growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

Mellika

I'm really excited coz yesterday I got from Freecycle a whole lot of plants. Of course I can only put them in containers since I have no garden.

I'm particularly excited about a few strawberry plants, but they're only young, I really don't want to mess it up

candygirl

I am a complete novice gardener but might have a go at growing my own potatoes this year.How do I go about it, if I grow them from sprouted ones I already have?

chinatown_2

Mellika wrote: »

Hello, again, I have another question

I've read through the thread and you all mention adding compost as the potatoes grow... Would that be adding compost over the leaves? Isn't that bad for the plant?

I'm sorry I'm so ignorant, but I'm determined some day I WON'T be!

Still, ATM I need your help...

PS: Any idea how to put wholes on a bucket if you don't have a drill?

Either do what I did and use a cross head screw driver, loads of elbow grease and keep at it. Or, more rapidly, heat a metal skewer (or maybe a screwdriver?) under a flame then melt a hole in.

richyrich7

candygirl wrote: »

I am a complete novice gardener but might have a go at growing my own potatoes this year.How do I go about it, if I grow them from sprouted ones I already have?

It's a little late now for any thing but trying a few earlies in a bucket or large pot. Potato's are usually planted in the spring. Planting starts as early as late Feb depends where you are in the country

willt

Are there any types of fruit or veg which are well suited to growing in tubs / containers ? Bit tight for space so this is my only option, tried a small blackberry bush this year which died with a month despite being treated like a new baby

blackwidowz

Hi my son who is 6, has just started to grow things, now has Runner beans, carrotts, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and strawberries all growing nicely in containers.
i am very proud of him..

Lemoncurd

I was thinking about this yesterday while yearning for a bigger garden. This year we have a growbag and pot with tomatoes in (they are doing loads better in the proper growbag). Also planted espalier trained fruit trees along the fence last autumn (one per fence panel). Our blackberry and blackcurrant bushes that I planted last year have also not been sucessful, they are still alive but gave no fruit at all so Ithink I might have cut them back too far.
The only other thing I've squeezed in is lots of different herbs, these have done really well!

There are so many things that can be grown in pots/growbags etc even potatoes and carrots etc We used to grow a lot of things like courgettes, peppers, aubergines. Strawberries look lovely in pots.

I keep on getting emails from a site which has a huge section of ideas. It might be http://www.harrodhorticultural.com could be worth a look for inspiration.

greyhoundcrazy

If we are talking things that can be sown now and perhaps over wintered then I'd say:

Lettuce - you will need a fast growing variety, such as little gem, or a winter hardy variety that you can keep sowing over the winter. You could also try cornsalad (lambs lettuce).

Spring onion - Try the winter hardy version of white lisbon. You can pull these when little, or leave them to bulb up into bigger onions.

Perpetual Spinach - Is a kind of leaf beat that looks and tastes alot like spinach. Cut leaves from it and they will keep growing back.

Rainbow chard - big green leaves grow on rainbow coloured stalks (you can eat the stalks and the leaves)

Radish - you can sow those now and they will be ready in 5 weeks or so.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I don't have a garden at all - but we have runner beans, mange tout, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, rosemary, chives, more strawberries, sage, thyme, rosemary, nigella, lettuces, geraniums, nasturtiums, sweet peppers, chilli peppers, plus tons of flowers, lavender, aloes, and anything else that gets rescued from by the communal bins when neighbours have given up on plants. I also have coriander, ginger and more tomatoes growing on the kitchen window and decorative plants everywhere else!

Everything has to be grown in a pot, tub, bucket or whatever container I could scavenge.

I grow the stuff that is either not as good from the factory farms or things we eat vast amounts of (hence the tomatoes). Next year we are going to take advice from our neighbours and grow cucumbers up across the top of the balcony.

almar_2

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I don't have a garden at all - but we have runner beans, mange tout, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, rosemary, chives, more strawberries, sage, thyme, rosemary, nigella, lettuces, geraniums, nasturtiums, sweet peppers, chilli peppers, plus tons of flowers, lavender, aloes, and anything else that gets rescued from by the communal bins when neighbours have given up on plants. I also have coriander, ginger and more tomatoes growing on the kitchen window and decorative plants everywhere else!

Thanks for your inspiration. I would like to try growing veg in containers, in fact most of the above, as I am in a wheelchair, this sounds like it would be a great hobby that I could manage without relying on others for a lot of help.

But where do I start and when do I start?

I will read more posts of course - but would love tips for an absolute beginner please.


almar