After moving house sixteen times, I’ve learned to adapt my gardens to all sorts of spaces – large and small. In this post, I’m sharing a list of plants I’ve found to grow well in containers plus the depth of soil they need.

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Some of my edible container gardens

If you have difficult soil like sand, clay or rocks; limited space or funds, then I suggest you try growing at least some of your food in containers – they offer loads of benefits.

“Growing your own veggies is the first step to self-sufficiency.” – Clive Blazey, The Diggers Club

In Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 1, I shared a quick way to grow in recycled polystyrene (Styrofoam) boxes.

I must confess I discovered just how productive these small space gardens could be, by accident …

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One day I bought home some organic seedlings (with good intentions to plant them the same day), but then … a dozen things happened and they sat forlornly by the door waiting for my attention.

Next thing, it was time to make dinner and I decided my little seedlings would have to wait till the next day to be planted!  In our hot climate, I knew they’d fry outside so I gave them a little extra water and looking for a cool solution, popped them in the fridge to keep them fresh! I figured we keep veggies fresh in the fridge so why not seedlings?

It might have saved my plant babies, but you know what they say about “out of sight – out of mind”! … Next day, they were totally forgotten because they weren’t visible!  By the third day I wondered what was in the newspaper in the fridge and unwrapped them, feeling a pang of guilt for my poor little seedlings still waiting for their new home.  So out I went to find a place to put them in my garden.

In my haste to buy new seedlings, I hadn’t realised the garden bed needed far too much time spent on it before I could plant them. So I needed another temporary alternative!  I spied the poly box and quickly filled it with my ready-to-go homemade potting mix.

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I had 12 seedlings and knew it was better to get them into the potting mix and a healthy growing environment for a few days as a temporary nursery, until I was able to get the garden bed prepared and transplant them.

Well, you can probably guess … life happened in the meantime … and that first poly box became the permanent home to a dozen very healthy lettuces and herbs by default!  They  were all very shallow rooted edibles that were light feeders. The herbs didn’t take up too much ‘personal space’ so it was a very efficient system for growing a high yield in a small box.

They say “old habits die hard” and in my case, although I have often intended to have a garden bed ready for seedling babies when they need planting, it isn’t always the case!

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So my backstop Instant Veggie Gardens have become a specialty and I have worked out a very efficient quick system for planting, fertilising and maintenance to successfully grow a wide variety of vegetables and herbs.

If you haven’t tried this yet, I’d encourage you to give it a go!

Edibles to Grow in Container Gardens

I’ve suggested a few crops you can easily grow in these micro gardens (depending on your climate zone, weather, aspect and personal taste) but this list is by no means exhaustive!

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In shallow boxes (15-20cm deep) you can grow a wide range of food crops but some edibles need the deeper 30cm boxes. These delicious, healthy veggie gardens were grown by Deb Morgan, a Micro Gardener subscriber. Deb was inspired to make these incredible edible Christmas gifts for some VERY lucky friends! Thanks for sharing your idea Deb with The Micro Gardener Community.

The plants are grouped according to a variety of needs and tastes to help you ‘shop’ for your favourite combination and include the minimum depth you need for each plant.

First up: Easy to Grow Herbs*:

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Basil – such as sweet, mini Greek and lemon varieties grow in shallow soil (7cm/3in)

• Oregano (7cm/3in)
• Chives; Chervil and Pot Marjoram (10cm/4in)
• Mints – Peppermint, Chocolate, Spearmint, Applemint etc (15cm/6in)
• Savoury, Nasturtium & Thyme – all varieties (15cm/6in)
• Calendula/Pot Marigold – edible flowers & leaves (15cm/6in)
• Rocket/Arugula (15-20cm/6-8in)
• Coriander/Cilantro (20cm/8in to accommodate tap root)
• Lemon Balm (20cm/8in)
• Sage & Rosemary (20cm/8in) – both must be pruned hard
• Dill and French Tarragon (25cm/10in)

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Parsley - if space is limited choose curly leafed variety rather than the giant Italian parsley (20cm/8in)

Leafy Greens:

• Lettuces – all varieties (10cm/4in)
• Silverbeet & Mizuna (15cm/6in)
• Rocket/Arugula (15-20cm/6-8in)
• Chard/Spinach/Warrigal greens/New Zealand spinach (20cm/8in)

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Try growing Asian greens for stir fries and salads (e.g. baby bok choy, tatsoi - use like spinach or lettuce, and pak choy (15-20cm/6-8in). Mustard greens grow in 20-25cm/8-10in.

