growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

oops_a_daisy

Just a little update I have been working in the garden for hours today setting up my 'square foot gardens' they are actually rectangular and have 3 rows to them and there are two. In the end we made 2 rectangles with wood about 6 inches deep and covered them with log roll. It is a bit late but I have planted brussels sprout seeds, broccoli seeds and carrot seeds in one of them and strawberries, runner beans and spring onion seeds in the other. I have two rows left to plant so Im off to get some peas and 'something' else from the garden centre this week. I really hope they all grow, I have also covered them with net and put hay around the strawberries to try to keep the snails off. My tomatoes were also planted out today in their grow bag and my salad leaves seeds were planted into a container donated by my mum. Been a busy day and my back is killing me I have also earthed up my potatoes in their grow bags for the second time. Fingers crossed now that they all grow - cant wait to have my own home grown veggies grown on land that I thought was useless untill I came on here Also started my composter last week and am getting a water butt soon too. Im away for a few days now but will take a picture when I get back and post it on here.

tootles_2

Well done oops a dasiy........we have an allotment, but still grow some stuff in the back yard. It is gravelled apart from a small piece where the rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries are. We have tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot and climbing beans going ,the beans are in the same pot as the sweet peas, alternate canes have sweet peas on to attract the bees, so we get to eat the beans and smell the sweet peas!!!! I also have two herb wheels with mint,thyme, parsley, rocket, land cress chives etc in, I can just nip out and cut what I want.

The allotment has Strawberries, onions, red and white, garlic, cabbages, french beans, runner beans, spuds, beetroot, apple and plum trees.

We have 1 compost bin at the house with two water barrels on the garage roof, cannot use the house roof as all the downpipes are internal.....the allotment has two barrels on the shed and two composters, one plastic the other is an old fashioned one made from pallets and is about 4' square.
We also have an old bath on the site but are having a problem getting it to retain the water, I am going to try plugging the plughole with a plug and plastic, otherwise I will have to try tying plastic on round the bottom of the pipe, if you see what I mean.

Plastic pots help to retain water as do grow bags, you do need some drainage holes otherwise the stuff gets waterlogged and plants do not like their feet in water unless they are watercress!!!!!

Enjoy your produce..........by the way you can grow strawberries in tower pots!!!!!!!!!!

oops_a_daisy

ok here goes - a piccy of my 'square foot gardens' one is not quite finished because we ran out of log roll but you can still get the idea Im sure they will look even better when the seeds start to grow too

Joscar

I have just taken a picture of my new raised bed which my OH kindly built for me at Easter. But I can not figure out how to post the photo here. Can any one help me? The insert image icon wants to point to a web address, so I guess I can not include it unless I have a web site of my own. So I have switched my Avatar to my raised bed photo. The white bowl at the front contains the lunch I have just picked and now eaten !!

This is my second year at gardening, but I still think I am a novice - definitely have lots to learn so I like this forum so I can see what other beginners are doing too. Last year I only grew tomatoes, radish, spring onions, beetroot and courgettes - all in a greenhouse.


Anyway, this year I am growing romanesco broccoli, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, beetroot, parsnip, radish, leeks, red onions, spring onions, numerous lettuce varieties and shallots in the raised beds. Also have potatoes and peppers in buckets and a butternut squash grown from a seed from a shop bought plant. Also cherry tomatoes, courgettes,spring onions, carrots and beetroot in the greenhouse. Tried doing a few different flowers as well, only ever grown lobelia and snap dragons before, but this year all my hanging baskets are filled with plants I have grown either from seed or cuttings or those I have swapped with friends for my spare tomato plants. Lots of nasturtiums and sweet peas and fuchsias. I have also grown french marigolds for the edge of my raised beds, (supposed to deter bugs) I usually spend a fortune on hanging baskets / bedding plants at the local nurseries and garden centres. This year I have only bought seeds, grow-bags and one pack of pansies for 50p from the reduced section. That is very restraint for me.

Just ate my first carrot along with home grown lettuce and radishes for lunch
Yummy, healthy and no need to go to shops to buy it :T :j

tobymangel

I`m going to have a go at this tommorow (if weather is good).Was just wondering if i was to late on certain veg as most people on this thread seem to have started this a few months ago, i was wanting to start with some lettuce, tomato`s, spring onion, carrots and some herbs by using a couple of pots i have in shed and probably a couple of grow bags.

I also have a large bin full of soil in garden which was to be for potatoes a while ago but never got round to putting them in can i still do this tommorow? how long will these take usually?

rubix_76

tobymangel wrote:

Was just wondering if i was to late on certain veg as most people on this thread seem to have started this a few months ago

I sowed my carrots seeds in mid april, and I was wondering when I should be "harvesting" them (I have only tried Carrots and Parsnips thsi year as a trial) ?

I pulled up one, and the route was probably an inch and a half long and was still white (no sign of going orange).

Any ideas please ?

Thanks

Rubix

Gingham_Ribbon

I found this on growing potatoes. http://www.organicgardening.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.php

I'm going to wait until my tyres on my car need to be replaced and use them!

oops_a_daisy

wooo hooo I have greenery poking through the compost in a week :j The broccolli, carrots, brussels sprouts and radishes have all started to grow. The salad leaves started to grow in just 3 days and my tomatoe plants have grown too since being planted into their grow bag. I think they like this hot weather. Fingers crossed now for my spring onions, beet root, cabbage, peas and broad beans.

Just to answer a couple of questions from above - to post a pic on here you need to have the picture hosted. I use https://www.photobucket.com. The account is free and all you have to do is upload your piccy from your computer to photobucket and it will then convert it into a code that can be used on here ( can you tell I am not exactly computer literate - but put it this way If I can do it ANYBODY can )

Regarding planting out late - I have planted out all of my stuff late and am hoping for a late summer. Some items can be planted out for later harvesting times - check out the back of the seed packets to see how long a planting time the seeds have. Im not sure about the potatoes though, would be interested to see your replies though as my potatoes are going to be ready to harvest soon so it would be an idea to get some others in for a later cpop time. I am going to look into the tyre thing so any advice from somebody who has done this would be great.

All the best with your growing in bags and pots

tobymangel

Actually surprised myself today and got out of bed before 8 and got down to garden centre got myself 4 types of lettuce, basil, parsley, mint and mustard cress and a couple of tomato plants and have planted all these in the pots aswell as a couple of garlic cloves i had.

I read the packs of other veg as i was wanting to do more veg than i have done but just confused myself even more, as everything seemed to suggest i was month or two late, will this just be reccomended for best results ?
i would like to have some peppers, carrots, spring onions and beetroot in aswell would appreciate any suggestions please.

Joscar

Thanks oops a daisy for the info about photo bucket.com.
If this link works you should be looking at my veggies !