Container vs In-Ground Gardening — Growing In the Space You Have

 The Ins, Outs, and Upside Downs of the What's, Where's, and Why's

🌿 Garden Talk | by Guy Saldiveri | July 20, 2026

WOW, that title block was a mouthful all by itself. 😊 But I have to say, it really brings the point home — especially when the topic is where and how you have your roots roaming.

There are so many variations when it comes to where and how we plant. While some would exhaustively defend their "ground" on this one, my thoughts run the gamut because I use all methods to my best overall advantage.

Did you see that one coming? lol, maybe so… 

For me, it boils down to a few considerations:

• The plant (size and space requirements)
• Available space
• Native soil makeup
• Effort to establish — and more importantly, maintain
• Pest considerations
• Total costs involved

A few of the bullet points in that list are really self-explanatory. While I have done it for a short time, something like an oak tree doesn't really work in a container — on a patio — with a lot of wind. And I know this from experience ;)

Other plants such as squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe are usually recommended for in-ground plantings because of their size, but I've successfully grown all in containers. The trick is to select smaller fruit varieties, like Sugar Baby watermelon, and trellis them — or just let the vines sprawl across the ground.

Now, at this point, you might be wondering: well, why not plant in-ground then? That's a very good question and it's the reason many folks do. I've tried in-ground gardening, it works, but for me, it takes too much work for what I get out of it.

Let's break that down. Depending on your soil structure, you may have unbelievably awesome soil, or like me, great top soil but only 3 inches deep. Then I hit the hardest, most cement-like clay you could ever imagine. It's so bad at times that I'd rather break up concrete with a sledgehammer than try to dig through it. The other side of that is when it gets wet, it acts just like modeling clay, and I can't even get it off the shovel.

It actually amazes me that the roots of the local trees and shrubs eventually dig their way to the good stuff under it.

Of course, I can amend it. It takes a few years to get it right though. The other issue besides maintenance (weeds and grass) is the water retention. Clay soils hold on to water so well that clay is used many times to line the bottom of the ponds many people install on their properties. If it will hold that much water, think about what your roots are potentially sitting in. 

When it comes to containers, you have total control over the soil from the get go. You provide the precise environment those roots need to thrive. 

Here's an example of exactly what I mean, and I can vouch for it because it's presently going on in my backyard.

I purchased a Celeste fig a few years ago. I had it in a large container with my soil mix. It did great. I actually took cuttings and propagated the plant multiple times. I have a few in containers and a couple in-ground. 

The ones in containers explode with growth; the ones in-ground struggle along, but barely gain any height. The above ground growth dies back every winter and new growth comes up from the crown, but it stays small. The plant isn’t trying to stay small; it’s responding to its environment. Much of its available energy is being directed toward establishing a stronger root system. The new growth above ground is essentially providing the photosynthesis needed to keep the plant going while those roots develop.

They will make it eventually, but the struggle will likely last three or four years before they do.

Now, at this point, we’ve covered:

• plant size 
• available space 
• soil 
• establishment 
• and maintenance

It's time to take a look at two more considerations that can make a big difference: pest pressure and overall costs.

Pests are (to me anyway) a major factor in how and where I plant, and in-ground or containers does make quite a bit of difference. 

Two major points come to mind for me. First, in-ground planting opens you up to every insect in the book — not just the ones that fly, but also the ones that crawl. I know, you see crawly things all over your tomatoes and peppers too, but those are usually the leftovers from something that flew in and laid eggs.

While I find those caterpillars all over my nightshades, I seldom find slugs or snails that high up. In-ground, however, those slugs and snails have eaten 80% of my seedlings every year. I also have less pressure from critters like rabbits and turtles. Having plants in containers elevated 12 to 16 inches tends to keep them out of munching range.

I have another story I'll toss out here.

I recently moved my long beans to a different spot in the yard to protect them from the brutal mid- and late-afternoon sun. I set them near a tree for shade, not realizing right away that it was a crepe myrtle — absolute magnets for aphids and sharpshooters. Well, so are beans... Moving them definitely helped with the heat stress, but it dialed up the pest pressure big time. 

Fortunately, since they’re in containers, I can just shift them again. If I had set a hard bed with a trellis it would be a major weekend project to relocate. 

It just goes to show that micro-location plays a huge role in the pest game.

Now I'll make another interesting comparison here as well. I have a hybrid bed. That's one that I use as a raised bed, but prior to adding in my soil, I'd dug down a shovel-length and mixed the native soil with my own soil. This provided a gateway layer for the roots to expand into the lower native soil structure while maintaining access to my loamy soil as well. This might be the best of both worlds, but the maintenance is still present. Weeds and grass grow faster and are also harder to remove.

The other thing I've found is that a 4x7 foot raised/hybrid bed is the equivalent of eight 25 gallon fabric grow bags. And this leads us into some of the costs involved. 

I've set up multiple beds using hard materials such as various woods and cement blocks. I have differing experiences and opinions for each, but those materials can't compete when it comes to the cost of fabric grow bags. The cost for lumber these days is astronomical and cement blocks, while cheap, typically run about $2.50 apiece. A 4x7 foot bed would need about 20 blocks and a lot of effort to set. I purchased a 10 pack of 25 gallon bags for $38. 

The upfront costs might look close on paper, but the physical effort involved is night and day — especially if you ever have to move them...

There is, without a doubt, a lot that goes into the structure of a garden. I have a companion article on "The Cost of a Garden — Infrastructure, Soil, Plants, and Maintenance," that you might find interesting as well. It takes a deeper dive into the actual costs of setting up a new garden — the part no one tells the beginner.

It all really boils down to your unique situation. The best garden is not the one that looks the most impressive. It’s the one you can successfully build and maintain. 

We all face similar challenges, but the compromises we make vary quite a bit. Taking the time up front to figure out the Ins, Outs, and Upside Downs of the What's, Where's, and Why's will pay off in the long run for your local conditions and immediate needs.

Remember — gardening is about the plants, but getting the plants to grow is about the gardening.

Happy Gardening 🌱