I loved my garden so much last year - but alas - we are going to list our house for sale. I don't want to plant and move, so I want to do containers.

I think almost everything I want to grow can be done in containers (tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries), but I have a question about the containers.

What should I use? What about the dirt? Obviously, if I have to go out and buy a ton of fancy containers and a ton of dirt it isn't going to be very cost effective for me. What sizes should I use? How big of a container for the tomatoes? I tried to grow a tomato plant in a container one year and it never gave us a single one.

thanks!

We just started a container garden. I bought clay pots from the craft store. Sonce they are outside, I didn't get the saucers and we bought a big bag of generic potting soil at targets garden center. so far, everything is taking off. We have several herbs, peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries.

You can also buy wood from Home Depot or other stores. If you want ones that will last get cedar or wood from Home Depot. They no longer use Asnic or Fermaldihyde in their wood treating process... cedar is the best though.... it is very water resistant just by itself with no help. That is what I have used in the past, and it will hold up for at least three seasons with no special treatment. One 12' 1X12" and a 8' 2" by 2" will make one 4'X2'X1' planter box where you can plant just about anything you want. Square Foot Gardening is a good resource for finding out how much to grow in each foot of your garden box. :)

Love Val

if you don't care how they look, and aren't concerned about plastic, you can use all sorts of recycled containers... pickle buckets (or other 5 gallon buckets...just be sure they are from food and not something like kitty litter or laundry detergent) are great for things like tomatoes and peppers that need lots of root room. you can cut to top off from milk jugs or other gallon jugs or bottles (again, make sure they're from food) for stuff that requires less real estate.

you might also find inexpensive containers at yard sales or thrift stores.

if you're using recycled containers, make sure to add holes for drainage.
also, make sure you water a LOT once the weather gets hot. containers dry out a lot faster than plants in the ground.

good luck mama :)

My neighbor has those big huge round plastic tubs with handles that she uses for her tomatoes that she grows. They did very well in there last year. I did my veggies in containers too, but wasn't too successful b/c they weren't anywhere I'd remember them. (awful I know.. LOL) Good luck with whatever you decide to do.. when we move again, if we are in another house or whatever, I'm just gonna do container gardening.. but I'm gonna use rubbermaid containers and build a wooden box to put them in so they are hidden. :)