University of Illinois Extension

Making Herb and Vegetable Containers


The vegetables suitable for container gardening are the ones that require small spaces -- particularly the dwarf or determinate types, that bear fruit or other harvestable parts over a longer period of time. They usually require full sun, more than six hours of sunlight a day -- or partial shade, three to six hours of morning or early afternoon sunlight a day. Most fruit bearing vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and eggplant require full sun. Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, collards, mustard greens, spinach, and parsley can tolerate more shady location compared to the root vegetables such as turnips, beets, radishes, carrots, and onions. Most herbs can perform well in full sun and partial shade locations.