growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

scaredy_cat_2

hi i am really new to gardening - have not done anything but i really want to do it - not for any other reason then wanting my 2 daughters to see that food comes from the ground and that we can eat it!!

So i have a question about potatoes - a few weeks ago i had some potatoes from a farm gate shop - i left them in newspaper and a basket in a dark cupboard (just forget about them) and they have 'sprouted' a funny twiggy stalk (told you i was new to this!) and i want to plant them. But my soil is clay and not ready so i thought about pots/bags.

what do i do - can i put them out yet? what do i put them in and when do i top them up? I am looking for a cheap way as well as i don't have lots of money to buy lots of new equipment,

many thanks

Primrose

Scared cat - yes you can grow these potatoes in large containers (or even in heavy duty green or black garden polythene bags as long as you pierce so drainage holes in the bottom). Put a good 6 - 8 inch layer of compost in the bottom and no more than two or three potatoes on the surface. Cover with another similar layer of compost and put a couple more potatoes on the next layer. Cover again with compost but don't overcrowd your container. Water and when shoots start to appear add a little more compost. Eventually the shoots will need to grow in the sunlight. When the shoots (haulms) start to die back you should be ready to harvest your potatoes.
Meanwhile if your soil is clay and difficult to garden, do start a compost heap with all your kitchen waste, lawn clippings, torn newspaper, etc. If you regularly dig compost into your soil over time it will lighten it up and make it easier to work.

Luna69

I wanted to do this last year and never got anything started. One problem is that our back garden is a junk yard.. literally, hopefully will be sorted in a few weeks when we have some guys come move a lot of stuff out there. Plus our lawn needs either paving or starting again, we have no grass it's all just weeds and yuck. Also not sure how much sun most items will need as we don't get a lot really out back, it's rather cold when not sunny. Anyway, hoping to do something this year. Am reading a lot of the bits on here, hoping it will help.

Was also going to get one of those small 4 tier greenhouses, with the plastic covering, are these any good?

Yvonne

lbt_2

jennybridger wrote: »

don't forget you can growing things like strawberries and tomatoes in hanging baskets. maybe you have a wall on your building some where to fix one?

On 'Jamie At Home' he recommended growing strawberries in a hanging basket because you don't have to worry about slugs and wastage where the fruit sits on the ground.

I am terrible at growing things but I am having a go at some strawberries (in a hanging basket) and herbs (in a pot) this year, and after reading A Badgers post I am tempted to try a gooseberry bush too.

Anyway, I'm off to carry on reading to get more tips for my strawberries.

DaisyNelson

Try www.selfsufficientish.com for some great ideas.
The're also very friendly towards those of us less experinced in growing stuff.

A._Badger

sunset_gold wrote: »

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

Hello, Sunset Gold - sorry I missed your original question!

I agree with the 'wait and see' approach. If the bushes you bought hadn't already developed leaves, then the fact that they still haven't isn't really a problem. If they had leaves and have now lost them, then you might have something to worry about..

What were the bushes like? Can you recall if they were 'bare rooted' (ie, just a stick with a few roots on, either in a pot or a bag) or were they 'pot grown', which means they came with an established rootball?

Especially if they were bare rooted it will take them a fair few weeks to get going and the weather has been pretty chilly.

If you really think they might have died, just gently scratch the bark of one of the stems with your fingernail (don't scrape a large area). If what is beneath is green, then they are still alive and are just taking time to get going.

Hope that helps!

A._Badger

Sorry, I missed the question about feeding. Assuming you used soilless compost, six to eight weeks worth of feed is usually about all they have in them. Bear in mind that these are fairly hungry crops, too, so I'd start a little before then.

Once you do, start using a liquid feed. You can either follow the manufacturer's recommendations, or (which is actually better) use a half or quarter strength feed with every watering. I'd suggest Phostrogen for fruit as it is high in potash. Chempak No. 4 is also excellent, but harder to find. Both have added trace elements, which are important as your bushes should live for many years in those pots and will need to get the minor chemicals from somewhere.

Hope that helps.

number1kitty

Hiya,

I am so not an out door person its untrue. I remember growing tommy plants on my bedroom window when I was a teenager but mum thought it was something else and threw them away before I got the chance to see the fruit!!!!

I really want to grow strawberries in a hanging basket (also saw jamie oliver and it looks pretty too). We eat a lot of strawberries but its expensive. I am also finding that their not the freshest in the shops either.

What do I do? Do you plant seeds? When should I plant them? How many in one basket? When will they grow? When will I expect fruit? What do I do when the fruit has stopped growing? Do I replant new seeds?

I am a garden phobe please help!!!!!!!!!!!

olly300

number1kitty wrote: »

Hiya,

I am so not an out door person its untrue. I remember growing tommy plants on my bedroom window when I was a teenager but mum thought it was something else and threw them away before I got the chance to see the fruit!!!!

I really want to grow strawberries in a hanging basket (also saw jamie oliver and it looks pretty too). We eat a lot of strawberries but its expensive. I am also finding that their not the freshest in the shops either.

What do I do? Do you plant seeds? When should I plant them? How many in one basket? When will they grow? When will I expect fruit? What do I do when the fruit has stopped growing? Do I replant new seeds?

I am a garden phobe please help!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.self-sufficient.co.uk/Grow-Strawberries-in-Hanging-Baskets.htm

A._Badger

Well, number1kitty, it does depend on the size of your hanging basket!

One word of advice I would give you is to remind you that strawberries are mostly water and that, because the breeze is moving around the outside of a hanging basket all the time and evaporating moisture, they are going to need a lot of regular watering and feeding to do well for you.

So, choose a good compost, either one that has water retaining gel added (I think Westland does one), or buy some gel crystals and include them yourself when you plant up your basket. Then either add a slow-release fertiliser to the compost, or use a good potash-rich liquid feed like Phostrogen or Chempak No 4, following the instructions on the packet and make sure you don't let them dry out.

What you're trying to do isn't very difficult as long as you get the basics right. Buy three or four pot-grown strawberry plants (don't bother with seeds) line the basket (to stop the compost falling out) fill it with a good quality water-retentive compost then just water and feed.

You should be eating perfectly fresh strawberries in no time at all!


Hope that helps!