The 10 Best Vegetables, Herbs, And Fruits For Hanging Baskets, According To Experts

Growing an edible garden is as close to local as you can get. If you’re limited on space, that doesn’t have to stop you from growing delicious homegrown food. Many vegetables and even fruits do well in containers, but you can take it a step further and consider using space that is usually underutilized on a patio, porch, or balcony—go vertical. It’s time to learn how to grow food in hanging baskets. We consulted two experts on the best vegetables, fruits, and herbs for hanging baskets. 

How To Choose What To Grow

Hanging baskets are versatile for growing food. When deciding on what to grow, you'll need to think about space, weight, and how deep the roots grow. "For maximum success when growing food in hanging baskets, choose plants that are short in stature, compact in size, have a shallow root system, or like to trail or spill over," says Resh Gala, author of Vegetable Gardening Made Easy.

Use Good Soil

Soil is the secret to a thriving garden. When growing in baskets, opt for potting soil or create your own mix to ensure your plants have all the required nutrients to thrive. "Don't dig up regular garden soil for your hanging basket," says Pam Farley, blogger at Brown Thumb Mama and author of The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening. "Garden soil is too dense and could have fungus, microbes, seeds, bugs, or other critters that will damage your plants." She recommends a potting mix for your hanging baskets.

"At the end of the growing season, put the soil and any roots that remain into your compost bin," says Farley. This will create a closed-loop system and keep nutrients in your garden. "Next season, you can use the compost to fertilize your new hanging basket garden!"

Here are 10 vegetables, herbs, and fruits to grow in hanging baskets, according to gardening experts.

Arugula

• Scientific name: Eruca vesicaria
• Light needs: Partial shade, full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Arugula has slender dark green leaves that have a peppery bite. Easy to grow, arugula doesn't need much space, making it ideal for a hanging basket. Baby leaves are ready to harvest within a month, or you can wait another month for mature arugula leaves. Grow arugula in a sunny spot that gets around six hours of direct sunlight daily. You may want to place it in a partially shady area for hot climates or when the weather warms up, as this is a cooler weather crop. When arugula receives too much heat, it can bolt, also known as going to seed and flowering.

Cucumbers

• Scientific name: Cucumus sativus L
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Cucumbers grow during the summer months and love the heat, so they are best placed in an area that receives a lot of sun. Cucumbers, like summer squash, can be prone to fungal diseases. Growing cucumbers in baskets, according to Gala, "keeps the plants healthy and productive as the vines have good air circulation when growing off the ground [and] this prevents many fungal diseases like powdery mildew from wreaking havoc on the plants."

Not sure what variety of cucumber to choose? "When growing cucumbers in hanging baskets, choose dwarf, compact, and pickling varieties such as Spacemaster, Salad Bush, Homegrown Pickles, or Pick a Bushel," says Gala.

Lettuce

• Scientific name: Lactuca sativa
• Light needs: Partial shade, full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Lettuce is easy to grow in a basket if you choose a loose-leaf variety. "[With] loose-leaf lettuce, you can harvest just a few leaves at a time—so your salad opportunities never end," says Farley. Slugs and snails love to munch on lettuce leaves, but you can say goodbye to little holes in your leaves when grown high in baskets. When you grow in a hanging basket, according to Gala, "it deters pests like slugs and snails from damaging the plant as they are above the ground and difficult to access." Hang the basket in either full sun or partial shade, but be aware that too much heat can cause lettuce to bolt, also known as going to seed.

Peas

• Scientific name: Pisum sativum
• Light needs: Partial shade, full sun
• Soil type: Well-drained

Peas are vining plants that like to climb, so growing them in a hanging basket allows the vines to spread out. "Peas are one of my favorite hanging basket veggies," says Farley. "Peas like cold weather, but not freezing cold, [so] take advantage of microclimates in your yard and grow a basket of peas somewhere that won't freeze." When it's time to reap the rewards and pick peas, it's a cinch. "With full access to all sides of the container, it's easy to harvest—and no worries about snails and slugs," Farley adds. She recommends fertilizing every two to three weeks to ensure they receive sufficient nutrients since peas don't grow in much soil.

Radishes

• Scientific name: Raphanus sativus
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Radishes are root vegetables that have a peppery flavor and typically are small and round, but some are long and slender. Because radishes have shallow roots that don't take up much space, they're wonderful to grow in baskets. Hang baskets in a sunny area that receives around six hours of sunlight per day. 

Spinach

• Scientific name: Spinacia oleracea
• Light needs: Partial shade, full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Spinach, similar to lettuce, doesn't need much room to grow and doesn't have deep roots, making it ideal for a hanging basket. Farley chooses spinach varieties that are best for containers. "I prefer a container variety, like 'Little Hero' spinach from Renee's Garden, because it doesn't grow too large for the hanging basket to support," she says.  

Pay attention to the moisture of the soil. Farley recommends watering your spinach in your hanging basket every few days to avoid the spinach becoming bitter.

Strawberries

• Scientific name: Fragaria × ananassa
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Strawberries are a fun fruit to grow in a hanging basket, and you don't have to worry about slugs and snails feasting on them before you get to them. "Strawberries are my favorite hanging basket crop," says Farley. "My kids really get a kick out of walking down the backyard path and eating all the strawberries they can find."

Bugs love strawberries, but when grown high up, you have fewer pests to contend with. Plus, they're easy to see when they're ripe and ready for harvesting. "The fruit is easy to spot, with almost no chance of bug damage," she adds. Strawberries need plenty of sun to grow, so place them in a sunny area that receives a minimum of six hours daily of sunshine.

Tomatoes

• Scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Love tomatoes but don't have much or any garden space? They're ideal for baskets because they can be prone to diseases when water stays on the plant. "This method also keeps them healthy as it allows for good airflow and prevents soil from splashing back onto the leaves—a major source of blight and disease in tomato plants," explains Gala.

There are two types of tomato varieties: determinate and indeterminate. Gala recommends choosing determinate tomatoes or small varieties like Tiny Tim and Orange Hat tomatoes, which are both dwarf varieties.

Tomatoes love the sun, so hang your baskets in an area that receives sunlight throughout the day, ideally a minimum of six hours.

Basil

• Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Basil is a summertime herb that grows well in warm temperatures and lots of sunlight. It doesn't need much space, so you can even plant basil with other herbs in the same container. If you're going to grow many herbs in one basket, Farley recommends placing basil in the middle since it's bushy and grows upright.

Thyme

• Scientific name: Thymus vulgaris
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil type: Loamy, well-drained

Thyme is a savory herb that loves warm weather and likes to bask in the sunshine. Place thyme in a sunny area that receives sunlight throughout the day. Farley says that thyme will often cascade over the side of the basket, so plant it along the edges if you're growing multiple herbs in one container. "It's so satisfying and economical to gather herbs fresh from your garden when you're cooking," she adds.

The hanging basket above contains yellow garden pansies and marigolds, baby kale, cilantro (pictured growing along the handle), golden lemon thyme (on the bottom left), and Italian oregano (on the bottom right).