Have you tried pot gardening? My husband and I have been doing it for a couple of years now. Taking care of the plants is relaxing. Harvesting vegetables in a pot is fun too and there is different joy when you harvest your own crops.  What are the best vegetables for container gardening? How to plant vegetables in a pot? These are some of the questions that we will be sharing in this post about 10 Vegetables for Urban Pot Gardening.

Four of the pictures above are my actual photos at home. My husband and I tried pot gardening vegetables such as Okra, Pepper, Pechay, and Eggplant. Currently, we have Roma Tomato and Pepper in pots waiting for the right time for these vegetables to grow and be harvested. Onion spring photo credit to noobcook.com and ampalaya.

With the help of a fellow mom, we listed the 10 Vegetables for Urban Pot Gardening. We actually tried planting these vegetables and we are happy that we were blessed with its harvest. We just forgot to take photosof some pictures of it.

10 Vegetables for Urban Pot Gardening

1.AMPALAYA / BITTER MELON

It is easy to grow bitter melon if you follow the simple tips.

Select a warm, sunny planting location for the pot. Bitter melon grows best in organically rich, sandy or loamy soil that drains well. It should have a number of holes at the bottom to ensure good drainage. Mix compost or cow manure in the soil.

HOW TO PLANT AMPALAYA/ BITTER MELON?

Seed preparation for germination. Remove the red coating covering on the seeds partially or fully before sowing. You may soak the seeds overnight in water before sowing to speed up germination. Sow the seeds directly in the selected planting location in early summer. Make holes about half inch deep and spaced 12 inch apart in the soil. Put two seeds in each hole, and cover the holes with soil and water well.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING AMPALAYA

The soil should be allowed to dry out slightly between watering to prevent rot. The seeds will germinate in 8-10 days, however, high temperature and soil dampness are the key factors for germination. Put a trellis or other support structure about 6-8 ft high beside your bitter melon vines. The vines will climb on and be supported by a trellis. The plant will develop lateral shoots 3-4 weeks after sprouting. Cut off the growing tips of the branches when they are 2-3 ft long. This will force the plant to produce side branches that will produce fruit much sooner, more flowers and more fruits.

Bitter Melon needs insects like honeybees to carry out the pollinating process for setting fruits. Sometimes your plant may have lot of flowers but no fruits. This is due to the failure of pollination as there is no bee activity in the garden area.

AMPALAYA/BITTER MELON HARVEST TIME

Bitter melons can be harvested about 14 weeks after planting when the fruits become about 5 inch long with light green skin. Note taht the darker the color of the bitter gourd the more bitter will be the taste of the fruit. The more you pick the gourds, the more fruits will form.

Source link: https://www.mykitchengarden.info

2.EGGPLANT

One of the most important elements of container grown eggplant is the container. Choose a large pot with a 5-gallon capacity.  Make certain unblocked drainage holes. The best medium for container grown eggplant is two parts good quality potting soil and one part sand. This ensures adequate nutrients and water retention while encouraging draining of excess moisture.

HOW TO PLANT EGGPLANT?

Plant the eggplant at the same level they were in their nursery pots and put a handful of time release fertilizer in the hole at the time of planting. Growing eggplant in containers requires 12 to 14 inches of space per plant or three plants can be placed in a 20-inch container.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING EGGPLANT

Water the pots well and install a small support system, like a strait tough stick. They need large enough containers to support the roots of such a heavy plant, a well-draining medium, extra food and consistent water and, of course, the right container.

EGGPLANT HARVEST TIME

Eggplant harvest may begin when the fruits are developed and small, skin should be glossy and thin, inner flesh is cream colored, fruits are firm and before seeds are visible. Leaving the eggplant harvest too long causes bitter eggplant with a tough skin and large seeds.

