How deep?

[Grace and Granola]

I am doing container gardening this year. I have grown tomatoes in pots before, but I'd love to do large-scale this year. First, does anyone have a book recommendation for container gardening?

But my question right now is, how deep do the containers need to be? I know it will vary for some veggies, but does anything need more than say 12"? I know a lot of people are getting 5 gallon buckets, but to me, that seems like a lot of depth for not vary many plants that can fit in a 5 gallon bucket. It seems like a better idea to use something shallower and more spread out like a rubbermaid container or something. Help!

FWIW, I'll be growing, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, spinach, watermelon, and peas.

[goldfinches]

Absolutely your lettuce, spinach and peas will do fine in a rubbermaid container. The watermelon, I'm not sure. I say try it although you may waste less space using a 5 gal bucket for them. I say that because I can't imagine you planting much besides one plant per container since they spread so much.
I think the peppers will go pretty good in the rubbermaid, you could probably get 2 or 3 in each and they would have enough room. And, then 2 tomatoes per? Or one if yours grow super huge.
Honestly, it sounds like a good idea to me. I've used 5 gal buckets before and had horrible luck because they dry out so fast. The tubs would hold water better, I would think? Mulch them good, though.

[Grace and Granola]

Thanks! I'm obviously a novice, but this makes sense!

[nj's_mom]

Originally Posted by Grace and Granola

Thanks! I'm obviously a novice, but this makes sense!

I'm interested in this as well- we tried a garden last year- didn't do raised beds, just dug down, turned soil, added soil, mulched, planted. Unfortunatly our soil had a funky Ph level and although they did fairly well, I want to go with a different idea this year.

When to plant?

[mattemma04]

My mom grows tomatoes in 5 gallon pickle buckets.They grow well.I get buckets free from the restaurant she works at.

I think the lettuce and spinach will do well in the container.I have a driveway garden,and the roots can not go down far due to stones.

[Grace and Granola]

If 5 gallon buckets are the cheapest and easiest thing to get, I just read a great tip that solved my problem with them.

My problem was that it seemed like alot of wasted soil to fill a pickle bucket for just one or two plants. The tip I read was that you can put a "filler" in the bottom 1/3 of the bucket and then put your soil on top of that. They suggested using plastic bottles, but I'm sure many other things would work too.