How to Grow Vegetables in Containers // Container Gardening // Self Sufficient Sunday! 

I love your channel. You are kind and gentle. I am older. I could not afford to build or buy raised bed , materials and soil.. My soil is pure clay so my few attempts to grow anything just failed. So I gave up until one day the best thing that could happen to me was that my refrigerator died. As it sat in the front yard waiting for the city to pick it up, I realized that it would make a great planter.. I now have 14 refrigerators. I filled them up with branches in the bottom, then free wood chips from the city , then 4 inches of soil from decomposing leaves, and top it off with leaves for mulch. I covered the side of the fridge with wood from pallets and picket fence. You can’t tell it a fridge and the insulation keep the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I grow in the winter by covering the top with 2 windows . At night I plug in a slow cooker which keep it warm and moist . I fill the insert with water.. I hope this inspires others with limited means to not give up on your dreams of gardening. Ask for non working fridges, it works. I grow Malabar spinach, kale, sweet potatoes,, tomatoes, (the way you taught with 2 cages) herbs, . One crop in each fridge. Blessings to you and all your followers

I love your channel❤️ I gardened while sipping wine.... forgot to label EVERYTHING 🤦🏾‍♀️ so now I have a whole garden of guess what I am😂 I recognize most of the leaves but the rest 🧐

Hello! As an older disabled woman living in Bakersfield, my strategy this year is growing in containers--but with the pots up on a conference table in my backyard so I can tend the plants from my wheelchair. Its tricky getting soil and plants, but so far so good. Got herbs in a longer windowsill box (but sitting on the table not screwed to a window) and several other large-to-huge buckets, barrels and containers. Its unorthodox but its what works for me. Thanks for your guidance!

This lockdown has me on edge. I usually only do tomatoes but now im doing squash cucumbers bell peppers okra banana peppers lettuce and even more. Everything seems fine for now.

I also use mop pails from the dollar tree and dollar tree clothes pins for tags.

Survivors of the Caterpillar attack, sounds like an old 50's sci-fi film hehe

Wow good information . First time planting vegetables and my 4 year old mix all his vegetables seeds in one container lol

Container gardening is such a nice option for seniors or busy parents or students who can’t do a whole garden. It’s great stress relief, conversation piece, distraction , lovely way to grow food or decorate a small out door space, easier. So cool!

The craziest thing I ever did was use an antique swing set for a grape trellis. And they're doing great. I also placed it to shade the pond. 👍

As a new gardener, I absolutely LOVE these videos! Straightforward, excellent instructions. Thank you!!

I’ve been growing butternut squash here in San Diego for years. I harvest the seeds from the largest butternut squash and dry them out and plant them in the next year around April or May. My latest crop was 50 butternut squash. I grow them all in just three 4 by 10 ft.² raised beds that are about 12 inches tall. I recently gave some to the neighbors and one of them grew 40 butternut squash. So exciting to spread the wealth.

Wind is my enemy in a high rise co-op near the ocean.

"And don't ask me how I know that" Sounds like something I would've said to my mother in my late teens. 😆😂

Growing in containers is great!! you can Grow anything anywhere! I have a huge cucumber plant in a container and have grown a lot of peppers on containers too!

Thanks for mentioning that mint is invasive when planted in the ground. I'm doing container gardening, but stuff like this is always good to know, so I don't inadvertently mess up not only my backyard but all my neighbors' properties near me as well.

I am into container gardening especially now that we are on a lockdown. I planted on crates, poly bags,pots and recycled materials. In just 3 weeks we had something on our table. Let's keep growing! New friend here! 😊

I’m pretty young and I’m just starting out growing veggies. Your videos are soooo informative and I’m grateful for them!! Thank you for including tips to make it cheaper and save space! It’s amazing! :)

When my husband and I lived in Newberry, FL and had 2 ft raised beds, we used 2 liter soda bottles with the spouts cut off standing in the bottom of the raised bed. We filled these with the limerock sand that came with our property and then put a mix of potting soil, topsoil and mulch for the rest. The soda bottles caught rain and plants could reach down if they wanted more regular water or go around the bottles if the soil was ok dampwise. We grew all kinds of food for our grocery source, the turtles and rabbits didn't get into them. Our inspiration was Square Foot Gardening and our raised beds were either 4x8 or 4x4 and of course 2 ft tall. Weeding was less onerous, not as many and easier to get down to pull. Working on getting this going again on my land in Quincy, FL. We do get a goodly amount of rain so good drainage is a must but it alternates with some short-term droughts so having a source of water is always handy.

The craziest thing I’ve ever planted in is a turtle that my kids had as a pool but outgrown

Finally a video for beginners . I’ve been searching for hours ! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ❤❤ I just subscribed .

