growing own veggies in bags and pots (Merged)

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What a lovely first post tullymurrymoneysaver, welcome to MSE

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ianlomas

My wife and I grow most of our own food have a look at kittyskitchengarden.com for some ideas on composting and what to grow. Kind regards and happy growing

Strepsy

oops_a_daisy wrote:

I have got my wood to build 2 x square foot gardens :j just need my Dad to come round to build them. I got decking planks in the end as they were pre treated.

There is some concern over using pre-treated timbers as it's thought that the chemical treatment can wash off into the soil and be taken up by vegetables. If it is pressure treated I think they're ok, sorry, don't really know the full details but might be worth looking into.

purplepixi

I've had a go at growing a few veggies this year. I'm doing ok so far, beetroot, carrots, blackberries, strawberries, chillies.

I do have a question tho, apart from the chillies, all the seeds were shop brought. The chillies I'd saved from a plant that I grew a few years ago.

But I did try to grow seeds collected from a store brought red pepper. However, there was no life at all out of these. Are there some shop brought veggies that are modified so the seeds do not grow? Or was it just bad luck?

oops_a_daisy

not sure purplepixi - I know earlier on in the thread somebody did say you could use tomato pips so perhaps you were just unlucky this time - hopefully somebody with experience will be along soon with advice

as promised - a piccy of my tatties - well hopefully tatties

sophiedb

How good is this thread? :j

We have a small patch of concrete for a backyard, but so far we've got some peas and rocket growing in containers (protected by old net curtain), cherry tomatoes in wall boxes, and baby carrots in the propogator my hubby built for me. We've also installed a water butt and composter (too late for this year, but hopefully next..), and hopefully my mum's going to donate her strawberry pot - they always get muched by wildlife at her place.

The sight of those potato bags has inspired me though - wow! That's one thing we eat plenty of, but I never thought of growing them them that way.

churchmouse_3

Oops a daisy what you need for your clay is Horse S....! there are always people wanting someone to take it away for FREE!!!

Turbo_Gran

GREAT THREAD! I have always been a keen if amateur gardener, If you like watercress but find it too expensive I would recommend that you try growing American land cress instead I bought the seeds from a garden centre a couple of years ago and still have plenty as you only need a few plants, they are a 'pick and come again' kind of plant just keep taking a few leaves off each plant,it tastes just like ordinary watercress,
I would advise newcomers to either plant their runner beans in a deep container or to dig the soil on your plot down to quite a depth as runner beans need a deep root system otherwise grow some french beans as these are much more tolerant.
Find out where you local allotments are as many have an onsite shed/shop where even non-members can go to purchase such things as seed potatoes,compost,plants and seeds etc also lots of free advice!

Calephetos

purplepixi wrote:

I've had a go at growing a few veggies this year. I'm doing ok so far, beetroot, carrots, blackberries, strawberries, chillies.

I do have a question tho, apart from the chillies, all the seeds were shop brought. The chillies I'd saved from a plant that I grew a few years ago.

But I did try to grow seeds collected from a store brought red pepper. However, there was no life at all out of these. Are there some shop brought veggies that are modified so the seeds do not grow? Or was it just bad luck?

Someone told me that store-fruit is often sterile; it's been grown in such tight conditions that you won't get viable seed from it. I've got pepper plants from a shop-bought capsicum, but no flowers yet (they're a little temperamental, mine) but OTOH, my mother swears she got tomatoes every year from chucking salad scrappings into a pot

I'd believe it about the supermarket peppers though. You might get pretty flowers though, and they're supposed to look lovely.

I got some chilli seeds from eBay - some black and purple ones, though I've not grown any this year. Once we get settled again, I'll get more of a garden going. ATM, my 'greenhouse' is my bedroom windowsill, as we've a shadowed, cold garden of gravel that everything hates. Moving within the next three months though (or else!)

How on earth will I move my plants across the country? :shocked:

stanzelsa

I've grown peppers from shop bought in the past but it was a few years ago & maybe they are more overtreated these days. I'm having another go now, hope they work cos my little nephew's been helping & I don't think he'll be happy if they don't. trying lettuce spinach radish spring onions & carrots in pots in back yard, radish doing really well but others still too tiny to tell. Nephew was encouraging them to grow by telling them to beat the other ones yesterday, ahh sweet!