Variety Recommendations for Vegetables in Containers
by Michelle Cook at Red Butte Garden & Arboretum
Containers can be pots, boxes, and even small raised boxed garden beds.
Container gardens usually require to be watered more frequently than regular garden beds, so be sure to check your containers daily.
Tomatoes
Any small-vine variety such as: Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Sweet 100, Red Grape, Yellow Pear, Vilma, Super Bush, Patio Princess, Early Girl, Tumbling Tom, Tea Cup, EZ Gro Patio Kabob
Peppers
- Any variety will do
- Either hot or sweet
- Make sure they are not shaded by other plants
- Make sure flowers have access to pollinators
- Varieties include: Fish, Black Pearl, Tasty Patio Green, Habanero
Cucumbers
- Any variety will do: pickling or snacking
- My best experiences have been as a spiller over the side of the pot
- Make sure flowers have access to pollinators
- Varieties include: Salad Bush, Bush Champion, Spacemaster, Patio Kuhl, Park’s Bush Whopper II
Summer Squash
- Harvested when fruit is young and rinds are tender
- Straight necks have slightly smaller plants
- Yellow scallop types have naturally smaller vines: Patio Pan, Patty Pan, Peter Pan
- Green Zucchini varieties: Midnight, Patio Tasty Climbing Zucchini
- Yellow Zucchini varieties: Tasty Patio Zucchini, Golden Egg
- Yellow Crookneck varieties: Pic-N-Pic
- Yellow Straight neck varieties: Cosmos, Saffron, Early Prolific
Winter Squash
- Acorn, butternut, spaghetti types have naturally smaller vines
- Harvested at maturity when the rind is hard and seeds are ripe
- Recommended Varieties: Butternut: Butterbush, Waltham Acorn: Early Acorn, Honey Bear, Table King, Spaghetti: Tivoli
- Others: Sweet Mama, Sweet Dumpling, Golden Nugget
Pumpkin (carving and decorative)
- Recommended Varieties: Pumpkin Patio Pot, F1 Summer Ball, Baby Bear, Baby Boo, Jack Be Quick, Jack be Little, Honey Bear
- Fruit size ranges from 1-2 lbs
- More decorative varieties are: Munchkin, Lil’ Pumpkin, Hooligan, Wee Be Little
Cantaloupe
- Recommended Varieties: Honey Bun (Burpee), Ambrosia, Hales Best, Fastbreak, Athena, Lilliput
- Very few bush varieties available as they have poor yield
- Look for varieties that have a smaller 3-5 lbs. fruit
Watermelon
- Smaller sized and shorter seasoned watermelons grow well in containers
- Ice box varieties (6-11 lbs.): Golden Crown, Mickylee, Yellow Baby, Sugar Baby, Golden Midget, Early Moonbeam
ersonal or Mini Varieties are just becoming available. Most have a thinner rind and more yummy juicy flesh
Greens (I love to sow these early in March, and harvest in the late spring!)
- Lettuce: Green Ice, Salad Bowl, Red Sails, Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Oakleaf, Tom Thumb, Little Gem
- Swiss Chard: Bright Lights
- Kale: Red Russian, Redbor, Coalition, Vates
- Mustard Greens: Golden Frill
Green Beans