I'm so happy I found your video. So much great encouraging info even for a 70 year-old

Thanks so much. I grew up on a farm and have often grown veg gardens as an adult. But I'll tell you, shockingly, I learned so much from this video. You communicate simply, to the point, and pleasurable. I can't wait to get rolling on this. Good luck to you!

Hope to see a detailed video on my favorite long purple eggplant. We broil them until the skin cracks, then peel off the skin and flatten them with a fork. Once they're peeled and flattened a bit, we dip them in a bowl of scrambled eggs and fry them. They're wonderful

We bought 6 Patio Picker containers, and then a variety of plastic baskets to grow greens in. I'm excited for things to start growing!

Used a chainsaw to "hollow" out a half log from a tree we had to remove. Worked out great for flowers.

Another great video, Brian! Not laying seeds flat so the moisture doesn't sit on it and rot the seed makes so much sense, but never heard that. I feel like I ALWAYS learn something new with every one of of your videas. Thanks so much. Also, sending love and prayers for your test on the 22nd. I'm hoping you get wonderful news. Please update us. I know many of your subscribers have you in their thoughts and prayers.

Thank you so much for this information. My entire garden is on my patio in 3 vertical food safe planters, a 12 foot long raised bed I can stand up to garden, plus small 10 and 5 gallon cloth planters. Everything is growing well.

tried balcony gardening in the past .. NOT SO GOOD, with the virus/ skyrocketing prices, I'm at it again! your channel is exactly what I've been looking for … I'm sold and subscribed!

Thank you for all your outstanding videos! I accumulated enough knowledge and experience by age 23 that I taught most of the classes at our local home depot and more than a decade later you're teaching me things I never knew or had been taught wrong. It's' been a chilly spring here in Oregon so I haven't been able to keep my plants outside yet, but I've got tomato seeds sprouting, a baby cherry tomato plant, some onion sprouts, and will have herbs and cucumber seeds started by the end of the week! I'm going to be growing a compact cucumber plant on my patio in a hanging basket for the first time too! Edited to add: 4:40 OMG TURTLE!

The craziest thing I've ever planted in was straw bales!!

I love these videos. This guy is very good at simply explaining how to garden in a variety of situations. Easy to understand. He doesn’t make it sound like rocket science as some others do.

What is that gorgeous red leaf plant in the background!! I must have it!

This is my first year to grow tomatoes and banana peppers in pots. I have few problems in the pots than I did in the ground. Next year, EVERYTHING will be in pots. I love your videos. So much information to help me in plant growing. Thank you. 😁

My mother grew fantastic gardens in old clawfoot bathtubs, toilets, boots 😉😁 RIP, ma !

Inspirational demo thank you!!! South Australian here, who grows lots of things in big black tubs because I basically have builder's rubble as my garden soil (bloke who built the house dumped all his rubbish on the garden...and then some!).I also have 5 huge apple crates as garden boxes. They are very deep and I'm going to rethink how I fill them after seeing this video. I also like the idea that it's possible to grow directly into the bag of soil bought from the hardware store if you really have no other option!!! Put it flat on the ground, cut slits for drainage and slits for planting. Plant in it eg herbs, specially chives and spring onions which I love, and voila!!!! Everyone can grow something fresh!!!

My first raised garden bed was made out of the wooden frame of Box Springs. I tore the fabric off, laid it down and filled it with soil. It needed some barrier material to keep soil from sifting out from under the edges but as soon as all the spaces were closed up it was wonderful !

Of all the gardeners on video, your videos are the best for me! Comprehensive, helpful information, w humor! Your delivery is not too slow, nor too fast, but just right! Thank you! I’ve subscribed, will keep watching and learning!

I just planted cucumbers in a large speaker my son discarded. I cut out the front, removed the insides (saved the strong magnet) The inside was MDF so safe for food. There was a drain hole where the wires came out. You can’t tell it was a speaker. Looks like a wooden planter and it was free plus my magnet :)

So glad you mentioned corn in containers! I'm growing small crops of corn not only for food, but don't forget to grow some grains for your chicks so we don't have to depend on the feed stores.

The strangest thing I’ve used to plant in was an old deer feeder. I put my sweet potatoes in it. That was probably my best year for sweet potatoes. 😂

I have grown flowers in old pocketbooks I bought from the thrift store! Easy to hang, too!

Great video!! 😂😂”Dont ask me how I know this.” I love it!! Thank you for sharing!!

My husband & I live in an apartment complex that refuses allowing resident gardening. So, we are growing our vegetables: squash, zucchini, okra, tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, lettuce, beets, ginger, in containers. We looked up your "container usage" link...thank you. The plants are all on a long cart we move outside, then inside each day. And they are doing so good! Growing fast. I feel like we are having "babies", I get so excited! Thank you for such great info, that is clear, concise, and professionally conveyed. God bless you!

