One of the best reasons to love container gardening is because we can get a higher yield of vegetables with less work! It is true! Growing herbs and vegetables is the low-maintenance solution to growing healthy food our way. Plus, container gardening makes a lot of sense if you have limited yard space! That’s right. We can grow a lot in a tight area, and make every inch count!

Tips for Success

• Choose a place that receives at least six hours of sunlight
• Choose a sheltered spot for the pots so that they can be protected from harsh winds
• Watering is essential because the plants will not have access to moisture below ground
• Give the plants a thorough watering in the early morning and evening – allow the water to soak down into the roots (drip irrigation can be beneficial)
• Avoid small containers. The bigger the pot, the more plants you can grow!
• Good drainage is essential. Make sure that the container has adequate drainage holes. Vegetable plants can die if they are left sitting in wet soil.
• The color of the container matters. Dark colors tend to absorb heat, which can damage the plant roots. Try to use lighter colored containers. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and find the perfect pot to use!
• Fill the container with Moon Valley Nurseries potting soil. Using soil from your garden is not recommend, as it could be heavy and may contain weeds, as well as soil-borne pests.

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Container Gardening: Some Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs We Can Grow

The weather is warming up, which also means that this is a perfect time for a vegetable, herb, and fruit garden. Container gardening is an easy way to liven up our kitchen and create meals with homegrown vegetables and herbs that taste much better than anything you can buy at the store. Enjoy the convenience of having fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing right outside your door!

Citrus and Fruit: Lemons, oranges, and other citrus and fruit can be grown in a large pot. Dwarf varieties are going to be the best-suited for containers. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries to see what we have in stock. We make it easy to enjoy the sweetest tasting citrus and fruit as soon as possible – we have them for sale at fruit producing age!

Salad Greens: Salad leaves such as lettuce and spinach will only require a shallow container a few inches deep. It is easy to grow salad greens in a container and in no time at all, eating healthy salads.

Tomatoes: You can grow tomatoes in pots just about anywhere that receives plenty of sun exposure. We recommend using large pots at least 10-inches in diameter. They do need plenty of soil and lots of water; at least twice a day.

Herbs: We can grow herbs such as basil, chives, mint, oregano, thyme, peppers and more. All types of herbs will grow in containers, and you can also plant multiple varieties of herbs in one pot. We like to plant them near the kitchen door for easy access when cooking. We can plant herbs in a raised bed or a large pot.

Squash: A large container works best for squash as they may take up a lot of space. Squash can get big; so, support may be needed. Zucchini is a favorite! 

Cucumbers: We can grow the freshest, crispiest cucumbers in a container. We recommend putting a stake or trellis in the pot when it is young. A bigger pot is better because bigger containers can hold more potting soil and retain water longer -  cucumbers depend on lots of water to grow.

We have just scratched the surface as to the kinds of things we can grow in containers. We can also grow beans, artichokes, eggplant, and so many more flavorful foods. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and speak with any of our nursery pros for additional guidance. When you do choose to grow in a container, you will want to remember to place container-grown vegetables, herbs, citrus, and fruit in a location with plenty of full sun exposure. One thing is certain. Nothing beats growing food your way!