Whether you’re short on space or just want some crops near the house to quickly pick and cook, there are several crops that do just as well in containers as in a normal vegetable plot.
Container growing means you can control weeds much more easily, as well as protecting your crop from slugs. Here are a few favourites to get you started.
Carrots, beetroot and turnip
Short, round varieties of carrots do well in containers, but if you do plant the longer varieties, crop them young as tender baby carrots. Recommended varieties include Little Finger and Paris Market.
Beetroots are at their best while they are still young and tender, at which point they are perfect for container growing. Choose varieties that like drier conditions, such as Bull’s Blood or Boltardy.
Quick-growing turnips are ideal for growing alongside other vegetables. The leaves are delicious to eat, while the turnip itself should be harvested when about the size of a golf ball.
Radish, watercress and salad leaves
Fast growing radishes can be sown every few weeks for a continuous summer supply. Use short, round varieties in shallow pots and long, tapered varieties in deeper pots. Good varieties include French Breakfast and Cherry Bell.
Watercress sown in a pot kept permanently wet should be flushed out with fresh water every week for the best results; a self-watering system would work very well.
Salad leaves are perfect for containers, so mix and match varieties to provide months of lovely fresh salad throughout the summer and early autumn. Good varieties include Mizuna, European Mesclun and Komatsuna.
