3 Super Simple Veggies to Plant In Pots (In Time for Summer Salads!)

If growing your own veggies is on your bucket list, now’s the perfect time to start!

You don’t need a huge backyard – just a little space, a few pots (plus gloves and your trusty Bobbi Boots), and a few simple plants.

We've teamed up with urban permaculture gardener and author Connie Cao to share her top picks for pot-friendly veggies that will be the star of your summer salads!

1. Cherry Tomatoes

What You’ll Need:

1. A pot with a 30-40cm diameter
2. Premium potting mix
3. A sunny spot for your pot!
4. Cherry tomato plants: smaller-sized cherry tomato plants do well in pots! Look for terms on the labels like: dwarf, determinate, bushy, patio, and micro (Connie’s favourites are Little Napoli, Pepper Like Stripe and Gartenperle!)
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “Choose a few different coloured varieties to grow – the array of tomatoes will add a touch of rainbow to your summer salads and bruschetta.”

How to Plant Your Cherry Tomatoes in Pots:

Now that you’ve picked out your plants, it’s time to get growing!

1. Time your planting perfectly: The best time to get planting is after your last frost. Depending on where you live, this may be now or in a few weeks.
2. Plant deep in the ground: When transplanting seedlings, plant them deeply so that as much of the main stem is buried underneath the soil.
3. Remove the bottom leaves (Optional): You can even remove the bottom set of leaves if you wish. This is because tomatoes can grow roots all along the stem, so planting deeply means more roots can grow to help establish a strong plant.
4. Water - and feed - well: Keep it well watered throughout the season, and a little liquid fertiliser will also help once plants start to flower.
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “You’ll get your first tomatoes from early summer. These can be picked as soon as they start to turn in colour and can be left on the kitchen bench to fully ripen.”

2. Chillies

What You'll Need:

1. Location: full sun
2. A pot (larger for more chillies, smaller for fewer)
3. Premium potting mix
4. Chilli seedlings: Choose from mild to hot, based on your sense of culinary adventure!
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “If you only eat a few chillies here and there as a garnish, consider purchasing fewer, and transplanting them into a smaller pot – this way you have more space for plants you cook with or snack on more.”

How to Plant Your Chillies in Pots:

Chosen your hot-factor? Let’s get this garden party started!

1. Wait until the last frost: This is the best time to transplant your seedlings.
2. Consider pot size: Bigger pot = more chillies. Smaller pot = fewer chillies. Your chilli plant will grow to the size of your pot. In a small space, you can use this to your advantage!
3. Pick a warm spot: Chillies prefer a warm and long summer, so in cooler parts of Australia, Connie recommends locating your pot in a north-facing or west-facing position in the garden to help extend the season. If you can keep your plant safe from frost, it’ll happily live for numerous years.
4. Water - and feed - well:  Keep it well watered throughout the season, and a little liquid fertiliser will help once plants start to flower and fruit.
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “Have patience with your plants! Chillies need a little more time than tomatoes to fruit, but you should expect your first fruits to come mid-summer.”

3. Bush Beans

What You'll Need:

1. A spot for your pot in full sun/part sun
   
2. Pot size: Try a rectangular trough
3. Premium potting mix
4. Seedlings: Dwarf snake beans, Cherokee wax, and dragon’s tongue are great starters (go with variety!)
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “Plants will spend their first few weeks growing healthy leaves, branches and roots. Once plants start to flower, beans will follow quite soon after.”

How to Plant Your Bush Beans in Pots:

Bought your beans? Then let’s begin growing our guaranteed spring salad stalwart!

1. Experiment: Beans are easy to grow from seed, so start by sowing seeds in spring approximately 2cm deep in the soil. Space them roughly 20-30cm apart in pots, and expect them to sprout within 10 days.
2. Plant more than one: Bush Beans work great in rectangular troughs where you can plant a few plants per pot.
3. Pick often: Beans taste best when they are young and freshly picked, so make sure you pick every couple of days. 
4. Add bamboo: If plants are starting to feel a bit top-heavy, a small bamboo stake can be helpful to keep them upright.
   

Connie’s Top Tip: “Get ahead on the next season by letting a couple of beans mature and dry out on the plant towards the end of the season. Collect the seeds inside and save them for planting next year.”

Ready, Set, Sprout! 

With just a few pots, your boots and Connie’s tips, you’ll be serving up your homegrown veggies and delicious DIY salads all summer long.

“I hope this helps, and happy veggie patch pottering!”

Discover how to grow your own citrus in pots in our last post with Connie Cao.