Choose from these vegetables to grow in pots to enjoy plenty of homegrown produce even from a small space.
Peter Krumhardt
Dont let a lack of in-ground planting space limit your vegetable harvest this year.
There are plenty of vegetables to grow in pots on a patio,balcony, or sunny entryway.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
With full sun and quality potting soil, many differentvegetable plants will thrive in a container.
Group several planters together, and youll have a buffet of produce.
Here are 21 vegetables that grow well in pots.
Credit:Dana Gallagher
Beets
Dana Gallagher
Give beets an early start.
Thin the seedlings to 3 to 4 inches apart so the roots have room to grow and mature.
Try Baby Ball and Chioggia.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Broccoli
A crop that thrives in cool weather,broccoli is easy to growin a large pot.
Plant it in a pot that is at least 24 inches wide in early spring.
Grow one plant per 24-inch-wide pot.
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If the weather remains cool, broccoli will produce several small heads after the initial flower head is harvested.
Transplant into a 24-inch-wide pot when the chance of frost passes.
Pixie and Little Jade grow well in tight quarters.
Credit:Rob Cardillo
Cantaloupe
Rob Cardillo
A trellis is essential forgrowing cantaloupein a pot.
Use a large, heavy container that will support the weight of the mature fruit.
The pot should contain at least 10 gallons of potting soil.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Sugar Cube produces small melons and has excellent disease resistance.
Carrot
Seedcarrotsinto a container that is at least 24 inches deep.
Keep the potting soil evenly moist to promote germination.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Thin the small seedlings to 2 inches apart so the roots have plenty of space to size up.
Cucumber
A trellis or tripod is helpful when growing cucumbers in a pot.
Train thecucumber vinesup the poles.
Credit:Blaine Moats and Marty Baldwin
Bush-bang out cucumbers are also great for growing in a container.
Bush Pickle and Patio Snacker are two excellent varieties for pots.
Plant just one cucumber plant per container.
Credit: Scott Little
Eggplant
Blaine Moats and Marty Baldwin
Productiveeggplantsrequire a large container.
Choose a pot that contains at least 5 gallons of potting soil.
Plant one traditional-size eggplant per 5-gallon pot.
Credit:Blaine Moats
Patio Baby produces 2-to-3-inch fruits on compact plants.
Little Prince is another petite variety.
Green Beans
Growbush-bang out green beansin a container that is at least 24 inches wide.
Credit: Julian Wass
After the danger of frost has passed, sow seed directly into the container.
Thin the young plants so they are at least 6 inches apart.
Derby and Porch Pick promise a prolific harvest.
Credit:Jay Wilde
Thin the seedlings to stand 4 to 6 inches apart so the bulbous stems have space to develop.
Try Quickstar or a unique purple variety named Kolibri.
Plants will thrive in any container that has ample drainage.
Credit:Dana Gallagher
Maximize the harvest in a small container by planting leaf lettuce instead of head lettuce.
Cut and Come Again mesclun is a tender, fast-growing option.
Okra
Jay Wilde
Hot weather is perfect for producing handfuls oftender green okra pods.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Start with transplants to ensure okra plants are right-sized to flower and fruit as soon as the heat arrives.
Jambalaya is a compact variety for containers.
Onion
Startonionsfrom seeds or plants in early spring.
Credit:Cameron Sadeghpour
A 24-inch-wide or bigger pot is essential forgrowing large bulb onions.
Plant seeds or plants in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
Thin the seedlings to 4 inches apart to allow plenty of space for the bulbs to size up.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Peas
Marty Baldwin
Peas thrive in cool weatherand large containers.
Plant seeds directly in a 12- to 24-inch-wide container in early spring as soon as soil can be worked.
Add a trellis at planting time for vigorously vining cultivars.
Credit:Scott Little
Little Crunch and Snack Hero grow just 24 inches tall.
Pepper
Cameron Sadeghpour
Onepepper plantcan produce two dozen or more peppers over the course of the season.
Give plants plenty of space to grow by planting one plant per large pot.
Credit:Erica George Dines
The ideal pot holds at least 5 gallons of soil.
Sweetie Pie is a small bell pepper that thrives in containers.
Radish
Ready for harvest just 30 days after sowing,radishes are easy to growin any container.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Plant the seeds in soil as soon as it can be worked in early spring.
Plant a second crop two weeks after seeding the first crop.
Harvest tender young leaves at any point in development, snipping stems near the base.
Credit: Adam Albright
Plants will send up a new flush of leaves.
Catalina and Little Hero are petite varieties well-suited for pots.
Direct sow zucchini and other summer squash varieties in the pot when the last chance of frost has passed.
Credit:Norm Lane / Getty Images
Thin to one or two vigorous plants per pot.
Papaya Pear has small yellow fruit on a compact plant.
Begin harvesting the tender leaves when the plants are 4 to 5 inches tall.
Credit:Helen Norman
Grow Bright Lights for its colorful red, yellow, and orange stems.
Tomatoes
Thebest tomato plants for potsare small bush-like varieties.
Plant one tomato plant per 24-inch-wide container.
The pot should contain at least 5 gallons of soil to provide adequate space for root growth.
Watermelon
Norm Lane / Getty Images
Yes, you’re free to growwatermelonin a container.
Grow Cal Sweet Bush in a pot that is at least 24 inches deep and wide.
This unique selection will likely produce one 10-to-12-pound fruit per plant.
Choose a container that is at least 24 inches wide and deep, such as a half-whiskey barrel.
Add a trellis if needed to support a vining variety.
Plant just one winter squash per pot.
Honeybaby is a butternut squash with short vines that grow just 2 to 3 feet long.