Source link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

3. LETTUCE

Planting Lettuce in Container. Growing lettuce in containers requires the right type of pot and planting medium. The greens need a consistent supply of moisture as they are almost 95 percent water but cannot tolerate wet roots. Use a professional soil mix for planting lettuce in container situations, as the mix is formulated to hold water and provide nutrients.

HOW TO PLANT LETTUCE?

A clay pot provides a permeable surface that can evaporate any excess water and prevent soggy roots. Lettuce needs ample room for roots but you can grow several varieties in 6 to 12 inch pots, make sure there are adequate drainage holes in whatever container you chose. Planting lettuce in container gardens can be done by direct sowing or transplants. Prior to planting add ½ tablespoon of time release fertilizer per gallon of soil. Transplants should be buried ¼ inch deeper than they would be in garden soil and set 6 to 12 inches apart. Seeds are sown when soils are not frozen, ½ inch deep and 4 to 12 inches apart. Leaf lettuces can be closer together than head types.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING LETTUCE

A soil mix is usually peat or compost, soil, and either vermiculite or perlite for water retention. You’ll need 1 to 3 ½ gallons of soil depending on the size of your container. Choose a lettuce mix marked“cut and come again” for repeat harvests.

LETTUCE HARVEST TIME

Once leaves begin to appear and they are about 4 inches long, you can begin harvesting leaf lettuce. Simply snip either single outer leaves or grab a bunch of them and cut them with shears or scissors an inch above the crown of the plant. If you cut into or below the crown, the plant will probably die, so be careful.

Source link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

5. OKRA / LADY’S FINGER

HOW TO PLANT OKRA / LADY’S FINGER?

Use a 10-inch or larger pot or a 5-gallon bucket, which has a top diameter of about 12 inches and a bottom diameter of about 10 1/2 inches. Drill small holes in the bottom of the container. Line the bottom with gravel or broken pottery pieces to allow excess water to easily drain from the soil. Put a plate or tray to catch excess water as it drains from the bottom of the pot.

Place the pot in a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and where night time temperatures are no less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Okra seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill the pot with the potting mix to within 1/2 inch of the container edge. Plant three to five seeds near the center of the pot, spacing each seed 1 to 2 inches apart, then cover them with 1/4 inch of potting mix.

Water the soil as needed to keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge. After plants are well established, drought-tolerant okra should only require weekly supplemental watering, especially during the flowering and fruiting period. Thin the seedlings to only one plant for each pot, choosing the most vigorous of the seedlings after two or more sets of leaves develop.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING OKRA / LADY’S FINGER

Apply a nitrogen fertilizer side dressing at least once during the growing season, such as when plants are about 8 inches tall and again a few weeks later. Nitrogen sources include urea, bloodmeal and poultry manure; regular compost application can provide the necessary nutrients without a nitrogen-specific source. General guidelines for side dressing fertilizers suggest 5 tablespoons for every 10 feet in a garden row, so 1/2 tablespoon of nitrogen fertilizer benefits a plant in a 12-inch container. Remember that too much nitrogen hurts okra production, so it is best to add too little nitrogen.

Pinch the leaves at the ends of the okra branches when the plant reaches 2 feet tall. This forces the plant to branch, leading to more okra pods.

OKRA / LADY’S FINGERHARVEST TIME

Start okra seeds about two weeks after danger of frost has passed. Maturity depends on the okra variety, usually between 50 and 60 days.

Cut okra pods from the plant when they are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches long, while the pods are young and tender. Check the plants several times a week so you don’t leave mature pods on the plant, which prevents the plant from producing new flowers and okra pods.

Source link: https://homeguides.sfgate.com

6. ONION SPRING

Have sprouted shallots in the pantry? They are actually the easiest and fastest for growing spring onions because the process has already started. The bulb is actually the food for the plant, so the bigger the bulb, the better your spring onions will grow.

HOW TO PLANT ONION SPRING?

Prepare a large container with potting soil and dig in a slow to help roots get a good start. Plant onion sets and transplants about 2-3 inches deep; and 1-2 inches apart. Planting in rows, allow at least 12 inches apart.

