growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

GlasweJen

Thanks for moving me.
I live in a flat with no garden space at all and I've no friends in the area with gardens. I do hope to move in summer so it might be best to wait until then but I am very interested in this subject.

zarazara

try herbs they re quite expensive to buy and relatively easy togrow.
Basil is easy . buy a pot from the supermarket and repot immediately into good compost.
when its doubled in size just pinch off cuttings ,say about or 5 inches long. remove lower leaves andplace in a glass of water on the window ledge. they will grow roots ,takes a couple of weeks or so. when the roots are 3 or 3 inches long pot up in good compost, and so it goes on, self perpetuating.
basil is not frost hardy and needs to be indoors in winter, i tend to keep mine inside all year round on kitchen window sill.
Other herbs are easy too, chives, parsley, rosemary makes a nice shrub with little blue flowers, sage, thyme,bay etc

nicky1306

Evening all, hope we've all had a good weekend.
If there is another thread already for this and I've posted in the wrong place, please feel free to move!!

I'd like to start growing our own fruit and veg, not only to save money but also so I know what we are eating!:D Problem being I haven't a clue where to start, but I'm sure someone on here does! I have a patio but no garden that I can plant veg in as it's all comunial, so I need to know what I can grow in tubs???? any help would be much appriciated!

Thanks in Advance!

tru

Hiya Nicky :hello:

You need to get to my fave place -
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=134

Loads of info there, you'll be reading it for ages. See you in about 3 weeks :rotfl:

Gingham_Ribbon

Hiya, Nicky!

I have made a start doing the same thing and it really is fun! I lost most of it in the floods last year but it's not going to stop me having another go this year.

There is a lot of help in the greenfingered board so I'll move this over for you. You should get a good response and certainly it's worth doing a search in there for more threads on the subject.

Have fun and good luck.

Gingham_Ribbon

Bless ya, tru! Thanks! x

nicky1306

Sorry!! as you can see from my post count I am new to all this! Thanks for moving it for me I look forward reading the posts on the green fingered boards!!:j

Jack's_mummy

My main advice is only grow what you like to eat. There is loads you can do in pots and growbags.

Carrots,radish,lettuce,tomatoes,strawberries,spinach,pakchoi....They are the ones we did last year

A._Badger

You can actually grow almost anything in tubs, you'll be pleased to hear

Potatoes work well in barrels and bags, while tomatoes are perfectly happy in 10" pots or growbags. The latter can also do a god job with strawberies, peppers, radishes - more or less anything that doesn't need a deep root run.

But may I put in a special plea for soft fruit bushes? People often overlook the fact that a black currant, or a gooseberry, will live and fruit quite happily in a large pot (ideally 15" or greater).

In a lot of ways, pots are somewhat better than growbags, because they hold more soil so you don't keep having to rush out to water every few hours on a hot day. But don't skimp on potting compost. Especially for a plant that will live a long while, like a fruit bush, use something good (a John Innes No 2 or 3) and make sure you feed with a liquid fertiliser (Chempak No 4 or good old Phostrogen are very cheap and very effective).

Any specific crops you'd like to try?

nicky1306

Hi A. Badger,

I would like to try and grow what we eat most of, hopefully in the longterm reducing our food bills! so, spuds, carrots, onions, parsnips, lettuce, toms, pepers, beets, any herbs, strawberries, any other fruit possible, I'm willing to give anything a go if it means I don't actually have to go out and buy it.
I'm guessing when you say "But may I put in a special plea for soft fruit bushes? People often overlook the fact that a black currant, or a gooseberry, will live and fruit quite happily in a large pot (ideally 15" or greater)." you are refering to the depth of the pot?? Sorry for being dense I am a complete beginer!