If you are limited to growing in containers, grow bags, or vertical towers like the Greenstalk, you can still grow incredibly delicious foods in your own backyard.
Although we grow in-ground, we still choose to grow in containers for convenience. We especially love our Greenstalk tower!
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In the past, it has been our “salad garden.” This year, however, we’re shaking things up and making it an “all you can eat” snack bar for our children!
With this in mind, I searched for compact varieties of their favorite snacking foods that would flourish in the somewhat shallow pockets of the Greenstalk.
The seed varieties discussed below would be wonderful for any type of container growing including fabric grow bags, small raised beds, pots, and more.
1. Tatsoi: A Versatile and Resilient Green
One of the crops I have selected for the Greenstalk is tatsoi. This heat and cold-tolerant plant is perfect for year-round snacking.
Although there will be a period in July and August when it will bolt and become bitter, tatsoi is great for spring, fall, and winter gardening.
It has a shallow root system that suits containers beautifully.
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2. Salad Burnett: A Cucumber-Tasting Herb
To add a hint of cucumber flavor while we wait for our cucumbers to mature, I have sprinkled some salad burnett in a few pockets.
This herb tastes like cucumbers and is loved by my children. It provides a refreshing snack until our cucumbers are ready for harvest in late May or early June!
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3. Orange Hat Tomatoes: A Micro Variety with Abundant Fruit
I am particularly excited about planting orange hat tomatoes in the Greenstalk this year.
These micro varieties only grow to about 18 inches tall but produce an abundance of fruit throughout the season. My children adore cherry tomatoes, and the orange ones tend to be sweeter than the red ones.
I plan to allocate around 80% of the remaining pockets in the Greenstalk for these delightful tomatoes.
4. Blue Lake Bush Beans: Compact & Prolific
To optimize the limited nutrients available in container gardening, I have chosen Blue Lake bush beans. These compact beans do not require staking and remain small and bushy.
They produce numerous pods of green beans without competing for nutrients with the tomatoes.
Additionally, as legumes, they fix nitrogen into the soil, making this necessary nutrient more available to the tomatoes planted beside them.
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5. Little Gem Lettuce: Tiny Size, Big Flavor
Another crop that my children enjoy snacking on is little gem lettuce. These compact heads of lettuce are small, cute, and perfect for fitting many in small spaces.
However, due to their high nitrogen requirements, I will plant them separately from the tomatoes to avoid competition for nutrients.
Little gem lettuce will provide a fresh and tasty snack option alongside the other crops in the Greenstalk.
6. Tom Thumb Peas: Cute and Productive Cool-Weather Crop
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For fall and winter snacking, I plan to plant Tom Thumb peas in my gardening tower.
These adorable peas only grow to be about 18-24 inches tall but are highly productive. They will thrive in the cooler temperatures and provide my children with a delicious snack during the colder months.
I will replace the tomatoes with Tom Thumb peas in August, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh snacks for my little ones.
Transforming my Greenstalk into a child-friendly snacking tower has been an exciting project. If you’ve been looking for some fresh ideas for your container garden, consider these fun varieties!