After plants start to grow, add an organic mulch, like straw or dried leaves, to help the soil retain moisture and to avoid weeding around the delicate, shallow roots. Water at the soil level with a hose and nozzle, drip irrigation or a soaker hoses to keep soil consistently moist. To avoid insect pest problems, use floating row cover cloth to protect plants.

ONION SPRINGHARVEST TIME

At about 20 days, you can harvest the spring onions. At this point in time, even if you don’t harvest them, they will start to wither in the pot, so it is better to harvest when they are still looking good. As for the bulbs in the soil, I discarded them. If you don’t discard, they will continue to sprout from where you cut and baby shallots will sprout in the soil. The process is long-drawn and messy, so it’s your choice if you grow new spring onions by repeating the process.

Source link: http://www.vegetablegardener.com

7. PEPPER

Summer is the best season to plant Pepper. Peppers are great in all sorts of dishes like pizza, beef stew and more. In growing bell peppers, temperature is the main thing to watch.

HOW TO PLANT PEPPER?

Starting pepper plants indoors is best because growing bell peppers require this higher night time temperature. Grow bell peppers from seed, the plants get a great start inside where it’s warm. Keep them watered yet drained well. Once the seedlings are about 8 inches tall, they should be hardy enough to go outside, though it helps to harden them first. When planting peppers outside, your plants will do better once temperatures remain above 55 F. (13 C.) at night. In cooler temperatures, they will grow quite slowly.

Pepper plants should be placed 18 to 24 inches apart in a row. They do well if planted near your tomatoes. The soil should be well drained and fertilized before you put them into the ground. You can fertilize once more after you pick the first crop of peppers, which helps to form another crop. Healthy pepper plants should produce peppers most of late summer.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING PEPPER

Pepper blossom end rot is caused simply by a calcium deficiency in the pepper plant. Calcium is needed by the plant to help form the cell walls of the pepper fruit. If the plant is lacking calcium or if the pepper fruit grow too fast for the plant to supply enough calcium, the bottom of the pepper begins to rot, because the cell walls are literally collapsing. Try spraying the affected pepper plants down with a water and Epsom salt mixture. This will help some, but pepper plants have a difficult time absorbing the calcium this way. Adding eggshells, small amounts of lime, gypsum or bone meal to the soil will help improve the levels of calcium and will help you avoid pepper blossom end rot in the future.

PEPPER HARVEST TIME

The harvesting of peppers will vary according to which type of pepper variety you have. Most sweet varieties mature within 60-90 days, while their muy caliente cousins may take up to 150 days to mature. If starting peppers from seed, add eight to 10 weeks onto the information on the seed packet to account for the time between sowing and transplanting. For most people, this means seed sown peppers will be started indoors in January or February.

Source link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

8. PETCHAY / BOK CHOY

HOW TO PLANT PETCHAY / BOK CHOY?

Start by sowing the seeds in a seed tray.  Drop 2 to 3 seeds per slot, then cover them with a thin layer of potting mix or compost. In just 3-4 days, you can already see the small buds growing out of the soil. Once the third or fourth leaf appears after around 2 weeks, transfer the seedlings to a bigger pot of about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Choose the healthiest seedlings and pull out the others. If you have a bigger container, you can grow 2 or 3 plants in the pot.  However, you don’t want the plants to be overcrowded as this will limit the growth of the leaves.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING PETCHAY / BOK CHOY

Use rice wash to water the plants every morning.  Rice wash is Pechay seedlings very rich in various nutrients that the plants need in order to grow healthy.

While these plants can grow in partial shade, they need to get at least 4 hours of direct sunlight in order to grow faster and healthier. Pechay leaves wither easily if they lack water, so make sure to water the plants daily during the summer months.

