Almost any vegetable will grow in a container, but some pay off more generously than others, and with some vegetables particular varieties are suited to container growing.
Beans: Choose dwarf or bush varieties. Sow directly in warm soil. A 10-inch (25 cm) pot supports two plants.
Beets: Sow directly, thin plants and use when they’re 5 to 8 inches (12 to 20 cm) tall
Carrot: Sow directly in cool soil. Use pots 12 inches (30cm) deep. Recommended varieties: ’Mini express’ ‘little finger’ ‘Thumbelina’ ‘Baby spike.’
Eggplant: Sow indoors and transplant to container or purchase seedlings. Grow like tomatoes. The glossy fruits and lavender-colored flowers make them great ornamentals. Recommended: ‘Baby Bell.’
Herbs: Grow well in shallow containers and do well when crowded. Try sowing in easy-to-carry container and bring them indoors to keep producing through winter.
Lettuce : Looseleaf types work better than heading cultivars. Sow direct early in cool soil. Thin carefully (young greens are great in salads). Good for succession planting.
Onions: Plant sets rather than seeds and plant early. Sow densely and plant early. Sow densely and use thinning as scallions.
Peas: Inefficient in container, but try edible-pod varieties such as ‘Little Sweetie.’ Sow early in cool soil.
Peppers: Excellent container plant. Grow transplants, and start them in warm soil. ’Redskin’ is a good sweet variety: for hot peppers our choice is ‘Apache.’
Potatoes: Grow successfully in bushel baskets.
Tomatoes: Everyone’s favorite container plant. Grow from transplants, and train to extra-sturdy stakes. Try these cherry tomato varieties ‘Tumbler,’ ‘Small fry,’ ‘Tiny Tim,’ ‘Pixie hybrid,’ ‘Cherry Gold.’
(According to Canadian Gardening’s Vegetable Gardening)
