growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

Dreamy

try wilkinsons for seeds I got a lot of diffrent ones from 40p (carrots) to £1.50 (mixed peppers)and compost for 97p a bag

Dreamy

also lidl is selling seeds really cheep next week (just got an email) and my local B&M have strewberry and rhubarbe plants as well as potato onion and garlic sets

studentloan

Hi, I thought I'd write a diary about my news resolution to plant fruit and veg. I live in a rented house and realistically can only use the back yard which is concreted over and is small. I don't know the exact measurements or what direction it is facing but i'll find out and post it up.

I have so far got for christmas from my fianc!e "the ultimate patio collection set" item 4374 from https://www.dtbrownseeds.com for £34.99. It includes

Runner Bean Hestia, Aubergine Ophelia, Beetroot Pablo, Cabbage Pixie,
Carrot Amsterdam Forcing 3 Sprint, Cauliflower Cool F1, Courgette Climbing Black Forest, Cucumber Bush Champion, Herb Baskets of Basil, Herb Mint Mixture, Salad Leaves Mesclun Mixed Leaves, Salad Leaves Mixed Salad Leaves, Rocket Apollo, Lettuce Tom Thumb, Spring Onion Spring Slim,
Parsley Moss Curled, Pepper Antohi Romanian, Radish French Breakfast,
Tomato Tumbling Tom Red, Potato Tubs x 3, Potatoes Charlotte 1.5kg and Strawberry Flamenco x 12.

It hasn't arrived yet lol

I have since found I can better value elsewhere e.g. the wilkos where i work had a 75% sale on seeds as they were changing the range recently. Oh! and lidl from this thursday are selling seeds from under 30p

I had a few pots from previously growing herbs but decided I needed more. I put an add on freecycle and got some 20l cartons with handles (used to hold petroleum jelly) and about 10 or so "tomato" pots from another generous freecycler.

In november (I decided on my NY resolution then), i bought 3 big pots cheaply from wilkos (reduced to £1 each) and got 3 raspberry, 3 redcurrant and 3 blackcurrant. I planted each variety in the same pot. In my limited experience the raspberries will be ok but the blackcurrants may not (i'll replant if this seems to be a problem). They seem to have survived the winter and the raspberry seems to be budding.

I got a cheap miniature fork and spade set from homebargains for about £2. (on the same day in novemeber also)

I have learnt to shop around and for seeds and other equipment as B+Q aren't necessarily the cheapest (I'll tell you what i did tomorrow).

I will post again tomorrow and tell you of the spending binge I went on lol

ceridwen

I'll be following this with interest - as I have to grow everything in containers.

Good luck.

NoahsPennilessMummy

I will be following this too as i had some disasters in pots last year:rolleyes:

That collection looks good as you get 3 potato tubs with it:D
I was thinking of trying raspberries this year too but wasnt sure if they would work in tubs

Patchwork_Quilt

If you haven't bought your raspberry canes yet, think about buying the ones with yellow fruit. They taste just as good and they're not as attractive to the birds

Good luck.

studentloan

NoahsPennilessMummy wrote: »

I will be following this too as i had some disasters in pots last year:rolleyes:

That collection looks good as you get 3 potato tubs with it:D
I was thinking of trying raspberries this year too but wasnt sure if they would work in tubs

Thanks guys for reading. The potato tubs were the main reason my fianc!e bought it as they are advertised as £20 in some places.

I forgot to say i also bought some rhubarb from wilko's for £2,l asparagus for £2, a red grape vine for £3 and a blueberry bush for £3 (it's budding already)

I bought loads of compost from B+Q, i felt guilty about using peat so I bought one with peat in it, one non peat based one and a smaller bag of 'erricaceous' soil for the blueberries.

Today in town I couldn't resist it, I was in poundland and bought a small but healthy looking blueberry bush for £1 (I have loads of the erricaceous compost left). I was in pound world aswell and bought a strawberry growing set for £1 and have the seeds in the freezer now. It helps them germinate better if they are frozen for 2-4 weeks. I don't know why but i'm guessing it simulates the British winter.

I forgot, last week I bought some a garlic bulb from the garden centre and put them in the small tomato pots.

At the min I have some onion seeds germinating in some compost (1p in wilkos sale). I also have some herb seeds (1p in wilkos again) thyme, chives, parsley and coriander which i will have a go at germinating. I plant to put them in an old plastic lunchbox with some compost and sow them.

Basically I'm following the instructions on all the packets.

I also have some flower seeds (1p again, from wilkos!!) and some small rose bushes that i bought from wilkos and poundland but don't know if you all want to here me whitter about flowers too.

My fianc!e also bought me a plastic shovel for the compost as apparently i'm too messy. It will help and i am grateful as compost is a nightmare to remove from your finger nails.

I have sorted out all the seeds i've bought from wilkos and put some of the duplicates on freecycle - wildflowers, petunia, chives, mustard, cress and lobelia

Most of the seed packets i've read say plant february so i'm awaiting Feb to get started. I may run out of window sill space so am looking at mini-greenhouses.

I still haven't measured the yard, it's too cold to go out in to it. I'll have to, to plant the new blueberry plant soon, I'll soak the roots in water for an hour indoors before I have to brave the outside.

studentloan

:mad:I put the two climbing roses and blueberry bush into some water before I plant them. It says to soak them for one hour. The roots of the blueberry bush just fell away lol:eek:

It still has the main part but the shoots fell away. I'm thinking of keeping this one inside on a window ledge to make sure it doesn't die!!! The one I bought from wilkos is outside already and showing a small bud.

A tip I have learned is buy a magazine such as "grow your own" it gives out free seeds. February's edition gives out free seeds for containers.Tomato garden pearl, rocket and carrot Paris market 4. I have subsequently subscribed and have a 2 year subscription for a bit over £50 with two ring binders free.

Whilst i'm in confession mode I also bought some patio fruit trees for £90ish. ouch!!! (i did cancel my setanta and downgraded sky). I have bought two patio fruit tree collections. It includes Apple Discovery M27 rootstock, Cherry Summer Sun M27 rootstock and Plum Victoria pixie rootstock. At least trees are easy to look after.

My other confession is I bought some flower bulbs in B+Q for a tenner thinking they were worth it lol. Looking online and in the local poundshop and garden centre i now know you can get bulbs for cheaper. I have planted most of them in the small garden at the front and some in trough containers that i got for £1.50 each in wilkos.

I'm now on a budget so I promise not to binge spend on seeds or bulbs or on anything for the garden from now on. I have now spent probably £200 so I really have to stick to this resolution. I have all the equipment I need, (would like a mini greenhouse though) so I will only need to buy compost which is a fiver for 75litres.

Bring on February!!!

MORPH3US

Great thread, will read with interest and also off to Freecycle to see if I can get any bits to help me grow my own....

OP, if you are able to post piccies as things progress, would love to see them.

scorpiostar

I'm on a waiting list for an allotment because I want to grow my own but have a tiny garden. Last year, I managed to grow a fairly respectable selection but nothing like the variety that you are attempting. I'm inspired to get out my gardening gloves and get stuck in. I'm usually fairly wary of plants & seeds from pound shops because I haven't had much success with them so I'm looking forward to reading how you get on. Good luck!