Plants that grow well in pots

I've been wanting to get into gardening but our yard isn't really the best for it. It's extremely rocky and would take a lot of effort to till up a space to plant anything so I've been thinking about growing plants in pots instead. I also figured that these would be easier to maintain then a large garden. What kind of plants grow well in pots?

 

In larger pots you can definitely do fruit trees.
Apple, Figs, Guava, Mandarin, Pear or Pomegranate.
Just make sure they have good drainage and you can keep fresh water up to them (and the pot is big enough to sustain their roots) and Bob's your uncle.

Herbs and varieties of Lettuce are also a pretty cool thing as they don't need much room to grow so you can plant them in a smaller pot, in close proximity to each other and make 'herb bowls' and 'salad bowls'.

Another cool idea is to add hooks to your porch, if you have one that is well lit enough and plant Strawberries in hanging pots. Another space saver.

 

http://www.diyncrafts.com/7137/food/35-easiest-container-pot-friendly-fruits-vegetables-herbs
This is a great article about container gardening and what grows well in containers. Honestly, I have always had an "in the ground" garden, but I have grown tomatoes in a container successfully before. I know that sometimes the plants really get some strong roots, so it is best to reinforce the container with something like chicken wire to make sure the pot doesn't bust. However, the article even claims that you can grow things like summer squash in a container. That would be something I wouldn't think would be good for that purpose, but apparently, it is! You learn something new everyday!

 

If you are a beginner, maybe you can try herbs for starters. Those herbs in the supermarket that is planted in small plastic pots can be your training ground. They are easy to care for and they don't occupy much space. My best bet is the mint for it is sturdy and prolific. Besides, you can use it immediately, I mean you can pluck some leaves if you need for the kitchen.

For small trees, we have a star fruit planted in a rubber pot that has a diameter of 18 inches and a height of 2 feet maybe. That tree has been with us for 5 years, I think, and we had harvested countless of fruits that are so sweet. Right now it is fruiting heavily and in a week or two we would have another harvest. Guava is also another small tree that is good to grow in a pot. Maybe you can also try some lemon because we have lemon in a pot for so many years before we transplanted it in the front yard.

 

Yucca and bergenia are the core plants for potted plants, shining in summer and fall. In winter, when the bergenia has died back, stems from yellow and redtwig dogwoods add to the yucca's colorful diaplay. In spring, before the yucca and bergenia have returned to form, pansies and lamium steal the show.

I hightly recommend 'Golden Sword' yucca because it combines easily with so many plants. Its 2-inch-wide, swordlike leaves have margins that are thin and dark green, centers of golden yellow, and curly fibers along the edges. Having a spiky, architectural shape, it grows 2 to 3 feet high with equal spread.

 

Could trees be kept in pots indefinitely or would they eventually need to be planted in the ground? It would be awesome to grow some fruit trees! They're something that I hadn't even thought about doing because I thought they'd need to be planted in the ground.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the plant and tree is limited by the amount of soil it's currently growing in. In a open field, a plant or tree can reach it's full potential due to the abundance of soil and non restrictive walls. A plant or tree in a pot will eventually max out in a pot once it has reached it's growing threshold in which the pot allows it to.

So If you are growing a huge Maple tree, there is no way it will reach mammoth like proportions if it is in a 5 gallon pot. It might be fine is the first stages of life, but eventually it has to be moved to a large patch of dirt.

 

From my experience, tomatoes grow very well in pots. I've seen some pots that are designed to grow tomatoes that hang upside down for greater ease of use. Of course those types of "gimmicky" items are usually overpriced.

 

Especially when you can do something very similar with the same functionality quite easily by hand. All it takes is a quick search on Pinterest for that and many other great tips in regards to growing your own food.

Tomatoes are hardy though. No need to fork out for all manner of specialty pots.

 

I am in an apartment, I am currently growing a thriving herb garden in pots, as well as a cherry tomato plant that has already made fruit. I am running out of window space, but I definitely plan to grow more plants next year. I made some nifty hanging "topsy turvy" type planters out of used upside-down 2 liter bottles. I have my cherry tomatoes in a large planter, but my friend is having even more success growing a cherry tomato plant in a lined canvas bag full of soil. Some plants need more water and others less, or they look unhappy. They also can have different light requirements. My basil seems to need watered a lot more than my cilantro for instance. I am glad I grew each kind of plant in a separate container. It lets me play around with different water and light if it starts to look droopy or unhappy. I think I have figured out what each one needs just through experience and experimentation. Other plants that seem to grow well in containers are radishes, spinach, green onions, and kale. The key is to not be afraid to experiment and don't get discouraged if a few plants die while you are learning. Container gardening seems to be a learning process.

 

I have been doing container gardening for years. I can grow pretty much anything in a container! I don't even buy special containers. I use thrift store bins, plastic buckets and barrels, pots I get at a yard sale, soda pop bottles, even an old suitcase or a burlap bag will do just fine. I grow herbs, flowers, carrots, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, radishes, kale, lettuce, spinach, squash, cucumbers, spaghetti squash....anything, all in containers.

 

Anything can be grown in pots provided there is enough sunlight. What kind are you interested in. Are they flowers or vegetables? I have a huge garden and I have both pots and ground garden.

 

I grow almost totally in containers. It also if you target plants that are container friendly. I myself grow several varieties of tomatoes (dwarfs love 3 and 5 gallon pots). I also have grown emerald giant, poblano, santa fe, and cayenne pepper plants in 5 gallon buckets. I love container gardening! Just make sure start with a good soil and water and fertilize regularly because containers are not the ground so you have to baby them a little more.

 

I live in an apartment, but really wanted my own garden! I was able to convert an old table top into a gardening bed by flipping it, removing the legs, and lining it. It works great! I grow tomatoes, herbs and a few peppers!

 

Cherry tomatoes do very well in pots. I used to have some on my balcony when I lived in an apartment. You would need a large pot however. Other plants that do well in small spaces are herbs. A very nice herb garden can be grown in a flower box. I would look to do something like that.