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Choosing vegetables for container gardening isn't difficult. Some varieties of vegetables are easily grown in containers because of their more compact size and we are seeing more new compact plants developed every year. That's not to say you can't grow other more traditional varieties. You can grow almost any of the varieties available, although you must be prepared to accommodate their different needs. The popularity of growing vegetables in container gardens has encouraged plant breeders to develop more compact and generally more attractive varieties for this purpose. That being said, let's take a look at some of the more popular varieties of vegetables for container gardening.
Regardless of the vegetable, look for words like "compact", "bush", and "space saver". The word "patio" in the description also indicates suitability for vegetable container gardening.
Cucumbers: Salad Bush Hybrid, Spacemaster, Bush Pickle. Stick to the compact busy types of this vegetable for container gardening.
Eggplant: Bambino, Slim Jim. I've had good luck growing just about any variety of this vegetable for container gardening. Just make sure the container is large enough.
Green Beans: Go for pole beans. They give a higher yield in a much smaller footprint and you can let them climb on a trellis or fence. Try Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder or French Dwarf. You want to choose the most productive varieties of this vegetable for container gardening.
Green Onions: (scallions) Beltsville Bunching, Crystal Wax, Evergreen Bunching. Onion sets, available in the spring, are another version of this vegetable for container gardening. Plant them about an inch apart.
Leaf Lettuce: Any variety will do well in vegetable container gardening but try Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl, Bibb for their nice flavor.
Peppers: Frigitello, Cubanelle, Sweet Banana, Apple (Hot) Red Cherry, Jalapeno, Robustini. Again, choose any variety of this vegetable for container gardening, depending on your own taste buds.
Radishes: Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe, (White) Icicle. Choose any variety (except possibly Daikon) for this vegetable for container gardening.
Squash: Ronde de Nice, Gold Rush. Definitely look for bush types of squash when choosing this vegetable for container gardening.
Tomatoes: Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Saladette, Toy boy, Spring Gient, Tumbling Tom, Small Fry. Look for determinate types which don't get as tall and choose them for vegetable container gardening.
Don't feel intimidated by this list. There are many varieties that will grow and produce satisfactorily. These are just some of the more common, readily available varieties of vegetables for container gardening.
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