As the proud owner of a tiny vegetable plot one of the easiest ways to increase my plot is to grow vegetables in containers. Container vegetable gardening has become very popular to the point the seed companies now have special varieties for growing vegetables in containers. You cannot always use just any plants because some varieties like a wide spread root system while others grow perfectly well with a smaller root set.
This year I tried to grow sweet peppers in some flower pots but I found them pot bound and dying. I transferred them to the plot and within 2 weeks they were growing and much healthier.
Many people actually are constantly on the lookout for a good way to grow their own vegetables even when space is at a premium. Moreover, these people also wish to avoid purchasing vegetables that contain non-organic matter and they need to also find a way to avoid paying for highly costly organic foods.
An Ideal Solution
With problems such as E. coli to worry about as well, growing vegetables at home has now almost become a necessity and so, it is not surprising to find that container vegetable gardening offers an ideal solution to those who have limited space to grow their vegetables at home. Today, almost everything that we consume is a product of mass production which means that the vegetables that we are eating will have been touched by many hands which in turn can lead to these vegetables becoming unsafe to consume.
Even with little space in which to grow vegetables at home, thanks to container vegetable gardening it has now become possible to grow sufficient quantities of vegetables to feed your family on a daily basis. Container vegetable gardening also is advantageous to you because you can grow your vegetables on a patio or even a deck and even growing your vegetables indoors is possible as long as you use indoor grow lights.
Not all vegetables lend them well to container vegetable gardening, and so you may have to especially avoid planting vegetables that are on the larger size such as corn which grows to such heights that it would require using very heavy as well as large pots. Other vegetables that won’t lend them well to container vegetable gardening include large melons and even certain kinds of squashes and tomatoes that are better off being grown in larger gardens.
Lettuce and spinach as well as vegetables with plenty of leaves on them are what you need to consider for container vegetable gardening as these do well when grown in containers. To get the most out of container vegetable gardening you can also choose to plant small tomatoes of which salad tomatoes, plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are good examples.
Besides choosing an appropriate vegetable for your container vegetable gardening, you also will need to worry about the proper size of the container and typically, you need to choose a container that should at least be six inches in depth and which is also at least ten to twelve inches wide.
Some people – myself included – find the vegetable plants attractive in themselves. They are to my mind far more interesting because they produce something you can eat but still look good as a plant. Lettuce and cabbages can be very decorative
Another option worth exploring is home vegetable gardening, which contrary to popular conception need not make your home look unsightly. Provided that you plan it thoroughly and plant your vegetables carefully, home vegetable gardens can look very pretty and can add harmony to the home rather than make it look ugly.
The bottom line is that container vegetable gardening is a good option for anyone that is interested in eating food that does not contain excess of non-organic matter and who wishes to save on costs of buying expensive mass-produced vegetables.

An alternative in-vogue system is the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). Almost continual feeding is possible within these systems while the plants sit within the water, with fertilised water constantly running over their roots. A reservoir with a pump that is submersible re-circulates the nutrient solution continually, pumping the solution to the top of the troughs to trickle back through the system. Larger Nutrient Film Technique systems are used commercially, both abroad and in the United States. Care must be taken to choose the correct trough size especially when using the Nutrient Film Technique system. Large systems used by commercial companies use wider troughs with greater flow capacity. Aeroponics is an amazing system related to hydroponics and in this method the roots are simply suspended in the air and usually in 3D. They are excellent for growing herbs and leafy vegetables. Plant support is provided to the growing vegetables and flowers by neoprene inserts. Varying hole designs in the top cover provides the proper spacing. and looks good. Aeroponic systems are also great propagators. The little plants when big enough to prick out are removed from a rockwool equivalent of a traditional seed compost and trensfeered to web pots. Nasa scientific research has come up with the idea of aeroponics and it is becoming popular with visitors to their space and education centres.

The Europonic System is modeled after commercial systems that are used in Europe. The system starts with an entry level system offering three trays each holding eight plants. The system may also be expanded to five trays if desired. A thirty gallon tank is usually suitable to store and deliver nutrient through a pumped system to the roots of every plant via an “emitter”. The solution trickles through the rockwool, over the roots, and back to the reservoir where it is re-circulated on a constant basis. Rockwool, or mineral wool, is the most popular and highly used hydroponic medium. It is basically a material of spun fibre providing a high surface area for a high ability to hold water. It can also be cut and formed into many shapes and sizes that allow many diverse growing applications. Under the Eurponic system there are 2 rockwool slabs fitted ito each of the trays.. Rockwool provides good support to relatively extensive root systems, so the Europonic System is well suited to crops which grow like vines, such as tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers, and the large flowering blooms.

