growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

suzybloo

Cheers Faraway for your advice. I got money for my birthday and invested in a wee greenhouse heater that I put on low every night and off in the morning. Not sure when I should start hardening them off, definately not this weekend though as snow is forecast!!!! I have been saving the bubble wrap from everything just incase once I do put them out and we get a frost. I remember my grandfather saying for our region to expect frost right up until the middle of may. It must have been very disappointing to have lost everything - goodluck for this year!!

Primrose

miffyhugmuffin - your tomato plants (or peppers/aubergines) really shouldn't be planted outside until end May/early June because a late frost or cold night will probably finish them off. If you buy them too early and have to keep them indoors they will grow very leggy and then never really recover.
Lettuces and other salad crops are a little more hardly and generally can be planted outside earlier although it depends which part of the country you live in. The further north you are, the more careful you need to be about late frosts.

fedupnow

Primrose

Hi..... I just wanted to say you are right....I know because I was too impatient and I sowed my tomato seeds way too early and now I have leggy tom plants indoors and lovely ones in g'house but am terrified that this cold spell is going to finish 'em orrf.

I have aubergine plants in pots indoors already, sown from seed, see...impatient again.. and I wanted to ask should I be pricking out the leaves like I do with the tomatoes? There are a couple that are getting quite bushy. They look strong though as do the pepper and the jalapeno and the cayenne peppers look good too and sweetcorn are coming............my south facing window sills are beginning to grown. Oh please warm weather hurry up!!!

I have lettuce, cauliflower, parsnip, brussel sprouts, leeks, broccolli, onions in coldframe and have carrots, garlic, beetroot and spinach outside already. Potatoes in bags - I am in Pembrokeshire, known for it's early potatoes and is mild but.........

I am new to this whole gardening thing - but loving it already AND it is teaching me patience..it's a tough lesson for me.... but I am getting there.

I am hoping to sow some peas and courgettes soon too. Hold me back somebody...

The sun is out now phew!

ALIBOBSY

Another newbie here, with lots of full window sills lol. My 4 yr old was dying to get sowing and boy has she got the touch. The dwarf peas she planted are really doing well and are starting to flower already.
Think I may have to do several more lots of seed planting lol.
ali x

faye1978

Hi, I planted tomato seeds a while ago and recently pricked them into 5in pots. They are in the shed now but what do you mean by 'leggy'?

Also when can I !!!!! out my Strawberry seeds? I live in the South East and usually we can plant about now as we have lovely weather but we have just planted seedlings in our garden and woken up to the only snow we've had for about 3 years!!:mad:

jennybridger

leggy means tall and spindly - where they have shot up due to it being a bit warm and straining to get to the light being 2 causes.

sunset_gold

A._Badger wrote: »

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?

Hello A.Badger,
I have planted a raspberry cane and a blackberry cane in large pots about 3 - 4 weeks ago, as you put out a plea I am hoping you could let me know when something should start to happen? So far it looks like I have planted a dead stick in each pot! Also, when should I start to feed them? SG

Farway

sunset_gold wrote: »

Hello A.Badger,
I have planted a raspberry cane and a blackberry cane in large pots about 3 - 4 weeks ago, as you put out a plea I am hoping you could let me know when something should start to happen? So far it looks like I have planted a dead stick in each pot! Also, when should I start to feed them? SG

Have a look at local trees & bushes. Have they started into growth yet?

Mine have only started this week really, and some are still dormant & I am in Hampshire

sunset_gold

Some local trees and bushes have started and some have not? We put in two apple trees in the front garden in February, they did nothing for a month then suddenly they started and are looking happy now, but these two "sticks" are just sitting there, should I put some multi purpose fertilizer on them do you think? I am in north Essex, one minute snow one minute hot sunshine, a week of rain then dry for two, heating up heating down! SG

Primrose

Sunset Gold - I'd be patient. Some plants are slower off the mark than others. I have three gooseberry bushes. Two are in full leaf and the third is barely showing any green shoots yet. One of the currant bushes is in full leaf. The other two still look pretty dormant. You will probably find that a couple of days of warm sunshine will suddenly bring an overnight tranformation. Just be sure to keep the compost nice and moist and start feeding them when the fruits start forming.