Containers for veg?

huggermugger

I'm growing all my veg in containers on the patio this year as my soil is dreadful. But now I'm running out of large pots (ie over 12-15" wide) and I need a cheap/free source. Any ideas?

I have used compost bags for my potatoes but I'm not keen for other things as they're not very stable; fine if they're propped up against a wall/fence but I'm running out of space for that! The pots need to be big as it's a south facing patio and smaller ones dry out too quickly.

Thanking you in advance.....

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

I grow everything in pots n tubs -my "potio appotment" :T
Have you thought of things like those collapsible crates ? I have several lined with card and they are great..

balloo_2

I used B&Q builders buckets last year 99p. I was their Favourite customer, (Should have had an invite to the B&Q Christmas do). What about the Black Flower Buckets They Give them away in ASDA & TESCO's COOPask for a donation in the charity box and 8for 99p in MORRISONS. Not sure of the size of them tho.

huggermugger

I have got a few things in buckets but they're not really big enough... tho lots of places are selling them for 99p at the moment so they're a good deal.

We only have a Tesco locally but I will go & look and ask...

Like the idea of the collapsible crates, presumably you could also line them with plastic/compost bags? Or do they need to be lined with card for stability?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

The crates should be fine lined with compost bags etc -with a few hole in the bottom for drainage..

blondy24

Hi, Not sure if this helps, but I have some green plastic type material containers which I got from Wilko's which you can just fold up when not needed. I have grown some tomatoes and courgettes in mine fine. Might be worth a look.

5stey

Hi there what about those flexi tubs. You can buy them in all sorts of colours.... worth a try

huggermugger

Well, I went to Pound Stretcher & Inline (which from their stock I would guess are one and the same) today & they had containers at "reasonable" prices, but they still wanted £4 plus for a reasonable sized one. I know this isn't a lot but it does blooming add up. I have seen the folding pots suggested by blondie24 & but they've been quite expensive. folding option is attractive as stacking up pots in the winter takes up space and provides places for the slugs/snails to congregate - yuk...

But I am very tight, really. Today I spotted a big blue barrel in my neighbours front garden and asked him about it as I was passing. He said he had got it from his brother who works in an engineering works & they are used for storing cutting compound. They are sturdy & pretty big. Am thinking I could cut the top off and drill holes in the bottom. He reckons he can get me as many as I want.

As my ex-boss likes to say - Your comments, please?

pandora205

Put a plea of freecycle or even your local MSE thread (once you have decided what you want exactly). You may be lucky. I got lots of boxes for storage that way when I needed to pack up because of redecorating.

Morty_007

I am experimenting with growing tomatoes upside down in Tesco hessian bags at the moment. No reason a 10p reusable (and replacable ) bag for life shouldn't work to grow stuff in with a bit of card for reinforcement. Wonder if texco would replace one all covered in soil....I reused it, they don't specify what it had to be used for to be replaced!

Oh and I too am using B&Q buckets to grow all my veggies in. They are great and last ages. Dh drilled holes in the bottos and they can hang up too so getting them out of the way is easy if necessary. Left all ours out all winter and they are sill in great condition.

Joly_Roger

I made some chunky window boxes for my lettuce and strawberries out of recycled timber. The previous owners had raised beds in awkward shapes in the garden which I wanted to replace with lawn, so I dug up the wooden planks, cleaned them off & treated them with water based preservative.

With the help of a jigsaw, a drill & some decking screws I made some very chunky window boxes out of the reclaimed timber. I drilled a few holes in the bottom for drainage of excess water. The only thing I had to buy was the brackets to fix them to the wall under the window.

I also added a few petunias and now not only does it look great, but the lettuce and strawberries are thriving, the slugs can't get to them, the whole thing was very cheap & I know the treated window boxes will last a long, long time.

Recycling in the garden doesn't always have to be un-aesthetic