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If you are planning to start a patio garden, one of the best approaches is gardening in plastic bins. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about the many advantages of growing in plastic tubs. In Part 2, I delved into the important supplies that you will need:

• High-volume containers for container gardening. Many people vastly underestimate how much room they will need. The more volume you give your plants, the healthier their root systems will be. Make sure you pick safe containers for vegetable gardening which are made out of healthy plastics.
• Sunlight, preferably south-facing. You do not want it to be harsh. You may also need some shade cloths.
• Netting to protect your plants from pests. While netting will not keep out all pests, it will be effective against many insect species, and may also discourage deer and squirrels.
• Mesh and river rocks for drainage.
• Organic soil and fertilizer.

Once you have all the supplies you need, you can set up your bins. There are multiple approaches to drainage, but the best option is to drill holes around the sides. Place them a few inches above the bases of your bins. Then add a layer of river rocks to each. Stack the river rocks to just above the holes, and then add your mesh. Make sure the mesh is fine enough to prevent dirt from leaking down between the rocks. The holes allow for drainage, but the base of the pot can now hold enough water to keep your plants reasonably well irrigated.

As discussed in Part 1, you should only use organic soil and fertilizer. You may need to special order it, or make it yourself. Once you fill your pots and plant your seeds or transplants, you will want to water them as needed at the level of the soil (not the leaves). Be prepared to water more often than you may be used to; water evaporates fast from plastic tubs. Be sure to set up your netting to keep out pests.

What kinds of plants can you grow in your plastic tub planters? Well, you can pretty much plant just about anything you want and feasibly have great results. But you will get the best yield if you choose plants that produce a lot within a small space. You also want plants that you can harvest from again and again. So avoid root vegetables—they only yield one harvest per year. Stick with continual harvest crops like cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and peppers. Herbs also are a great option; basil is particularly easy for beginners (it isn’t picky about sunlight). Be sure to buy some cattle fencing or similar material for climbing plants.

As with anything, learning how to garden effectively in plastic storage containers takes time, discipline, and patience. But once you get the hang of it, you will be amazed at the high yield of crops you can grow even on the smallest patio!