The development of better health consciousness among consumers has led to a phenomenal growth in the demand for hydroponically grown produce. A combination of hydroponic technology and a controlled environment greenhouse or indoor grow rooms can tackle this demand. Such a blend is known as Soil-less/Controlled Environment Agriculture (S/CEA).

A majority of the numerous hydroponic farms in the United States are family or small business operations. These farms generally have 1/8 -1 acre in hydroponic production while the larger facilities average 20 – 40 acres. The smaller operations hold the advantage of proximity to the marketplace. Tomatoes are the most popular hydroponic crop in the U.S. followed by cucumbers, leaf crops, herbs, peppers, and flowers. There is a requirement for more hydroponic farms as much of the produce is presently imported.

Testing and monitoring are part of the daily operation of a commercial hydroponic grower. It is essential to test the pH and nutrient concentrations of the feed solution and the reservoir. The temperature and humidity levels are also monitored. Recording such information proves useful in assessment of overall health of the crop, diagnosing problems and ascertaining the positive and negative influence of various factors. Good observation, diligence, and order are the qualities demanded of a grower. The best way to prevent diseases and other problems is to perform daily checks.

A grower performs culturing depending upon the nature of the plant. Long-term crops like tomatoes or cucumbers require daily culturing. With short-term crops like lettuce, continuous seeding and harvesting is more important. Most commercial tomato growers replant their growing chamber once a year. Very little space is required to propagate the seeds. The seedlings are shifted to the greenhouse when they are several weeks old. Harvesting is done in about hundred days and continues for eight to nine months. The five main culturing jobs for fruiting crops are (done weekly):

1. Clipping—the plant is clipped to the string hung down from the main support wires.

2. Sucker Pruning—suckers are the side branches that grow at every leaf axial. A sucker is removed by grasping it firmly and then bending it back in one direction.

3. Cluster Pruning—this involves discarding the misshapen, smallest, and weakest fruit to allow the larger ones to develop.

4. Leaf Pruning—the lower leaves are removed to encourage new growth at the top of the plant. To remove it, pressure is applied at the base of the leaf.

5. Leaning and Lowering—this is done to keep the producing part of the plant within reach. The top six feet are left vertical while the remaining stem is laid horizontally.

Other grow-room jobs that growers must perform include pollination, harvesting, and packing. Pollination may be done by touching a vibrating pollinating wand to every open flower cluster. Another way is to bring a specialized bumblebee hive into the greenhouse and let the bees do the pollinating. If this method is employed, pesticides should not be used for insect control. Growers of hydroponic cucumbers need not pollinate them artificially as they are self-pollinating. Crops may be harvested every two or three days. Commercial growers label their product with the brand name and a brief description or the benefits of how it was grown.

The cost of growing hydroponic plants in a controlled environment often exceeds the cost of growing crops in a field. These extra expenses are incurred in providing the ideal temperatures, humidity, light and feed to the plants. In order to compensate for these, the produce must be marketed well. Highlighting the advantages of hydroponically grown crops in grow tents is of utmost importance. Growers may cite that they are free of herbicides and pesticides, available for nearly the whole of the year, have better nutritional value, have aesthetic appeal, are vine ripened and packed and harvested by hand. Following are the methods of selling:

• Grocery stores—Selling directly to grocery stores requires expertise to determine markets and the time to deliver regularly. But it offers control over transportation and handling.

• Produce brokers—A produce broker or distributor markets the produce for the grower. While it is convenient, earnings and control are diminished.

• Co-op or grower network—as the name suggests, growers may form a network to market and distribute collectively.

• Roadside or market stand—this allows growers to sell directly to consumers. But some growers may not prefer to take the time to transport and sell by themselves. Hydroponics has come a long way from the floating gardens of the Chinese, described by Marco Polo in his journals. Commercial growing can be lucrative and satisfying, provided the produce is grown with the right procedures.

