8 Of The Best Plants To Grow In A Laundry Basket Vegetable Garden

When it comes to creative hacks for growing veggies, gardeners will try almost anything to extend their growing season, make maintenance easier, and get bigger yields. With container gardening, especially in small spaces, thinking out-of-the-box is even more important. Some veggie gardeners are even trying a budget-friendly and creative laundry basket hack in their garden. With this hack you can re-use an old laundry basket or buy inexpensive ones from a dollar store and plant your veggies in it. While this idea is really creative, there are some plants that do better than others with this method. Veggies like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and bush beans grow well in a laundry basket planter.

Laundry baskets are actually extremely well suited to use for container planting. They provide plenty of drainage, can be moved around easily, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another added benefit is that they are generally less expensive than traditional planters.

To use a laundry basket for your veggies you start by lining your basket with landscape fabric, burlap, or coconut coir to keep the soil from falling out. Choose the best type of soil for container gardens and fill your basket. Pick your favorite veggie plants and place them in the soil as you normally would. Be sure to water your plants a little more frequently than you would in-ground plants – container gardens tend to dry out faster. In no time, you should have a lovely harvest of homegrown food.

Potatoes seem to be the number one plant people try first with this method. Many opt for the taller style laundry basket and use it to pace their seed potatoes between layers of straw for increased production. You can use any variety of potatoes you like: reds, goldens, russets, or even fingerlings. Once the tops of your potato plants have died back, simply empty your laundry basket onto a tarp, and harvest your spuds.

Another great garden staple that works well with the laundry basket container method is tomatoes. While determinate (bush-style) varieties would work best for planting in a laundry basket, you could also try indeterminate (vining varieties) and just add a trellis behind the basket. Tomatoes have always been known for being easy to grow in containers, but if you want to ensure success, stick to smaller tomato varieties. This method would be perfect for growing your favorite tomatoes on a small patio or balcony.

Most peppers can grow easily in a container given the right care. A couple of varieties you may consider planting are jalapeños or banana peppers. The beauty of the laundry basket container is that it is mobile and for peppers you might really appreciate that feature. Peppers need lots of sun to grow properly and they also like to stay warm, so being able to move them around is great. You should also make sure your pepper plants are getting enough water, especially in a planter that spends most of the day in direct sun.

For a shorter laundry basket, mixed lettuce varieties are a great choice. Whether you start your plants from seed or seedlings, you'll be able to fill your basket with enough plants to keep you in salad from spring to fall. Some lettuce types you should consider for your laundry basket garden are red or green leafy lettuce, small romaine varieties, or bibb. You could even do a butterhead variety because they are less likely to bolt when it gets warm out. Definitely be sure to keep the soil moist for healthy plants.

Bush beans are compact plants that produce tons of beans in a small space without needing a trellis which is perfect for container gardening. Some great varieties that would do well are 'Bush Blue Lake', 'Contender', or for a little pop of color 'Royal Burgundy' or 'Dragon Tongue'. Harvest your plants daily once they have beans that are ready to pick to encourage continued production.

The best thing about radishes is that they grow fast and you can succession plant them for continued harvests. They can also be planted with other veggies because of their compact size. You could even grow them with your salad greens for a complete salad garden in your laundry basket. Place them in a location that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight and is protected from the wind. Wind can quickly dry out the soil, and in a container garden this can have an even more dramatic effect — killing your seedlings before they've even had a chance to get established.

Green onions pay off big because you can grow a lot in a small space. They are extremely popular for container gardening. Because green onions and scallions (very similar onions) are usually grown for the tops you can cut them for use and they will re-grow. They have a shallow root system which would make them perfect for a shorter basket. Just be sure to keep their soil damp and only let it dry out slightly between watering. If you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 9 you can leave your onions in the container and treat them as perennials.

Strawberries are well-suited for container gardening and there are some varieties that grow especially well in a container garden. You can build a strawberry tower out of a hamper-style laundry basket, and it will provide tons of fresh berries all season. Simply line your basket, fill with soil, cut holes in the liner at the basket openings, and plant your berries. Place your basket in an area that gets full sun for at least 6 hours a day and be sure to keep the soil moist. Bring your basket of berries into a shed or the garage to overwinter if you get extra cold temps.