Container gardening
Containers enable any school to grow herbs and vegetables without needing a garden or allotment.
Learning objectives:
- Choose plants that grow well in containers
- Prepare containers with the right soil and drainage
- Learn how to water and care for plants in containers
- Monitor plant health
Curriculum links:
- Science: Study plant care, soil quality, and growing conditions in confined spaces
- Maths: Calculate the space needed for various plants and understand container volumes
- Design & Technology: Plan and create visually appealing and functional container gardens
- PSHE: Teach responsibility and the benefits of gardening as part of a healthy lifestyle
Jump to
Key vocabulary
Advantages
- They can add structure, style and brighten up areas while adding extra space for crops
- They can be sited close to the classroom allowing for supervision
- They are smaller, manageable spaces so children can care for them easily
- They can be moved, for example from indoors to outdoors when the weather improves
- They can be taken home over the holidays
- They can be made accessible for everyone with a few adjustments, for example by raising them up
- They enable you to grow plants even if the soil you have is poor or the plants require something different (e.g. blueberries that need ericaceous or acidic soil)
- There is less chance of pest damage in containers or at least it is easier to manage
Disadvantages
- They can dry out easily so need watering and feeding more frequently
- Only small amounts of vegetables can be grown in containers, so match the size of the crop to the container
- Pots can restrict plant growth, although this can also be an advantage making some plants a more manageable size
Growing vegetables in containers
There are many different varieties of vegetables that are suitable for growing in containers.
| Crop | Varieties |
|---|---|
| Aubergine | 'Adona' or 'Bonica', begin indoors or under glass |
| Beetroot | 'Boltardy', 'Pable', 'Regala' or globe varieties |
| Carrot | 'Paris Market - Atlas', 'Adelaide', 'Caracas' and 'Royal Chantenay' |
| Chard | 'Bright Lights' is a colourful spinach-like plant |
| Chilli | 'Orange Wonder', 'Super Chilli', 'Razzamatazz' and 'Prairie Fire' |
| Courgette | 'Bambino', 'Early Gem', 'Floridor' and 'Venus' are good in grow bags |
| French beans | 'Ferrari', 'Maja', 'Sonesta', 'The Prince' and 'Purple Tepee' |
| Lettuce | 'Little Gem', 'Red Salad Bowl' as smaller varieties also use salad leaf mixes |
| Peppers | Sweet pepper varieties such as 'Canape', 'Ace', 'Gypsy' and 'Ariane' |
| Potatoes | 'Swift' and other fast growing, shorter varieties. |
| Radish | 'Cherry Belle', 'Scarlet Globe', 'Topsi', 'Sparkler', 'Bright lights' and 'French Breakfast' |
| Runner beans | 'Hestia' and other compact varieties |
| Salad leaves | Mustard, rocket, sorrel, mizuna and many more can all be grown in containers |
| Spring onions | 'White Lisbon', 'Ramrod', 'Katana', 'Gaurdsman', 'Lilia' and many more |
| Tomatoes | Many varieties suitable for containers including tumbling types for hanging baskets |
Growing fruit in containers
As fruit bushes and trees live for a long time, it's best to plant them in as large pot as you can (around 45-50cm in diameter) and refresh the compost every two years.
| Crop | Varieties |
|---|---|
| Apples | Cultivars specifically for containers on a container or 'M26' root stock |
| Blackcurrants | Compact cultivars such as 'Ben Sarek' and 'Ben Gairn' |
| Blueberries | Most are suitable including 'Northsky', 'Chippewa' and 'Northcountry' |
| Gooseberries | Compact cultivars such as 'Greenfinch' and 'Rokula' |
| Pears | Cultivars specifically for containers on a container or 'M26' root stock |
| Raspberries | Compact cultivars such as 'Glen Fyne' and 'Ruby Beauty' |
| Redcurrants | 'Rovada' and 'Junifer' |
| Strawberries | All varieties are suitable for containers |
| White currants | 'Versailles Blanche' |
Tips and advice
Different types of containers:
Ready-made:
- Grow bags
- Various pots and troughs in plastic or terracotta
- Plant bags
- Hanging baskets
- Window boxes
Upcycled:
- Baskets or wooden crates
- Bricks with holes in them
- Chimney pots
- Old boots or shoes
- Old pots, pans or colanders
- Old sinks or baths
- Tin cans
Things to remember:
- Containers not intended as plant pots may need drainage holes drilled into them (take care when doing this)
- Containers full of holes may need a lining of horticultural fleece or plastic netting (such as shade cloth) to keep the soil in place
- Standing containers on bricks or tiles can help to avoid waterlogging
- Where you plan on keeping plants in a container for more than one year, use a soil based compost and a slow release fertiliser to keep them healthy