Pechay leaves are prone to pest attack, particularly the leaf miner and flea beetle. They are easy to handle using common organic pesticides. Buy organic pesticides from gardening shops or use a home-made solution from canola oil, dishwashing soap and water.

PETCHAY / BOK CHOY HARVEST TIME

Pechay ready for harvest after another 3 weeks, the pechay leaves were ready for harvest.  When planted in   containers, pechay plants do not grow as big as they should when planted in farm lots.  There are two options for harvesting pechay.  The first option is to cut only the mature leaves around 1 to 2 inches from the root base. The plant will grow new leaves which can be harvested again after a few weeks. The second option is to pull out the entire plant from the soil.

Source link: http://www.urbangardeningmom.com

9. SPINACH

Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, contain not only iron, but vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium, folic acid, as well as the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

HOW TO PLANT SPINACH?

Plant your container grown spinach in pots that are 6-12 inches across in soil amended with compost to aid in water retention and place in full sun. The soil pH should be around 6.0 to 7.0. Sow seeds one inch apart indoors and about three weeks before transplanting them outside. When they are 2 inches, thin them to 2-3 inches apart. For transplants, set plants 6-8 inches apart and water in well.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING SPINACH

Be sure to leave enough space for growth between the plants. The annuals will brighten up the container and as the weather warms and the spinach harvest comes to an end, continue to fill out the container.  Anything grown in a pot tends to dry out more quickly than the garden. Spinach needs consistent moisture, so be sure to water frequently.

SPINACH HARVEST TIME

Most varieties mature in 37 to 45 days and can be harvested as soon as it is a rosette with five or six leaves. Baby spinach leaves have a sweeter flavor and more tender texture. Spinach leaves should be removed before they get yellow and within a week of full leaf formation. There are a few methods on how to harvest spinach as a complete harvest or continuous harvest.

Source link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

10. TOMATO

HOW TO PLANT TOMATO?

The tomato seeds should be planted about three times deeper than the size of the seed. This will be about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch, depending on the tomato variety that you have chosen to grow. After the tomato seeds have been planted, place the seedling containers in a warm place. For fastest germination, temperatures of 70-80 F. (21-27 C.) are best. Once the tomato seeds have germinated, you can take the tomato seedlings off the heat source, but they should still be kept somewhere warm. The tomato seedlings will need bright light and the soil should be kept moist. Once the tomato seedlings have a set of true leaves, you may transfer it into a standard 12-inch deep pot with the same diameter is suitable for most plants.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE WHILE GROWING TOMATO

Fill your pot with loose, well-draining potting soil. It’s also a good idea to add in some organic materials like well-rotted shavings or manure. Place the container in full sun, checking them daily and watering as needed—usually weekly with more frequent watering during hot or dry spells. Begin using a water-soluble fertilizer about every other week during midsummer and continue throughout the growing season. There’s a general rule of thumb for tomatoes is 2 inches of water per week for plants in the ground. Test how much water is running from the system by inserting a line into a cup of water and measuring how long it takes to fill it to 2 inches. This will give you an idea of how long to run the drip system to properly water the tomatoes.

Tomatoes are easy to grow, these plants often require support so you should build your own tomato cages in addition to providing support, tomato cages help keep plants from breaking off or being knocked over. Tomatoes that are grown inside cages rarely need to be tied, you can give the vines a helping hand by loosely tying the stalks to the cage with pieces of soft twine, cloth, or pantyhose. As the plants grow, simply tie them to the cage. Caged tomato fruits are generally cleaner and of better quality than those that are grown without adequate support.

TOMATO HARVEST TIME

Tomatoes are sneaky. Fact is that color is not a good indicator of when to pick tomatoes. Waiting for a time when the fruit is uniformly red may be a little late for picking the tomatoes. Harvest time for tomatoes then should ideally occur when the fruit is a mature green and then allowed to ripen off the vine. This prevents splitting or bruising and allows for a measure of control over the ripening process.

Source link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com