Potato Grow Pods - Any good?

usignuolo

I have a small urban garden surrounded by other gardens. My modest attempts to grow even a few fruit and veg have all resulted in a field day for the local marauding squirrels, who knock over the tomato pots, climb up the sunflowers and dig up the bulbs. What the squirrels don't get the snails do. I have pretty much admitted defeat and am planning to extend my patio instead.

However the new extended patio will have room for a few containers and I found myself tempted by an ad for Potato Grow Pods. I figure I could cover up the tops of the pods while they are growing and they would be too heavy for the squirrels to push over. Has anyone tried them or indeed the minature orange trees (4 foot) in containers, available from Garden bargains.

Any recommendations?

castafiore41

I would not personally recommend investing in a plastic pod but rather either a wooden planter or a very large terrracotta/solid pot. Plastic will not last very long and will start to disintegrate in a few years.
To stop squirrels, mice and other undesirables from getting to your spuds or bulbs, place a piece of chicken wire on top of your pot and secure it in place with a piece of string or wire around the circumference of your pot/planter.
Against snails: if you are using a pot or planter, new compost will be free of eggs. To keep it this way the organic solutions I prefer are, either sprinkle the top of your pot with sharp sand or find grit, get some chickens (free eggs and entertainment a bonus) or place a band of copper all the way round the top of your pots (expensive).
Hope this helps!

alanobrien

Grow pods or grow sacks are nothing more than canvas bags. I was in Wyvale yesterday and they were selling a set of them for £7.50 so at the very least shop around before buying them. I grow all my veg in containers for similar reasons, i live next to a wood with a lot of squirrels that enjoy visiting and wrecking everything in site. For spuds i now only use large plastic bins which are relatively cost effective. long lasting, secure and have a decent volume. That said they are not very pretty to look at but can be disguised.

example here;
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9218302&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatal!!!1%2fen_GB&fh_search=bin&fh_eds=%C3%9F&fh_refview=search&ts=1262519764991&isSearch=true

This method has worked well for me for the last 5 years now.

Surfer

Alanobrien, I like your idea of the bin. We were going to buy grow pods from garden bargains but when they added on delivery charges it suddenly became a non runner. If you use the bin as described, is ther a need to drill drainage holes at the bottom or on the sides. Is there a gardener's typeforum that you can recommend please?

alanobrien

Mine came with drain holes in the bottom so i didnt need to drill any. In fact i wouldnt have drilled holes anyway. i would put a couple of inches iof gravel in the bottom to act as a drain barrier rather than drill holes in it.

There are many garden forums around
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/ is a very general one you may find of use.