growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

Lotus-eater

chelltune wrote: »

Is this the same for all type of containers to grow veg/fruit?

Not really, on a strawberry tower you have the side windows to put the plants into. If they are on top it doesn't really matter if they settle a bit.
What happens on the side bits is the plants slide down the container with the compost settling, once the crown of the plant is hidden it starts to rot and if you try and pull it out, it will damage the roots.

BigMummaF

I'm very new to all this growing stuff too, so please forgive my ignorance.

We have failed tom & chard plants in two grow bags & a barren bag of lettuce:o I think perhaps the bickie-boyds feasted on the little shoots.

Will we be able to plant into these grow bags again next spring, or do we need to replace them? I'm hoping to be better organised next time, & I'm looking for seeds now like rocket & chinese leaves.

richyrich7

You can use them again for lettuce and other salads like radish, I'd re sow now for some lettuce bit late but worth ago, Lettuce don't do to well in the heat so a semi shade position would suit them well.

EagerLearner

Hi all thanks to this thread I now have some pics to show off! Thanks so much to eveyone who gave advice to us newbies... :beer:

Savings Now:
http://savingsnow.blogspot.com

It's a brand new blog so any comments there on the blog pages is much appreciated :T

EagerLearner

Hi all another quick set of questions:

- My pepper tree now seems to have some little holes in the leaves - what could cause this? I wondered if it was the tomato liquid feed, or a bug? The strawberry plant did not have any feed, yet also seems to have a few little bits of leaves missing.

- Can I grow garlic just by placing a couple of cloves in some earth? I have put some in a marg tub on the kitchen windowsill in high hopes...

Davesnave

The holes might be flea beetle or a caterpillar. I wouldn't worry too much if they're not severe. Strawberries get red spider mites easily if they are too hot & dry, which will almost certainly happen in a greenhouse or indoors.

Your garlic is probably a bit early, as plants are normally sown in autumn, which means they grow away quicker in the spring. Still, better too early than too late. You can split up shop garlic, but there is always a very slight danger of introducing onion eelworm by using uncertified bulbs not from nursery stock.

Like your blog!

EagerLearner

Thanks Davesnave - the plants are outside so will leave them and not worry too much about the holes...

The garlic though is shop bought and is indoors on our kitchen windowsill, will see how it goes. I guess if we get the onion eelwork we'll see it quite clearly and I will start again... I didn't split it though, do I need to unearth them and do that? Also just left the top of them peeping through, is that ok?

I will be updating the blog today with another recipe, hopefully useful to people x

newlywed

I have been trying to grow rocket and spinach in pots on the windowsill. Spinach isn't doing too badly but the rocket seems completely stunted

I have three leaves and it's just stopped growing. No amount of watering or drying out or anything seems to make any difference Does it not like being on the window ledge? Is there something I should feed it (only have houseplant tablets you plant in the soil and didn't want to do that)?

Anyone any clues?????

Lotus-eater

At the moment I would put your rocket outside and not try to grow it inside........ thats if you have an outside.
Try sowing some more in fresh compost, it should (given the name) grow very quickly.

competitionscafe

newlywed wrote: »

I have been trying to grow rocket and spinach in pots on the windowsill. Spinach isn't doing too badly but the rocket seems completely stunted

I have three leaves and it's just stopped growing. No amount of watering or drying out or anything seems to make any difference Does it not like being on the window ledge? Is there something I should feed it (only have houseplant tablets you plant in the soil and didn't want to do that)?

Anyone any clues?????

I have exactly the same problem, except with lettuces. Started some inside in mini coir pots so that they can go into the windowboxes in a week or two to replace the radishes. The ones sown in tubs outside are fine (but I have had to go out and catch slugs each night and also put netting over them to deter the squirrels). The ones outside are doing fine but the ones inside just stopped growing - I can only guess it's because the light levels are too low inside?

All my rocket is outside and growing fine but the wild rocket grows much more slowly than salad rocket.