Growing Veggies in Pots with Kids

A guide for parents of enthusiastic children

Whatever outdoor space you have, growing vegetables in containers is an easy and fun way to get your kids involved in gardening, with great success.

Position

Many apartments, townhouses and units do not have garden space, but if there is a sunny outdoor position, vegetables can successfully be grown in containers. The emphasis here is on sunlight, because unless your vegetables can bask in it for most of the day they won’t flourish. The benefit of growing vegies in pots is that they are portable: you can follow the sun through the seasons or give the pots shade from the scorching summer heat.

Which vegetables will grow in containers?

Just about any vegetable that is suited to our climate will grow in a container. Some will grow better than others, as shown in the list below. These are all annual plants, which means that they will only last for one year at most.

Beetroot – plant in autumn to grow over winter; & spring
Broccoli – plant in autumn to grow over winter
Cucumber – plant in late spring to grow over summer
Capsicum – plant in late spring to grow over summer
Chilli – plant in late spring to grow over summer
Coriander – plant in autumn to early spring
Lettuce – plant in autumn & spring
Pak choi – plant in autumn to grow over winter
Parsley – plant in autumn or spring
Silver beet & English spinach – plant in autumn to grow over winter
Snow Peas – plant in autumn/winter to grow over winter/spring
Spring Onion – plant anytime
Tomato – plant in mid-spring to grow over summer

Let your children plant the vegies they like and then introduce one that they may never have seen or eaten before. Growing their own is a great way to motivate them into trying something different.

Vegetables can also be companion planted with HERBS in large containers making for a wonderful display. You can even put in some colourful seasonal flowers to brighten up the pot. Nasturtiums are hardy and long-lasting and even edible, though peppery for young palates!

Several combinations of vegies can be tried, depending on how big the pot is.

POT SIZE

The size of the pot or container used for growing vegetables is very important – preferably use a pot at least 30-35cm across. The depth of the pot need not be deeper than 20-30cm, especially for shallow-rooting vegetables.

Vegetables grow quickly and require moisture and nutrients and if you use a smaller pot, you will have to water more often, particularly as the vegetable matures prior to harvesting time. Some pots dry out more quickly than others and on hot and windy days, all pots will need refreshing.

The larger the pot or container, the more successful it will be for growing vegetables.

POTTING MIX

Vegetables love a rich, well drained potting mix such as a rich organic Potting Mix. Do not use garden soil as this quickly compacts and doesn’t behave in the same way as it would in the ground, stunting the plants’ growth. Cheaper potting mixes can be bulked out and nutrient-enriched by adding compost.

WATER

Vegetables always require regular watering, whether they are grown in the ground or in pots. As a guide, water potted vegetables every two days, and in hot weather you may need to water them daily. Show your children how to test the soil for when the pot needs watering: poke your index finger in the soil (to 2 knuckles depth). When you take it out, if soil sticks to your finger then the potting mix does not need watering. If it feels dry, give the pot a good soaking.

Regular watering is important as vegetables need constant moisture for strong and sweet growth – some can become quite bitter if they are allowed to dry out between watering.
When watering, make sure you give the mix a thorough drenching so that water drains from the drainage holes. This will ensure the water has penetrated and moistened all the potting mix, giving better growth and flavour. Using a straw-based mulch, such as pea straw, especially over the warmer months, will keep the moisture in the soil longer.

Do not be tempted to use greywater (water from the bath, shower or washing machine) on your potted vegies. The potential to transfer harmful micro-organisms is great and remember that these are vegies that you hope to eat one day. Use tapwater or tankwater if you have access to it.

Fertilising Vegetables

Because vegetables do all their growing in one season, they require regular fertilizing from seedling stage right through to maturity or harvesting for consistent and healthy growth.

If you used a premium grade organic potting mix to start this should give your plants a feed for up to 6 months. A fortnightly liquid feed with an organic certified fish-based fertiliser then gives your vegies a great boost. Overfertilising can lead to very lush growth which becomes more prone to insect attack, so always use the quantities recommended.

Tips on getting your kids involved and keeping them interested

Be enthusiastic with them about their project.
Take them to a nursery where they can select the plants they would like to try.
Make sure you are growing in the right season for the plants selected.
Get your children to talk to the friendly and knowledgeable nursery staff about the best ways to grow their selected vegies.
Start small. If, after a couple of seasons of growing vegies in pots, your child is still enthusiastic, then think about a vegie patch in the ground.
Their own watering can, not too large so that it becomes heavy when full; and a garden trowel are all the tools they will need to start with. A pair of the right-sized gloves will also make them feel important but might be awkward to work in.
Keep their potted garden in a place where they will regularly see it. Out of sight means out of mind and vegies in pots don’t do well on neglect.
Remember that your enthusiasm will set an example for life!