9 Vegetables You Should Never Plant in Pots or Containers

Some vegetables grow magically well in containers, but some should never be planted in pots. Crops such as basil, tomatoes, and lettuce thrive with limited space. Bush beans, eggplants, and peppers can also do well in your favorite pots. 

These plants have shallow root systems that take up very little space. They are usually short in stature and don’t spread out radially. You can move these lightweight plants in a breeze and cultivate them almost anywhere in your home or garden. All you need is enough sunlight and the right soil and nutrients to get them to thrive. 

While containers are suitable for some vegetables, others should never be grown in small pots because they have larger and deeper root systems. They tend to take up a lot of space. Some are so heavy that even the largest containers will have trouble supporting them. 

Let’s dive into these container-hating veggies and learn about their picky habits. Instead of containers, you’ll want to grow these vegetables in your garden beds.

Sweet Corn

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Painted Hill Sweet Corn Seeds

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Pumpkin

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Sugar Pie Pumpkin
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Daikon Radish

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Miyashige White Daikon Radish Seeds

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Asparagus

	common name Asparagus
	botanical name Asparagus officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 2-9

Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable for your garden, but it should never be planted in containers. This crop develops from crowns that need a lot of space to thrive. For it to flourish, you should plant it in raised garden beds. 

Container-grown asparagus will not live as long due to the cramped growing conditions. I tried growing asparagus in containers once, and it turned out to be a huge waste of time. My spears were laughably small, and before I knew it, my plant was showing signs of shock. 

If you really want to cultivate this plant in pots, make sure they’re well-drained and large enough. However, if you really want to harvest delicious spears year after year, stick to planting asparagus in raised beds. You’ll have to wait two years before getting your first crop, but it will be worth it. Once established, you’ll harvest healthy spears each spring or early summer. 

Corn

	common name Corn
	botanical name Zea mays
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Corn is a staple crop that’s been grown in the Americas for millennia. It grows incredibly fast and towers over your garden. In the summer, you’ll harvest multiple ears of succulent corn cobs. 

If you’re like me, you’ll plant rows of it in your sunniest garden location. However, if you’re lacking space, it may be tempting to grow it in containers. 

Although you can grow corn in containers, why would you? The more space you have, the healthier your plants will be. Plus, it takes a lot of corn plants to produce enough food for you and your family. One sweet corn plant, for example, only produces 1 to 2 ears of corn. 

Unless you have a lot of containers in hand, you’re better off planting corn in rows in your garden. You can get dozens of healthy plants. They take up very little space when you plant them in rows and produce tons of deliciously sweet ears of corn. 

Pumpkins

	common name Pumpkins
	botanical name Cucurbita pepo
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20+ foot Vines
	hardiness zones 3-10

Pumpkins are some of my favorite winter squash varieties. They remind me of spooky season and late-night carving sessions. They’re also one of my favorite ingredients for fall-inspired stews, sweet pies, and pumpkin-flavored desserts. 

If you love pumpkins like me, never plant these vegetables in containers and instead, grow them in raised beds. These plants love having tons of space to sprawl out. They make wonderful natural ground cover and thrive well with other garden favorites like corn and pole beans. 

If you’re set on growing pumpkins in containers, choose smaller varieties. You’ll have to water them frequently and let them develop radially throughout your garden. Lastly, they’ll need large containers like these 60-gallon Epic Grow Bags to mature properly. 

Carrots

	common name Carrots
	botanical name Daucus carota subsp. sativus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height Up to 12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Carrots are lovely vegetables that produce juicy and nutritious roots that come in multiple colors, including the standard orange. They’re one of the world’s most planted vegetables. Besides their edible roots, you can use their leaves in a variety of dishes, from pestos to stir-fries. 

Although you can plant carrots in containers successfully, these vegetables do best in raised beds. It’s easier to keep the soil loose and well-drained. Plus, you’ll want to grow multiple plants or even grow them by successive planting for multiple harvests throughout the year. 

