Hello! I am very new to gardening and want to put together a kit for growing vegetables on our patio. I have bought the starter kit for the seeds, but am wondering how big the containers need to be to grow lettuce, cucumbers and peppers? I know that it is way too early to be plant any vegetables now (I am new to gardening but not completely out to lunch!) - this is a Christmas gift. When would be a good time to plant the seeds (lettuce, cucumbers and peppers) in my plastic containers? Thanks!
The starer kit I bought came with 15 small plastic containers to start the seeds in. I have bought some bigger containers to transplant them into when they start to sprout. Any suggestions for which vegetables grow best in containers in a climate such as Vancouver in the spring and summer?
Lettuce, Peppers and Cucumbers, which you suggested will all do well. Tomatoes would also be good and so would short varieties of Sugar Snap Pea, like Sugar Ann. Some good tomato varieties would be Patio, Tiny Tim, Window Box Roma, and Tumbler etc.
Hi Smillie, You might also find this site helpful. It's from Florida, but has some good pot sizes for particular veggies. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH032 Newt
It is hard to grow peppers in Vancouver because the summer days are not warm, but it can be done. But you need to start the seeds immediately. Do not delay. Start them indoors and then put them outside toward the end of May when the temperatures have risen. Lettuce likes cold weather and supposedly can be started outdoors now, although I have never been successful in doing so. Treat the cucumbers like the peppers.
Would suggest that you get a large container for your peppers and look for special varieties that are suitable for containers. If you have double walled containers, they will hold the moisture and temperature. Good luck!