Glad I found this channel. I grow in random pots…

Thanks Brian: Great video. I'm adding about 15 grow bags this year, to take advantage of small area's with good sun. Love the 3 a weeks video's .

"DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THAT" 😂😂😂

I once grew a beefsteak tomatoe in a large black rubber boot! I was in an apartment then and could not find a large enough pot, so I used one of my boyfriend's. It grew great!

Thank you Brian . You look well. I hope all health issues are better. I (and I am sure others) have been praying for you. May our Triune God go with you -- Ray Sussex NJ USA

Im just starting to do some of the gardening myself and the info u r giving with years of experience is the most valuable thing. Cant thank u guys enough for doing such a great work

Well I never! I always wondered why we earth up potatoes! Never too old to learn - thanks. And hi from England xxx

Great video! We are on 2 acres… but want to grow in pots due to physical disabilities. We grow lettuce on a plant rack by our back door with LED lights- works great! The wild bunnies kept eating our lettuce… not now!

No kidding about the mint. I moved onto a property where the previous owners put some mint in a raised bed.. it's now ENTIRELY mint lol I have no idea what to do about it.

I am so happy I came across your videos! I learnt a lot! Thanks and keep it up

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I want to start growing food ( corn, broccoli, strawberries, collard greens) on my small balcony this year. I live in an apartment and have a lot of plants growing well inside but I didn't think that I could grow food inside. I believe that I will be successful using my small balcony though. Again, thanks a lot for sharing.

I'm learning so much from your videos, even being in Minneapolis, MN. We moved to our house in February, so nearly everything is container this year. But I'm using your videos to help plan the permanent raised beds we'll be putting in this fall for next year's planting. The way to fill the beds with recycling and organics is wonderful news, I was dreading the price of soil. Thank you for all the info and guidance !

I'd really like to hang out with these people. What a fun gardening club we'd make!

You’re making these videos at the perfect time!! Good for us and good for you :)

The kitchen sink. Lol! But seriously, I’m planning on using our old sink we took out for a kitchen remodel. I’m going to put petunias in it.

That was the best potato growing tip. Plant them deep. Thank you so much. I'm starting my first garden in years and it's going to be in containers. I'll check your other video's. Cheers Jo

We have a pineapple 🍍 growing in a kratky bottle... I took a cpt morgan bottle inverted the top like you would a 2 liter soda bottle and used it as a "netcup" using the built in pourer ! The pineapple top came from an organic pineapple via our misfit produce box during the stay at-home order we couldn't get food at our stores readily! Its over a foot tall now ! Kids LOVE IT 💘

I’m a impatient person so I I use a seed starting kit then I put the plants in the ground

I have a dog that roams my yard daily 😂 so I needed a more convenient way to start a garden without having to use my actual yard.

Thank you so much for this video. I have been coming back for watching this video several times. It is really useful information, especially for gardeners who want to start growing veg in containers. Take good care and look forward to the update!

If you want a high raised bed for practical reasons, you could use the underside as storage.

This is an awesome video! Thank you Brian! Perfect timing !🇨🇦❤️😊🌞

Hi this is the first video that actually explains what I need to get started to grow vegetables in a container and you explain it well. Also I am a beginner at gardening so I tend to get overwhelmed but you make it simple.

THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN! I just found you as I said before. Being new is hit or miss. I didn't plant for 2 years My phone froze and got a different phone. Should have started to look up planting vegetables first. My front yard where I grow plants were all weeds more or less last year. Some roots were 1 1/2 foot long. People see my front yard All the time. I was just glad to have planted stuff. I have pain all the time.,so I got vegetables in the ground too. At least I have pots I can grow other stuff in. I should have left this on the other video. , but it is what it is. Have a great day people. Keep planting. This guy will make sure we get a green thumb. Lol

Brian, your ideas for container gardening have inspired me into trying to do more container gardening,. I picked up some 5 gallon buckets from HD and I now need pick up some smaller containers. Thanks for sharing these ideas for those of us who need to do our gardening in small areas,

Currently, trying to start a garden on an apartment balcony. Thanks for the tips! I knew I’d have to use containers but I wasn’t sure what kind would be best. Also had no idea that’s what the numbers meant so now I’ll be checking.

I'm a new subscriber starting my first container garden ever and really looking forward to learning from your channel. Blessings to you and thanks for sharing.

Thank you. Blessings, julie

This is the first year that I’m growing things . Our dirt is poor and rocky in Kentucky. So I have lots of containers in the ‘flower beds around my house. I’m using the bags that my dirt came in for my corn crops. In the front of the house, we cut an old leaking well bladder in half and I’ve got 3 cucumber plants doing well. In the other I’m trying a green pepper. Everything has a companion plant, lots of marigolds, Basil, mint, parsley. It fun to watch everything grow from the seedling stages or small plants into bigger more maturing plants. I check nearly everyday, to water, or check for bugs or mildew problems. I learn so many great ideas from watching your videos. You have a wonderful program and a delightful garden area. Thank you!

