Planting Guide
This is a planting guide for your reference. You may also click here to download this resource for future reference. Plants listed are simply ones that I have grown most often. You can plant any variety of plants in containers. If you’re not sure if what you want is compatible, send me a message.
| CONTAINER SIZE | CONTAINER TYPE | PLANT SIZE | COMPATIBLE PLANTS |
| 2 Gallon (~8-12 inches diameter, at least 8 inches deep) | *Food safe plastic buckets/planting containers, *terra cotta pots Bloem flower planters/pots of varied sizes | Best for smaller plants | Arugula: 1 plant per pot Flowers (small) varieties: 1 flower plant per pot Herbs: 1 plant per pot Lettuce – romaine, butterhead, loose leaf (4-6 inches apart) |
| 3-5 Gallon (~12-16 inches diameter, at least 12 inches deep) | Food safe plastic buckets/planting containers, felt/fabric planters 3 gallon container/bucket available at Home Depot 5 gallon Viagrow available at Home Depot Fabric planters from Home Depot | Best for medium to large plants | Any of the above: greater quantity dependent upon planter size Bell Peppers: 1-2 plants per pot (dependent upon pot and plant size) Chili Peppers: 1 plant per 5 gallon pot (e.g., jalapeno, habanero, cayenne, poblano) Corn (Baby or Sweet): 4-6 inches apart; Select one variety (shorter stalks best) Cucumbers: patio, bush or shorter vine varieties best, 1 plant per 5 gallon pot; Larger varieties feasible if using larger planters Flower/Herb Combo (compatible) Green Beans: 2 plants per pot (min 5 gallon recommended) Pollinator/Ornamental Combo (smaller – e.g. dwarf/smaller (2-4 ft) sunflower varieties, coneflower, smaller, zinnia, lavender) Tomatoes: 1 plant per 5 gallon pot (choose a smaller variety 2-3 ft for best results; i.e., Bushsteak, or determinate Roma, cherry and grape types) |
| 5-7 Gallon | Food safe plastic containers, felt/fabric planters, food safe wooden barrels or planting containers 7 gallon nursery pots available at Growers Solutions Viagrow 7 gallon containers Vivosun fabric pots available on Amazon (5, 7, 10 gallon) | Best for larger plant varieties and flower combination | Any of the above Root vegetables (beets, radishes, carrots) Fruit trees (younger or dwarf) |
| 10+ Gallon | Food safe plastic containers, wooden containers, fabric grow bags, root vegetable grow bags/sacks 10 gallon nursery pots available at Home Depot 15-20 gallon fabric pots on Amazon; at Home Depot | Best for large plant varieties and root vegetables | Any of the above Fruit trees Herb Combo Pollinator/Ornamental Combo Root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, carrots, etc) |
| Self-contained food safe planting systems: | Earthbox planters: ~$35-$65 dependent upon planter type and garden kit options (original, junior and root vegetable models); Water reservoir and wicking system; Various colors; Comes with plastic mulch covers, fertilizer and garden lime for planting season; Organic options available; Staking system, casters, self-watering hardware available; Raised planter stand available; Replant kits; Available at their online store and select big box retailers and hardware stores EMSCO Group planters: ~$35-$55 for city picker raised bed models; Water reservoir and wicking system; Various colors; Comes with mulch cover, casters; Available at most big box retailers and hardware stores GrowBox: ~$40; Water reservoir and wicking system; Fertilizer (organic option available) and cover included; Various colors; Staking system available; Replant kits; Available at their online store | Great for growing numerous plants together (vegetables, flowers, herbs); Great for larger plant varieties; Come with planting guides | Any of the above |