The biggest reason carrots prefer raised beds is their long taproot. You’ll need a very deep container just to harvest a few roots. By planting your carrot seeds directly in your garden beds, they’ll have plenty of room to mature to their max length and size. Of course there are non-standard, small varieties that you can cultivate in containers, but they give smaller harvests.

Cucumbers

	common name Cucumbers
	botanical name Cucumis sativus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 6’
	hardiness zones 3-10

Cucumbers produce delicious and refreshing fruits that are hard not to love when the weather gets warm. If you want to produce these refreshing and crispy natural snacks in your garden, it’s best to plant them in a raised bed. 

Container cucumbers will still grow, but they will be harder to cultivate in abundance. In garden beds, they’ll have plenty of room to expand their vines. 

The best way to cultivate cucumbers is by building trellises over them. They’ll climb to the top of the trellises and their fruits will overhang, making them easy to harvest. 

If you’re absolutely low on space and have enough time to build a trellis, you can plant your cucumbers in containers. However, try sticking with more compact bush varieties. Harvest your container-grown cucumbers regularly to take the stress out of their root system. 

Spaghetti Squash

	common name Spaghetti Squash
	botanical name Cucurbita pepo
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 2’
	hardiness zones 3-11

Like other varieties of winter squash, spaghetti squash is best grown in raised beds. While you can plant these vegetables in containers, you’ll have a harder time maintaining their explosive growth and you may never see the prolific yields that they can produce in garden beds. 

Plant spaghetti squash in raised beds, with well-drained soil that’s rich in organic material. Amend the soil with compost and plant the squash around corn and beans for a mutually beneficial bed of food crops. 

These varieties will produce tons of massive squash which will appreciate large, open spaces. If you’re short on space, try growing smaller varieties of winter squash that can thrive in containers. 

Potatoes

	common name Potatoes
	botanical name Solanum tuberosum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

While you can cultivate potatoes in containers like grow bags, many varieties do much better in raised beds. Use a ridge and furrow method to let the water drain more efficiently. Plant your seed potatoes 2 to 3 inches deep with their tiny sprouts facing upwards. 

With beds, your spuds will have more room to expand without overcrowding, which often happens in containers. They’ll be more likely to mature massive tubers. You’ll also have room to plant large varieties such as ‘Burbank’ and ‘Carolus.’ 

As your spuds continue to mature, you’ll add soil and mulch over them. This keeps their spuds completely covered and increases their root mass underground. 

Celery

	common name Celery
	botanical name Apium graveolens
	sun requirements Full sun
	height Up to 36”
	hardiness zones 3-6

Celery is another popular vegetable that’s easier to cultivate in beds than in containers. As popular as it is, celery is kind of tough to tend correctly. It needs the right amount of moisture, sunlight, and soil nutrients to develop big and strong stalks. It’s also one of the toughest vegetables to germinate from seed. 

That said, once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite fun. One of the best ways to get healthy celery plants is by planting the base of a celery stalk. After removing the stalks for cooking, place the base in a bowl with about 1 inch of water in it. Keep it in indirect sunlight and watch as the base produces new leaves. 

For tastier stalks, start your celery with seed. If you’re a beginning gardener, it’s much better to look for seedlings. Look for high-quality and healthy-looking plants that will give you the best yields. 

Daikon Radish

	common name Daikon Radish
	botanical name Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height Up to 3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Daikons are one of my favorite vegetables, but I never plant them in containers. They do best in deep garden beds with enough space to fill their large and delicious roots. The more space you have, the room for their roots to expand. 

Growing daikons in large containers is possible, but it’s best to give them their own bed. Plant them in well-drained, loose soil amended with plenty of compost. 

If the soil nutrients are right, you can cultivate some massive radishes. When I lived in Southern Japan, I grew a special ‘Sakurajima’ cultivar in my rich volcanic soil. When it was time to harvest, my radishes were the sizes of basketballs.