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Vegetable Gardening

What Veg Can I Grow in Pots.....

13 years ago

Inside on My Sunny Windowsill? I live in a Flat You see....

Thanks Guys

NC

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Comments (14)

thisisme
13 years ago
Something tells me watermelons and corn are not going to work. It might help a little if you told us how big your windowsill is and the size of your pots.
mrdoitall
13 years ago
Herbs!
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What type of Gingers can I grow in pots for indoors/outdoors???
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Comments (6)
Andres, Zone 6 gardener in southern Indiana here. I'm fairly new to gingers, but no one else has given you a reply, so I'll see if I can at least intiate some discussion. Gingers aren't hardy here, so I do all my growing in pots. I have had good luck with globba winitii. I let it get down to 50 degrees in the winter and it goes totally dormant and is slow to 'wake up' in the spring, but grows quickly and blooms every year. Unfortunately, no fragrance, but really cool blooms. I also have several hedychiums in five-gallon pots. They stay green at 50 degrees in the winter, but you can let them go completely dormant, too. The challenge in a short growing season like yours, will be bringing them from complete dormancy and into bloom before fall. I would try keeping them cool and alive (green) all winter, which speeds up the new shoots in the spring. The old shoots don't have to grow to keep the plant 'awake' and ready to go. I would recommend a rich potting soil, a big pot, and lots of heat and water in the sunniest place you have to get them to bloom. From what I have read, they don't like to be planted out and re-dug every season like cannas will tolerate, so I'd keep them in pots. I'd also start with big plants, if possible. Mail order sources vary from dry, very small rhizomes, to huge, growing plants. Small ones may take a whole extra year to bloom. It's hard to find a 'short' hedychium for a pot. My first one was 'Vanilla Ice', the more variegated form of 'Dr. Moy'. It was supposed to get 3' tall, but it got 6' tall in a pot and still had plenty of time to bloom before frost here. Our last frost is around April 15th and our first frost is around October 15th. I want to get 'Daniel Weeks' since it's supposed to be one of the earliest to flower, and that's the key for cold-weather growers. I have flowered Tai Monarch and Anne Bishop, also. I have several other new ones, but haven't grown them big enough to bloom yet. As far as alpinias, they are a challenge since they don't bloom on the current year's shoots. You have to grow the shoots tall one season and keep them healthy, happy, and growing, to bloom the next spring. I have bloomed alpinia zerumbet variegata (once!), but really just grow it for its foliage. I'd love to be able to grow some of the other alpinias, but am tight on space and it's hard to justify something that never blooms for me. Hope some of this helps. Hoping for a HOT summer here for lots of quick growth. Best of luck with your plants! Bob
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flora_uk
13 years ago
I've seen cucumbers and tomatoes growing O.K. on windowsills. Basically you have a mini greenhouse there so things which like it hot would work. Chillis is another I've seen people have success with. I've not seen aubergines in this situation but they might work too.
tommyr_gw Zone 6
13 years ago
Lettuce!
bluebirdie
13 years ago
Not sure if you count these as veggie... Like Mrdoitall said, herbs! Basil, cilantro, mint, etc all did very well in pots for me. Everbearing strawberry and hot pepper plants worked. I know some people only grow cut & come again fast growing lettuce in pots, but a lot of salad greens work well in pots.
taliabob
13 years ago
go to remy's sample seeds, and she offers some varieties of pot tomato plants. Also, I heard that California wonder peppers are good in pots

Here is a link that might be useful: Remy's Sample Seed Shop
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
13 years ago
I have had good luck with chives in little pots in the kitchen window. Also you might want to scan Container Gardening - GardenWeb.
jolj
13 years ago
thisisme & albert 135 are right.
You need 48 inches for corn & it is a mess.
But you could grew cucumbers in large pots(3-5 gallon), put a large stake in the center of the pot & fill with mix then water. Then plant seeds & train the vines on the stake.
Patio vegetable seeds are on the market.
ohiogrower
13 years ago
Agree with the gardener who said herbs. If you have never grown fresh herbs they make so many dishes better. A little basil butter on corn and fish make it so much better. You can grow potatoes in the bottom of a garbage can or similar size container. Fresh potatoes, especially the small ones with butter and fresh parsley taste better than any you will buy at the store
margaretmom
13 years ago
When I was growing up I always lived in an apt. We grew a few things on our fire escape. A few people mentioned herbs, which worked well for us. Also, we had great success with cherry tomatoes.
amberroses
13 years ago
Make sure if you are going to try tomatoes you get mini-size ones like tiny tim, red robin, etc... Normal sized indeterminate cherries are going to be too big for a windowsill. I doubt that any cucumber would work because they are too big for a windowsill and most cucumbers need bees to pollinate them. Now if you have a patio or a fire escape you can grow most anything in a pot. I think many people who responded here are picturing a much bigger windowsill than I am.
tcstoehr
13 years ago
I've seen cherry tomatoes grown in 1-gallon pots indoors in a window. They get root bound very fast which restricts their size. Still, you many need to train it or provide some support. You end up with little, tiny, tasty cherry tomatoes. Not all that many, but hey, what did you expect?
flora_uk
13 years ago
amberroses - I haven't personally grown cucumbers indoors but I have seen them growing and fruiting on an indoor windowsill in Yorkshire. They were trained up strings fixed to the curtain rail. Admittedly, it was pretty dark in the room since the window was entirely obscured by foliage. Cucumbers can be hand pollinated.
ninecrow
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the replies Guy's
You All have given Me some thing to think about.
The windowsill is only 9 inches Deep though....

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