How To Grow a Thriving Vegetable Garden on Your Patio

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Stepping into your own garden to pick homegrown vegetables and herbs can be extremely satisfying. Sun-ripened vegetables straight from the garden almost always taste better than the ones you pick up from the store, and growing your own crops can even save money.

But here’s the news: The dream of cultivating a thriving vegetable garden isn’t just for homeowners with large backyards. If you’re short on outdoor square footage, planting and harvesting your own small crop can still be done right from your patio.

“Even those with little to no garden space can raise substantial volumes of vegetables, fruits, and herbs using many kinds of containers or pots on a patio, deck, porch, or balcony,” says Venelin Dimitrov, senior product manager at Burpee, a seeds and plants retailer.

Growing your own vegetables and herbs on the patio is gaining in popularity because it doesn’t require a lot of time, space, or expertise. Ready to get planting?

Select container-friendly vegetables

Plants need room to grow, but if you’re gardening on a patio you’ll need to select vegetables that thrive in smaller spaces.

“There are lots of tomato, pepper, and even cucumber varieties that are naturally compact, making them ideal for use in container gardens,” says Amy Enfield, horticulturist for Bonnie Plants. “Look for bush-type plants that stay under 2 feet tall when making selections for your container gardens.”

Many plants in the Bonnie Plants Harvest Select line—like Siam Tomato, Hot Burrito Pepper, and Fresh Bites Orange Pepper—have been chosen because of their compact growth needs.

Dimitrov also recommends starting with herbs and baby greens such as lettuce and spinach since they are easy to grow in containers.

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Select the right container size

Most veggies can be grown in containers, but different plants have different requirements.

“Small plants like strawberries, most herbs, and leaf lettuces do well in containers that are 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Tomatoes and peppers need even larger containers that are 16 to 18 inches in diameter,” says Enfield.

Like summer squash? Enfield says to look for containers that are at least 24 inches in diameter and to make sure containers have at least one drainage hole in the bottom so that excess water can drain away from the roots.

Create combos using companion plants

Building strong plant communities is also important.

“Time-tested garden wisdom has shown that certain plants grown close together become helpmates. Plants, like people, compete for resources, space, and nutrients,” says Dimitrov. “In plant communities, certain plants support each other while others just don’t get along.”

Burpee’s website features a Companion Planting Chart that lists what vegetables you should and shouldn’t plant near each other.

Dimitrov also says you should try to interplant with flowers and herbs.

“Large groupings of one type of vegetable often entice problematic pests,” he adds. “If you mix in flowers and herbs, it becomes more difficult for pests to find your veggies.

“The scent of flowers and herbs, as well as the change-up in color, is thought to confuse pests,” he says.

Try hanging baskets

Flowers and vegetables in pots hang on the balcony.

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“When you’re tight on space, going vertically is a great option. Hanging baskets allow you to grow edible plants in traditionally unused space,” says Enfield. “Look for vegetables and herbs that naturally trail, like strawberries and Tumbling Tom tomatoes.”

Dimitrov says the most important part of container gardening is watering since soil dries out faster in pots than in the ground. So if you’re using hanging baskets, you might need to water more frequently.

“You should water enough until you see it coming out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot,” he says. Or you could buy some self-watering hanging baskets.

Consider window box gardening

Another small-space solution for growing vegetables is through window box gardening. 

“They are an essential element in the old-fashioned, cottage garden style, and they serve a huge need on suburban deck rails and city balconies, where high-rise dwellers can’t hope for anything more than a couple of square feet of soil in a box,” says Dimitrov.

He says you can plant a window box with a quick crop of lettuce in spring, or fill one with parsley, basil, rosemary, and other herbs for a steady supply for the kitchen all summer long.

Provide proper care

Now that you have your patio vegetable garden, you need to make extra sure it gets the appropriate amount of TLC.

“Make sure that your containers receive plenty of sun. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sun per day,” says Enfield. “Container gardens should be watered whenever the top 1 inch of soil is dry to the touch. Insert your index finger into the soil. If it’s dry, water; if it’s still damp, wait.”

Water thoroughly until water comes out the drainage holes, and be especially watchful during hot, sunny, or windy weather when they may dry out faster.

“Also, don’t forget to feed your container gardens,” says Enfield. “Your vegetables and herbs will quickly deplete the nutrients in the potting mix, and they’ll need to be replenished to keep your plants growing happy and healthy.”

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