growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

hstrike

Hi. You need 2 blueberruy bushes within a reasonable distance of each other to help with pollination or you may get very poor amount of fruiting (as I found out last year). Unless you haev a self fertile one (unusual)

chaliepud

Do the two blueberry plants have to be of the same species or are they happy to pollinate with just any old blueberry? (floozies!)

studentloan

There's nothing really to look at yet. My sweet peas (flower) and some onions are now germinating. The weather is forecast to be freezing again this week end so I'm going to wait til Monday to do anything else.

I'm buying a mini greenhouse at the weekend as at the minute I have trays of seeds everywhere. I'm going for the wider shorter ones (hopefully won't blow over as easily) and it will be in the conservatory for a bit before finally going outside (in march)

My patio collection pack is arriving by the end of next week so I'll be abled to get started properly

I will then post up some pics.

I think the second blueberry plant I bought form poundland looks dead, I'm half thinking of getting another from Wilkos but i'm really limited for space and may pollinate the plant myself with a cotton bud.

Lidl have started the seed sail today prices from 29p so I may pop in and see if i'm missing anything from my plans but i think i have everything veg imaginable nearly:T

Lotus-eater

chaliepud wrote: »

Do the two blueberry plants have to be of the same species or are they happy to pollinate with just any old blueberry? (floozies!)

Complete floozies, they prefer a different variety as a pollination partner, indeed, they prefer a threesome.

chaliepud

Thanks, off to look at blueberry dating websites now!

TaniaM

If you need free plastic pots - go over to Wyevales they recycle them and you can pick them up for free - great for growing on seeds and small plants.

If you want cheap plants go to bootsales often much cheaper than shops.

Start making compost from paper / cardboard / left over kitchen waste (nothing cooked and no animal products!) - great for the environment and your pocket. :beer:

I got into gardening a couple of years ago when raising money for charity - now hooked and for last couple of years have been teaching myself how to take cuttings / propogating seeds etc - great way to make a little bit of cash - as we sell the sucesses at the front gate - helped to pay for part of our holiday last year. :T

Now trying a few more exotic's - baby coffee arabica plants.
Also going to tackle Pawpaw, Dwarf Pomegranate, Stevia (sugar subsitute) and Chocolate Vine. Found them all on a fab US website - Whatcom Seed Co - www.seedrack.com - really quick to arrive and good value.

Good luck with all the planting and don't forget to swap or sell any extra's! :j

Larumbelle

Isn't it illegal to grow Stevia in this country? :eek: I always thought it was!

TaniaM

Hope not!
On the US website it only mentioned that you couldn't do so in Aus.

ceridwen

silvercharming wrote: »

Isn't it illegal to grow Stevia in this country? :eek: I always thought it was!

Well...lets hope not (not that I care anyways about that....:D ) - as I've just thought "Ta - very much" and taken a note of that....:D

welshlil

really interesting, the items you are trying to grow. I wish you all the luck in the world. Last year, after relalising the cost of wooden boxes and troughs my husband made them for the garden [plastic ones we found split after a while]He is no carpenter at all, and some look quite rustic! They cost us hardly anything at all. The wood for the panels was made from recycling pallets, begged for from builders. Nails taken out carefully, and the wood cut to the required length. Put back together with the nails that we had taken out, to resemble a trough or box, leave a few small gaps in base. Lined with polythene from the peat/soil bags mostly 89p from No Frills [breathing and drainage holes in base] Finished off with a wood preserver [although most of pallets already treated] for £3.99 5ltrs at Hypa. I must admit I grew flowers last year, although I do have a flowering cherry and a palm. All have survived very well provided they are watered well - sometimes twice a day during the dry[?] periods. They have wintered well, and if tender easier to move to a sheltered spot. Had 60 tulips in one box that's 3ft x 2ft x 2ft - stunning. This year however I will be turning a lot over to veg - runner beans, carrots in the deeper boxes, salad stuff and herbs in shallower boxes. I have heard you can grow potatoes in tyres, has anyone tried this and if so how did they get on?