While there is no right or wrong way to garden, some methods and vegetables are easier than others. 

Today, we will discuss the first organic vegetables you should grow in your brand new container garden. These veggies are delicious, organic, and easy to grow, which can be really encouraging for the novice container gardener. 

Fifteen Easy Vegetables to Grow in Your Organic Container Garden

1: Lettuce and Spinach

Lettuce and spinach are the perfect vegetables for the new gardener. Not only is it delicious and oh-so-rewarding the first time you use it for your own homegrown salad, but it’s effortless to grow. 

Both plants prefer cooler settings and tolerate shade well, making it perfect for a container garden in an apartment, patio, or deck. 

They are tolerant of irregular watering, something most new gardeners struggle with at first. Lettuce also grows slowly and is slow to bolt (go to seed), so you can harvest leaves from the plant for a long time. 

Feel free to plant an excess; these delicious vegetables come in so many varieties, colors, and shapes, so you’ll never grow bored of the fantastic salads your little organic container garden produces. 

2: Potatoes

Like lettuce and spinach, potatoes are easy to grow in a container and exceptionally useful in the kitchen. You’ll likely have a high yield of potatoes, and that’s okay because there are so many delicious recipes that use potatoes. 

While potatoes require more water and soil than most other container vegetables, they are so worth it. 

In many ways, growing potatoes in a container is more accessible than a traditional garden because it is significantly less likely to be affected by fungus or the dreaded blight. 

Harvest is also more accessible in many ways because digging isn’t as much of a requirement. 

3: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are another delicious staple with lots of culinary range and use in the kitchen. 

Growing tomatoes in your organic container garden is an easy confidence booster. You’ll also love how aesthetically pleasing your little pot or container of tomatoes will be with its mini-staking or tomato cage. 

Tomato leaves are toxic to cats and dogs, so please keep that in mind if you have pets. 

Too many tomatoes? Maybe now is the time to learn all about canning. Don’t worry, it’s easy, and yes, you totally can store them in your apartment. 

4: Peas

Peas love moderate temperatures. Your apartment is likely the perfect climate for peas to grow in, making them the ideal addition to your organic container garden. 

While the above three vegetables grow relatively slowly, peas are rapid growers, which is very satisfying. 

These wonderful little vegetables produce the nutrient nitrogen for their soil, so after your peas have finished producing, go ahead and pull them from your pot to replace them with a new nitrogen-loving vegetable. 

5: Peppers

Peppers are another versatile kitchen staple that you can never have too many of. 

Peppers come in so many varieties that you’ll never grow bored. They come in many flavors, strengths, colors, shapes, and sizes. 

Peppers need lots of sunshine, consistent water, and well-draining soil. While you absolutely can grow them inside, they will do better on a patio or in an outdoor window box. 

You may store peppers in various ways for long periods, so don’t feel like you have to hold back on how many you plant! 

6: Compact Eggplants

Eating your first dish of ratatouille made with your very own homegrown eggplants is an unforgettable culinary experience you’ll always treasure. 

Eggplants are gorgeous, richly colored vegetables that will look amazing in your organic container garden. Place them near your tomatoes for that extra pop of drama. 

Be sure to choose lighter eggplant varieties that don’t grow too big or weigh too much. Crescent Moon, Bambino, Hansel, Gretel, and Fairy Tale are all excellent options. And yes, these little vegetables are as light and dreamy as their names imply!

7: Microgreens

If you aren’t yet familiar, microgreens are the seedlings of herbs and vegetables. There are over twenty-five varieties available now, and boy, do these little guys pack a punch of flavor! 

Not only do they taste great, but they have up to forty times more nutritional value than their mature counterparts. 

Microgreens can be used in smoothies, juices, salads, sandwiches and can also top dishes as a garnish. 

Microgreens are perfect for the newbie container gardener because they take up very little space and are ready to eat in a matter of a couple of weeks; some varieties only take six to eight days. 

8: Radishes

Radishes have such a bold, delicious flavor; it’s hard to pass them up. 

They are ideal for organic container gardens because they need very little space, very little soil, and even less time. Most radishes go from seed to harvest in thirty days. 

The tops of the radish, usually called radish greens, are edible, too; no part of this vegetable will go to waste. 

9: Cucumbers

Cucumbers thrive in containers. They are fast-growing and love lots of water, so don’t shy away from using plastic or ceramic containers for them. 

Cucumbers come in two varieties, and both are ideal for growing in a container. 

Bush cucumbers are better shorter cucumbers with smaller yields; vining cucumber plants usually produce longer cucumbers with larger yields. Be aware that vining varieties will require a trellis or tomato cage and will take up more space. 

When choosing your cucumber varieties, consider whether you prefer cucumbers for salads and as a sandwich topping or for pickling. Slicing cucumbers generally do not make delicious pickles, and pickle cucumbers generally do not taste well if not pickled. 

10: Beans

You can never have too many beans, especially if you like to freeze or can your vegetables for later. 

Beans have beautiful foliage, they are relatively compact with high yields, and they smell amazing. 

You have the choice between determinate or indeterminate varieties. Determinate (a bushy plant) beans do not need support but have smaller yields; Indeterminate (vining plant) beans need support but produce an incredible volume of beans. Many container gardeners prefer indeterminate beans because they utilize vertical space well and are visually appealing. 

11: Beets

Beets are perfect for organic container gardening because they take up very little space and are easy, no-fuss vegetables. 

Your container should be deep, with about a foot of soil for optimal root growth, but don’t take up much horizontal space; this is priceless when you have limited space. They also do well in partially sunny areas, making them ideal for container gardens inside shaded courtyards, patios, and balconies. 

Beets are ready to harvest in less than two months, and they taste amazing too. 

12: Onions

Onions take up very little space, both vertically and horizontally speaking. They are no-fuss and perfect for the newbie gardener. 

Onions take some time to mature, usually two to four months, but they are well worth the wait. 

We love to recommend onions to gardeners because they have many uses in the kitchen and have such a robust and dish-enhancing flavor. 

White Lisbon is one of the best varieties for organic container gardeners because You can plant it densely in shallow soil. They only take sixty days to harvest if you prefer young onions and have a mild flavor that most people enjoy. 

13: Okinawa 

This spinach variety is actually a perennial that is so beautiful can be mistaken for an ornamental plant. Its green leaves have a strikingly bold purple underside. 

This vegetable is exceptionally low maintenance and can be grown just like a houseplant in a sunny windowsill. 

One bonus of growing Okinawa is that it is incredibly healthy, with all the nutritional benefits of spinach, plus the ability to lower LDL cholesterol levels. 

14: Carrots

Carrots require a deeper pot of at least eight inches of soil, but they make up for this with their exceptionally low-maintenance demeanor. 

If you plan on keeping your containers outside, you’ll love carrots because they tolerate cool weather quite well. You can plant them about a month before your last frost date. 

Carrots are now available in a rainbow of colors; you can purchase vibrant varieties of orange, yellow, red, purple, black, and white. 

Final Thoughts on Easy, Organic, Container-Friendly Vegetables 

Organic container gardening is enjoyable, affordable, ethical, sustainable, accessible, and a healthy option. There are so many reasons to garden in containers organically. 

The best way to get involved is just to start. Now that you know which vegetables are the most beginner-friendly and you’ve read the Ultimate Guide to Organic Container Gardening, the best thing you can do now is to start. Gardening will always feel intimidating until you try it for yourself.

You will learn so many invaluable lessons just in your first season of gardening, and the risk is so worth the reward. 

Happy gardening!