You’ve struggled, you’ve toiled and, at last, you are satisfied with your garden. It just couldn’t be better. But what’s this? Pests! Now you’ve got to prevent the invasion of destructive bugs in your garden. Here’s the best kind of gardening advice you can find for that purpose: Try growing companion plants.
Companion plants are very useful to gardeners or farmers. They have natural substances in them that will repel or attract insects. In specific cases, they can even increase the growth rate of plants, even improve the flavors these plants produce. Not only that but they help to bring a balanced ecosystem to the landscape. Overall then, growing companion plants will result in much healthier and productive plants and better crop production.
There are many kinds of companion plants available. If this is the first you’ve heard of them, you’ll probably be very surprised by what you’ll find. These are some examples of companion plants:
- Tomatoes for cabbages. Some moths feed on cabbage leaves as well, producing the same problems caused by cabbageworms. Worse, moths give birth to larvae at such a rapid pace that a full blown infestation is almost always guaranteed.
Growing tomatoes alongside cabbage plants will help ward off moths. Tomato plant emit a particular odor that moths just can’t stand. It is loathsome to them. As such, moths will stay away from the garden and lay their larvae elsewhere. – Chives or garlic for roses. Roses are grown for their beautiful flowers. But pests can destroy these flowers and make a quarter of a year’s labor go to waste. Growing chives near roses will help repel the usual pests that feed on rose flowers.
Garlic is said to have the same effect of repelling such pests. Garlic actually collects sulfur, which is a natural fungicide, and can greatly increase disease prevention.
- Beans for corn. A pest infestation on corn crops can be very harmful, even dangerous for the entire farm or the surrounding area. Growing beans in the garden or backyard will help to attract beneficial insects that will prey on and help to eradicate the common pests that haunt corn fields. Armyworms, leaf beetles and leaf hoppers will all be but sad memories when bean plants accompany growing corns.
Sunflowers are also very good for corn. Just planting them around corn it is said will increase their yield. And if you’ve got aphid problems, you won’t for long. Your unknown friends, in the form of ants, will herd the aphids like cattle onto the sunflowers. It’s a curious thing. The sunflowers themselves are so tough that the aphids can do no more than very little damage at best.
- Nasturtiums for cucumbers. Cucumber attracts cucumber beetles. These are small insects which have strong jaws that are even able to cut right through the cucumbers themselves. Nasturtiums, on the other hand, drive off cucumber beetles and allow for the healthy development of cucumber plants.
These are only a few of the many types of companion plants that are available for you to use. Some of them are actually crop plants. Many can be found in varying types of vegetable gardens. Give yourself time to discover what these companion plants are. You may surprise yourself with the combinations you can create.

Companion planting in your vegetable garden is a great way to increase the size of the crop you will have when it comes time to harvest. The right combination of vegetables planted together improves growth, reduces disease, encourages beneficial insects to thrive in the garden, and discourages pests.
But companion planting vegetables does have it’s drawbacks, as some vegetables are much more fussy than others about who they are planted next to. This simple guide will help you with a few of the more common combinations you should keep in mind when companion planting vegetables.
Asparagus get on well with most vegetables, but their ideal companions are tomato, parsley and basil.
Bush beans like potatoes, cucumber, corn, strawberries and celery, but hate onions. On the other hand, pole beans are a little more selective – they only like corn and radishes, and hate beets as well as onions.
The cabbage family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale to name a few) like many companions – beet, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onion, potatoes and spinach. But they have a few hates as well – dill, strawberries, pole beans and tomatoes.
Carrots get on well with a wide variety of vegetables – peas, lettuce, rosemary, onions, sage and tomatoes. Just keep them away from dill.
Celery is also a very accepting vegetable, liking onions, the cabbage family, tomatoes and bush beans. Like asparagus, they don’t hate any vegetables.
Keep your corn away from tomatoes, but to keep it happy plant it near potatoes, beans, peas, pumpkins, cucumber and squash.
Cucumber doesn’t like being near aromatic herbs or potatoes, but plant it near beans, corn or peas and it will be happy.
Lettuce is an accepting plant, not hating any vegetables but appreciating being planted next to carrots, strawberries and cucumbers.
Onions generally like being planted next to beets, carrots, lettuce and the cabbage family, but keep them away from beans and peas if you want good results.
Peas like being planted next to carrots, turnips, cucumbers, corn and beans, but be sure to not plant them near onions or potatoes.
Speaking of potatoes, you should plant them near beans, corn and members of the cabbage family for best results, and make sure they are away from pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Finally the humble tomato – one of the more popular summer vegetables for the gardener to grow. For the best results plant them near onions, asparagus, carrots, parsley or cucumbers, but keep them well away from potatoes or members of the cabbage family.
This isn’t a fully comprehensive list – obviously there are many more types of vegetables available for you to plant in your vegetable garden, and this article could easily double or triple in size if we tried to include everything. But this list of the more common vegetables should be a good start in helping you plan the layout of your vegetable garden for the next year.
So give companion planting in your vegetable garden a try. You’ll find you’ll have happier, healthier plants in your vegetable garden, which in turn will give you tastier vegetables to feed you and your family.