage because they prevent over-watering and potential root rot.

Peas

Peas are another popular vegetable that grows particularly well in containers with rich soil; however, you should ensure there is adequate space between the peas and other plants for optimal growing conditions. Pea plants can suffer if their roots get too crowded or become waterlogged, which causes them to reduce yields or not produce fruit. When choosing a container for your peas (which typically prefer full sun), go for one with plenty of space around the edges to give them room to branch out and grow.

Carrots

Carrots are a root vegetable that can be grown indoors or outdoors, but they do particularly well in containers because the smaller root systems don’t require as much soil. When growing carrots in pots, you’ll need to choose one with good drainage and mix some sand into the potting soil before planting your seeds. This will ensure solid roots and sturdy plants when growing your carrots at home!

Strawberries

If you’re looking for a container garden idea that requires little attention but provides an abundance of delicious fruit year after year, strawberries might be what you’ve been searching for! Strawberries produce runners (stems) along the ground that send out new daughter plants, which provides more fruit per plant in the future. The runners can be easily removed in the early stages of development, so they don’t take over your container garden in an unmanageable way. If you plan on growing more than one type of strawberry together, make sure to separate them by at least six inches (preferably more) because cross-pollination can affect fruit taste and size.