6 Vegetables Inappropriate for Cultivation in Containers:
Container Gardening: 6 Veggies to Shun in Pots
Love container gardening? You're onto something great. But there are some veggies best left out of those pots – they need a spacious ground bed to truly thrive. Here's why:
Veggies to Avoid in Containers:
- Asparagus: A perennial veggie that doesn't take kindly to transplanting, asparagus boasts deep roots and is traditionally planted in a trench. Wait for it to settle in for a couple of years before it churns out enough spears for harvesting. And don't forget – this veggie can tower up to 5 feet high with its ferny foliage!
- Corn: Three reasons make corn an impractical pick for container growing: its size (up to 8 feet tall!), requirement for a larger planting block (around 3 feet by 5 feet), and pollination needs.
- Winter Squash: Say goodbye to pumpkins, butternut squash, and assorted vining squash varieties. These plants spread out like wildfire, requiring at least 4 feet of space for each one. Containers simply can't accommodate their hungry vines.
- Vining Melons: Like winter squash, vining melons are best planted in the ground due to their spread and space needs. If you simply gotta grow melons in a pot, opt for bush varieties that don't vine. A single seed is enough for each container, approximately 16 to 18 inches wide.
- Artichokes: Craving artichokes? Give them the room they deserve in a ground bed. They love deep, nutrient-rich soil, space (they tend to grow 3 to 5 feet tall), and are long-lived. Raised beds or ground plots are ideal for these beauties.
- Indeterminate Tomatoes: Regular tomatoes in pots – barely scratching the surface (results-wise). Determinate tomatoes are within grasp since they max out at around 4 feet, but indeterminate varieties? They keep growing and growing, becoming top-heavy, overwatered, and under-producing when potted. If you want a bountiful harvest without constant pruning, stick with determinate tomato varieties.
Remember, container growing is perfect for root veggies and some fruiting plants with shallow roots, but veggies with deep roots or sprawling vines just can't stand the confinement. Grab a shovel and let 'em stretch out!
- For a successful container gardening, it's advisable to avoid growing asparagus, a perennial vegetable with deep roots, due to its dislike for transplanting and the ample space it requires to thrive.
- Corn, with its size, pollination needs, and space requirements, is not suitable for container growing, making it an impractical pick.
- Winter squash, such as pumpkins and butternut squash, and vining squash varieties, are best grown in the ground due to their space-consuming nature, as containers lack the space for their hungry vines.
- In container gardening, vining melons are typically best planted in the ground because they spread out extensively and have significant space requirements, but bush melon varieties can be grown in pots when space is limited.
