Last Updated on November 21, 2018 by Kimberly Crawford
Living in an apartment without a yard doesn’t mean gardening is out of reach. Container gardens work well for those with limited outdoor space.
Renters need not shy away from gardening because of the lack of outdoor space. All that is needed is an area that receives five hours or more of sunlight each day. If a balcony is available, there are more options for gardening besides the standard herb window garden.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are quite easy to grow in containers, and they provide an abundance of harvest fruit for cooking. Several different varieties exist, and all can be purchased from a local nursery or gardening center when in season.
Growing the vegetables from seed is also an option, but it is not recommended for the beginner gardener since starting with plants is much easier.
Remember that tomatoes love sun and need occasional watering to ensure success. A wide array of additional vegetables will do well in containers, but tomatoes are known for being among the easiest to grow.
Herbs
A wide variety of herbs can be grown from containers. If living in an apartment without a balcony, growing a window herb garden is another alternative to balcony gardening.
Make sure the window sill where they will be kept receives at least six hours of sunlight each day. Like tomatoes, herbs can be grown from seed or plant, although buying them as a plant is much easier.
Choose from herbs such as dill, parsley, basil and mint. All taste wonderful in many recipes, and growing them in an apartment is a great way to easily add fresh food to a diet.
Flowers
Most flowers will do well in containers provided the pots they are planted in have adequate drainage. Do not use decorative containers without a drainage hole, as this will quickly result in the drowning of the flower.
Place the containers where they will receive the most sunlight each day, and move them around periodically if necessary.
Ivy Geraniums
These plants are beautiful accents to add to any container garden, since the foliage spills over in an attractive way.
This makes them the perfect candidate for larger containers that need space filled (just make sure there is adequate drainage).
Considerations
Besides choosing pots that will drain well and picking out a location where the plant will receive a lot of sun, containers need good potting soil. Since the plant is unable to retrieve nutrients from the ground soil, it is essential to provide a compost-like potting soil.
Potting mixes work best for most container grown plants and vegetables. Avoid using ground soil in containers, as there will likely not be enough nutrients for the plant to thrive.
