Container Gardening: Grow Crops in Buckets and Boxes

No garden No problem Some of the most productive food gardens in the world are growing on balconies patios rooftops and doorsteps in nothing more than buckets boxes crates and repurposed containers Container gardening is one of the most accessible affordable and surprisingly rewarding ways to grow your own food regardless of how much space you have If you've been waiting for a plot of land before you start growing stop waiting Your next meal could start in a bucket on your balcony Why Container Gardening Works Plants don't know they're in a container Give them the right soil enough water adequate light and sufficient root space and they'll produce just as faithfully as anything in the ground sometimes more so because you control their environment completely Container gardening also offers advantages that in-ground growing simply can't match No weeding containers filled with quality potting mix have virtually no weed seeds No soil problems poor rocky or contaminated ground is irrelevant Mobility move plants to follow the sun escape frost or rearrange your space Pest control easier to isolate monitor and protect individual plants Season extension bring containers indoors or under cover when temperatures drop Whether you're in a flat a townhouse or a rural home with hard clay soil containers open up growing possibilities that simply wouldn't exist otherwise Choosing Your Containers Almost anything that holds soil and can be drained can grow food That said some containers work better than others Buckets The humble -litre plastic bucket is one of the best containers a food gardener can own It's cheap or free bakeries restaurants and delis often give them away durable easy to move and perfectly sized for tomatoes peppers cucumbers and large herbs Drill drainage holes in the bottom before use Dark-coloured buckets absorb heat great in cool climates potentially problematic in very hot ones where roots can cook Wooden Boxes and Crates Old fruit crates wine boxes and timber-framed raised boxes add a beautiful rustic charm to any space Wood breathes well and insulates roots from temperature extremes Line wooden boxes with landscape fabric not plastic to hold soil in while still allowing drainage Untreated timber will eventually rot cedar and hardwoods last longest Fabric Grow Bags Fabric pots have become enormously popular with good reason The porous fabric allows air to reach the roots a process called air pruning that prevents roots from circling and becoming pot-bound Plants in fabric bags tend to develop denser healthier root systems than those in hard-sided containers They're also foldable and easy to store when not in use A -litre fabric bag is ideal for tomatoes potatoes or climbing beans Polystyrene Foam Boxes Discarded polystyrene vegetable boxes from supermarkets or greengrocers are an excellent free resource They insulate roots beautifully are lightweight and are roughly the right depth for most vegetables Punch drainage holes in the base and you're ready to plant Ideal for lettuce spinach herbs and shallow-rooted crops Recycled and Repurposed Containers Old colanders wicker baskets lined with coir paint tins olive oil cans broken wheelbarrows bathtubs and even worn-out rubber boots if it holds soil and drains water it can grow food This is where container gardening gets creative and deeply personal What to Avoid Avoid containers that have held motor oil chemicals or toxic substances Be cautious with treated timber or containers made from materials that may leach harmful compounds into your soil particularly when growing food When in doubt use a liner Getting the Soil Right This is where many beginners go wrong Never fill containers with soil dug from the garden Garden soil compacts badly in pots drains poorly and may introduce pests diseases and weed seeds Use a...