I have no idea what I'm doing- help me figure out my vegetable container garden

[Anonymous]

I am planting a lot of vegetables in containers this year on my deck which gets full sun. I am truly ignorant on how to go about doing this, although I grew a few plants last year with some success. I have the following:
- 2 tomato plants
- 2 hot pepper plants
- 1 cucumber
- 1 eggplant
- 1 okra
- mint
- lemon basil
- cilantro

Should I plant the herbs together? Or in separate pots? As of right now, I only have 3 14" pots. I think that will be fine for the herbs but I am going to get larger ones for the veggies. I was thinking 24 inch pots for those - is that good? Also, I will buy cages for the tomatoes and a trellis stake for the cucumber but do any of the rest need a cage/stake? I don't think so but not sure.

From what I've read, I plan on putting gravel/rocks one fourth of the way in the bottom of the pots, good potting soil and then the plant and layer a bit more soil on top. Does that sound right?

Thanks for any and all help.

[Anonymous]

For container plants, the bigger the container, the better. If you use smaller containers, you're going to have to water two or three times a day when the weather gets really hot, and the plants will all be stressed constantly.

Don't grow the herbs together. Mint is a perennial that will take over. Lemon basil is an annual that will go to seed later this summer. Cilantro is an annual that will go to seed almost instantly.

I don't think that gravel/rocks on the bottom is useful. It doesn't improve drainage, it makes the pot heavier, and it isn't useful for the roots.

[Anonymous]

You will need stakes/supports of some kind for the peppers and eggplant. They don't grow as tall as the tomatoes, but need the support.
As others have said, put the mint in a separate container. It's like the best kind of weed--it will absolute take over any space.
There are lots of great products now for container that help preserve water.
Since you haven't bought the containers for the tomatoes/other veggies, I would check those out.
You can buy mats that hold water, lots of other things.

[Anonymous]

Keep the mint separate! Other than that don't crowd the plants. They look small now but they get large. Fertilize once a month.

[Anonymous]

Water is the big make or brake issue, more that what you plant with what - although not crowding is a close second. Plan to water twice a day as soon as temps get into the high 80's.

[Anonymous]

NP. I just planted a bunch of herbs, tomatoes, and zucchini plants. What should I use for fertilizer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep the mint separate! Other than that don't crowd the plants. They look small now but they get large. Fertilize once a month.

YES! Mint is an invasive little bugger.

[Anonymous]

Okra has a taproot. Get a large, deep container for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I just planted a bunch of herbs, tomatoes, and zucchini plants. What should I use for fertilizer?

Osmocote is a slow release fertilizer, good for containers. It is available widely. Biweekly doses of fish emulsion will keep your plants lush.

[Anonymous]

OP here...thank you all for your advice! We planted everything but the herbs yesterday and it all looks wonderful. I'm excited to see what comes of it this summer. Hope the birds and squirrels focus on the bird feeder and not our fruits

I didn't use the gravel...thanks pp!