WOW! I'm an old lady and I learned more in this video than in a lifetime. Thank you!

Thank you for all your help. Last year's attempt was a dud, this year things are going (growing) great. I love watching the plants thrive....almost as much enjoyment as the harvest. Great vids man. Wish you the best.

You've given me hope for growng corn again. It's too late to plant it this year but your tips and advice make sense. Will do it next year. Thanks!

I made self watering 5 gallon buckets for my tomato plants. I took a disposable plastic salad bowl & put holes in the top & sides, then cut a notch in one side. I then put 2 jumbo straws together to make a long tube, cutting the bottom one at a slant & inserting into the notch of the bowl, then placing into the bottom of the bucket. I added 1/3 bucket of moist potting mix on top of the bowl before adding water through a funnel down the jumbo straw (keeps the bowl from floating), then planting.

I’m using 15 gal.felt buckets for my tomatoes. Much much better than plastic because it allows the roots to breathe. Ok something you didn’t mention is the design of the pots. Some pots are wide at the top but are not so deep. Some pots are deep but not so wide at the top. This is because there are basically two types of root systems. One has a root that goes deep and one that has roots that are shallow but spread wide. So the ones that spread wide across the top need a wide top pot and doesn’t need to be deep. Plants that has a (taproot) which goes deep, need a pot that is deep and doesn’t need to have a wide top. So now when you look at a planter pot you’ll know why they are designed differently.

Hello from North Carolina. I've really been enjoying your videos. They're full of useful information without a lot of extraneous chatter or a "theme song" intro. It feels like I just stepped into your backyard for a visit. My raised bed is 33" high but I didn't have to worry about filling in the bottom because it is on legs! (I DO worry about soil temperature because the bottom of the bed is exposed to air but we'll see how it goes.)

Living on an island that is virtually rock in the area that we live in, this series of container gardening is perfect for me! Thank you!

Oh yes, I am going to do that with my strawberries this year as my gutter was removed a year ago, I have a lot of it!!!

Fun video Brian! You obviously love what you’re doing

Love the info greatly appreciated

I am so new to gardening and your channel help me a lot. Thank you!

Wow the recycling at the bottom tip is amazing!!

My garden is made from my son's old Thomas the Train toddler bed. I filled the bottom with stones and leaves then topped it off with topsoil. My zucchini love it and are growing beautifully. Also have my sweet potato in cleaned out cat litter buckets with drainage holes drilled into the bottom. I set the litter bucket on to 2x4's to keep the bucket off the ground so the bucket will drain well.

This is great! Thank you so much! I'd like to know more about growing sweet and regular potatoes! Saw that one in a cup and I want to do it but just found your channel today!

Love your videos, I hang on every word & listen repeatedly because this is my first year doing raised beds. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge!!!

My nieces want to grow a garden on decks/balconies and this video is perfect! Plus, I'm splitting my herbs to share with them to grow indoors over winter

Dude ! You're the next level ! SO MUCH awesome ,valuable ,helpful gardening tips ! 🖒👏👌

Hi Brian. I thought I was late on planting some corn, thanks. My seedlings are doing great. My peppers are about 2" tall. They took a long time to germinate because I don't have grow lights or heat mats but happy with result is my first time doing everything in the garden, very exciting🥕🍅🥒

Rubbermaid tote bins work great for planting and for my worm bins. With 1/2” holes covering the bottom and a couple inches up the sides.

I like the lights over head. Cool

Our hardware stores in Ireland are shut so I couldn't get wood to fix my raised beds so I got tyres from my mechanic and I've them lined with cardboard, the organic compost bags the compost came in and weed control fabric. Yep the compost was very expensive! I also have 2 bathtubs that are now being used lol needs must!

I’m so excited! I’m Starting my container garden 🪴 and I need tips!

Thank you! First time watching and learned a lot!! I have always planted flowers in my pots on my patio but this year want to try vegetables in those pots. 👍

Thank you so much for this video. I like how you speak simply and you are to the point. I will be trying to grow veggies in grow bags for the first time and wanted to use something besides miracle grow so this will be helpful.

Thank you so much for all your helpful tips. We are becoming better educated home Gardners because of you. Thank you 🙏

Thank you, I grow in everything pots, raised beds,in ground and my greenhouse. I live in Central Texas. You are a great teacher.

Thanks, very helpful! Free parts all over the place from people who just finished doing a lot of planting so I’m going to extend my garden this way :)

This was inspiring, and helpful! Thanks! Would be super cool to talk pros and cons of grow lights versus "poly tunnels" or plastic tarp greenhouses that you can "hat" over your container.