Growing food in containers is simple and gaining popularity. Above all, vegetable gardening isn’t new or hard.  Follow my tips for an easy, calming and reliable way to provide healthy food for your family. This is victory gardening in new ways, for modern times.

Growing Vegetables in Water.

You’re looking at a big fan of hydroponics. As a child, I visited the Listen to the Land Pavilion at Epcot Center in Walt Disney World. My parents forced me to move on after I disembarked and jumped back in line about half a dozen times. In other words,  I fell in love with the idea of producing food for people, especially with limited growing space. Fast-forward twenty years and I bought myself a cool machine known as an Aerogarden. The model pictured is pretty old, but it works beautifully and I have used it each winter to grow herbs and salad greens for my family.

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution. Hydroponics doesn’t use soil, instead roots are supported using a growing medium such as perlite or peat moss. The Aerogarden combines the perfect amounts of space, light, water and nutrients in an attractive container. Different models are available. Mine holds 7 plants and has settings specific to the types of plants being grown. For instance, herbs, greens and tomatoes.  These settings control timers for lights and water flow. There’s even a reminder that tells you when to add water and nutrients.

What should you plant?

You can create your own assortment of plants using seeds and the grow pods that hold each plant’s root system in place. You can also shop for cool collections of plants that are offered just for the Aerogarden. Some of my faves include the “Green Smoothie Seed Pod Kit”, “Heirloom Salad Greens” and “Asian Herbs.” Growing food and herbs hydroponically is a great way to supplement your family’s groceries.

Starting Small

Another way that I like growing food in containers is by starting seeds indoors. After they’re big enough, they leave their small containers for permanent homes in my kitchen garden or in pots around my patio.  These 12 cell options that I found on Amazon are great. They come with a tray, cell insert, vented dome, labels and tiny planting tools. I chose clear ones because I enjoy seeing root-systems develop, but I was torn: there were some really cute pink options that were calling my name. In other words, you’ve got choices.

Planting Indoors

I fill the cells with a high quality growing medium. Next, I moisten the soil with distilled water and select seeds to be planted. Always follow the instructions given on your seed packets for best results. Close the vent on the dome and these provide great little domes that keep soil moist and allow seeds to germinate. You can adjust the vents to allow more air to circulate as the seedlings grow.  As seedlings grow the lid can be removed.  What I like the most about these containers is that they are the perfect size to rest securely in a sunny windowsill. No grow-lites are required. When your seedlings have grown and developed several sets of leaves, you can move them to larger pots to continue growing indoors or move them to containers around your outdoor spaces. Container vegetable gardening is simple.

Foods to Grow in Containers

You can grow most any plant in a container but some choices are better than others. Growing food in containers is easy! In conclusion, here is a list of plants that make good choices:

Start in Spring with these:

Swiss Chard offers potassium, calcium and magnesium.  I tend to grow “Bright Lights” because it is ornamental as well as tasty.

Kale is a compact plant that has lovely, blue-green crinkled leaves. “Blue Curled” is my favourite: cold-hardy and rich in vitamin A.

Radishes are ideal in containers.  Kids love radishes because they grow to maturity very quickly.  I love “French Breakfast” and they boast vitamins A, E, C, B6 and K and are full of fiber. Harvest young so they remain tender. After that, try them sliced thin with salt on a piece of buttered bread. A fast supply of food.

Onions. Choose a red onion if you like a sweet and mild option. These can be started from seed, or bulbs. A great source of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds and phytonutrients.

Next Try:

Lettuce is known to reduce inflammation and provides antioxidants.  There are so many to choose from, that I’d suggest choosing a seed blend to explore many varieties in one container. Plus, they make gorgeous pots full of colour and texture.

Beets are a great source of fibre and vitamin C plus they are so delicious. My favourite is “Early Wonder” because it only takes 50 days to mature AND you can enjoy the beet roots as well as the tender green tops.

Potatoes make a great choice because they are calorically and nutritionally dense.  They do well in pots and I prefer fingerlings such as “Ozette” or “La Ratte” for their exceptional flavors.

Finally, After the Last Frost:

Peppers. Both sweet and hot peppers can easily be container-grown in a really sunny location. Peppers are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. My choice is the “mini bell pepper mix” from Baker Creek Seeds.  It produces a colourful mix of mini bell peppers and is an Ohio heirloom.  My hot selection is “lemon drops”chiles. The plants grow to 2 feet in height and are covered in bright yellow fruit. They are similar in heat to a jalapeño.

Tomatoes can be used in so many ways like salsa, sandwiches and sauces. In other words, tomatoes are versatile. Above all, tomatoes are delicious. They are major sources of lycopene, vitamin C, K, potassium and folates. “Window Box Roma”, “Paul Robeson” and “Tumbling Tom”are varietals you can consider.

Beans are an excellent source of plant protein. They can be eaten fresh or dried to enjoy later. I love a variety known as “Cantare.” It’s tolerant to mosaic virus, stringless. “Cantare” is VERY productive. In other words, there will be tons to harvest!

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to nourish your plants!