‘Cut-and-Come-Again’ Greens (high yield fast growing – snip with scissors):

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Leaf lettuces (non-hearting) - there are varieties that grow all year round (10cm/4in)

• Leaf lettuces (non-hearting) – there are varieties that grow all year round (10cm/4in)
• Tatsoi (10-15cm/4-6in)
• Rocket/Arugula; Cress; Mizuna; Chervil; Endive (15-20cm/6-8in)
• Chinese Cabbage & Chards (20cm/8in)
• Mustard greens (20-25cm/8-10in)

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So many leafy greens can be grown in a compact space - here are 4 of my micro gardens succession planted for a continuous supply of salad and veggie ingredients for the kitchen.

Shady Characters (great alternatives if you have limited sunlight such as on your balcony or verandah – these can still grow well in lightly shaded areas):

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Try growing Chard - Rainbow, Ruby & Swiss varieties (20cm/8in)

• Lettuce – there are varieties that grow all year round and Chervil (10cm/4in)
• Asian greens – bok choy, tatsoi, pak choy etc (10-15cm/4-6in)
• Spinach & Garlic (15cm/6in)
• Leeks (20cm/8in)

Super Fast Salad Ingredients (quick growing crops that are on your table in just a few weeks – great for impatient adults and children!):

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Try crunchy Radish - grows well in just 10cm/4in of space

• Lettuce (10cm/4in)
• Rocket/Arugula & Sorrel (15cm/6in)
• Microgreens are the shoots of salad greens and herbs so will grow in even the shallowest container.

Sun Lovers (these edibles need 5-6 hrs sunlight):

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Peas can be grown on a trellis or tepee in these box gardens for maximum production in a small space. I plant 4/box (20cm/8in deep) - one in each corner with a 4-legged bamboo tepee.

• Beans – dwarf/bush varieties (15cm/6in); French/runner varieties (20cm/8in)  – use a tepee or other vertical structure
• Capsicum/Peppers/Chilli; Eggplant/Aubergine & Peas (20cm/8in)
• Okra & Cucumber (25cm/10in)

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Tomato (Determinate cherry varieties) will thrive in 30-45cm/12-18in but I've also grown them successfully in just 20cm of soil! In these boxes I grew shallots, coriander, tomatoes and basil

Tall & skinny flavours: (will grow in as little as 15-20cm)

• Shallots
• Chives (common, garlic, onion)
• Spring onions
• Garlic
• Bunching onions/onions

“Planting a garden with food potential is one of the most valuable things we can do.” – Isabell Shipard, Author

Mulch (grow your own and save money – fantastic solution for balconies and all gardens to save you buying in bulk if you give them regular ‘haircuts’  – just ‘chop & drop’ as mulch!):

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Both Lemon Grass (pictured) and Citronella make fantastic mulches as well as having many other uses and will grow in boxes 25cm/10in deep. This is an easy option for renters with just a few pots to keep you with a regular supply of mulch - both are multifunctional plants.

Medicinals (handy for minor aches, pains, stings, burns etc):

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Comfrey grows well from root cuttings in a 20cm/8in deep box. If you want to contain it but still have the benefits of its many uses in your garden, try growing in a box.

• Aloe Vera & Lemon Balm (20cm/8in)

Fruit:

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Of course our favourite strawberries had to make it onto this list! They grow well in a depth of 20cm/8in.

• Pineapple (30cm/12in) – these are a VERY slow growing crop that might be hard to justify if you have really limited space but the home grown flavour for pineapple lovers may be worth the wait!

Love Wet Feet:

• Water Chestnuts (30cm/12in)

Root Crops:

• Beetroot (15cm/6in)
• Turnip & Onion (20cm/8in)
• Carrot (short, round and miniature varieties) & Potato (30cm/1ft)

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Sweet Potatoes growing in a 30cm/1ft box - nipping off the runners will produce more tubers and steamed leaf tips make a wonderful seasonal addition to stir fries.

There are many mini crop varieties including deeper rooted cabbage and cauliflower that are normally ‘container challenged’  – check your seed catalogue or supplier for those suitable for your climate.

What do you grow in your container gardens? Email me your photos to share with The Micro Gardener Community.

Resources:

• Starting Your Own Box Garden - this is Jackie French’s variation on my instant veggie box garden showing you how to sow densely and then thin out for transplanting.

• Cut-and-Come-Again Harvesting Technique – well illustrated  guidelines on how to harvest your leafy greens to maximise your harvest.

Related: Fast Food! DIY Instant Veggie Garden: Part 1; Micro Gardening; The Benefits of Container Gardening; Getting a Small Kitchen Garden Started; Choose the Healthiest Seedlings & Tips for Growing a Garden in Pots.

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