Containers for planting...

tink1981_2

I'm not too sure if this is the right place to post this but I couldn't find a gardening section

I'd like to grow some of my own veg this year but as I only have a back yard and no way of getting an allotment I thought I'd have a go at doing some container planting... I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for where I could get some containers from and what size i should be getting

Would be great if i could peppers, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, beans, beetroot, lettuce, parsnips, spring onions and rocket and any advice would be grately appreciated... particullaly on when i should be starting things off.

hope you can help

tink x

ScoobieGirl

For tomates I would use a grow bag one 99p bargain. Think they are good for peppers too, but you'll need to be on the south coast I think to grow these outdoors, but for the price of a growbag and a packet of seeds it probably worth a shot. For potatoes I would use a potato barrel like this but you can probably find a cheaper one elsewhere. The others you could grow in tubs - ask on Freecycle or wilkinsons are cheap. I know it sound neurotic but for the new ones I would rinse them out before use to get rid on any chemicals present due to the maufacturing process.

A bit late for this year, but for next year visit your garden centre in Oct/Nov they sell all the seeds of for 25p each!

Good luck!

annie123

:j Gardening section coming soon:j

you have lots of options.
I grow tomatoes in my flower beds and in hanging baskets with strawberries. Potatoes in old rubber tyres, lettauce...given up only food for slugs!!!! carrots grow in an old stone sink with garlic and marrigolds, peppers..kitchen window, parsnips growing this summer for the first time, not sure where i'll put them yet.
Do grow some herbs, fit into any space and very easy to grow from seed.
Have a look round I'm sure that you have things you could use rather than buying containers. Most things can have drainage holes put in the bottom.
grow bags can be good value.

start saving yogurt cartons etc for seed sowing and lables, old tights for tieing up things.

Good luck

lil_me

Tyres, now that is something I have one of and might be able to get more free, how would I go about that ?

troll35

The black plastic buckets that supermarkets display their flowers in are great for tomatoes and peppers. Some supermarkets give them away free, others make a small charge (local Morrisons sells them in packs of 10 for a pound). I have also bought quite a few tubs from the pound shop. Window box types are good for strawberries, lettuce, herbs, radish, carrots (the short stubby type). The square or round type are good for courgettes, beans, peas etc. Whilst it is nice to grow a few spuds they take up a lot of room in my little plot for quite a time so I grow faster crops instead.

annie123

Ours came from local tyre seller.
They have to pay to have them taken away so happy to give for free!!

I use 4 in total, 2 to start off adding a 3rd then 4th. This means I can move it around my garden each time.
When it comes to removing them, pull tyres up and off, take out spuds and dig in spud nice earth to plot next to it , plant up plot move tyres along for next time.

Lots of things can go in tyres, and you can change the heights etc.
happy gardening )

Keeps small people happy for a while as they repaint each year.

Judi101

I have heard you can use a black plastic bin to grow potatoes in. Not sure how though.

Rowan_2

We used a rubble sack this year.
You stick some holes for drainage, roll the top down, and fill it with compost. I stuck in 3 potatoes, covered them by a few inches. As the green shoots start to appear, you roll the bag up a little at a time and top up the compost to completely cover the green.

This is the first time I have tried it and it worked well.

I did find that the kids next door football knocked it over as it was a little unbalanced, which broke off all the green. This basically stopped it growing right at that point, but I left it till christmas to collect them, and we had enough for boiled potatos for 10. I reckon I would have got loads more, or at least, bigger potatoes if they had had more time to actually grow rather than being stopped short fairly early.

I am intending to do it again this year, though I am going to go for the huge buckets they are selling in B&Q just now for storage. not as tall as the rubble sack, but wider, not sure how it will get on, but I am willing to try it!

stefejb

I found a lovely tea urn in an alley last week and am going to use this for spuds after i've drilled some holes. In the same alley someone had dumped about 60 big basket things - not in a fit state for hampers - but the weave is very close so I'm going to use these too with some lining round the edge- am bringing them home a few at a time on the bike on my way home from work. i also have a couple of plastic baby baths and am thinking of using these too. it will look a bit weird i suppose but the gardens a disaster now anyway

Seakay

lil_me wrote:

Tyres, now that is something I have one of and might be able to get more free, how would I go about that ?

This thread is all about growing potatoes in tyres, lots of tips and advice:

http://forum.rivercottage.net/viewtopic.php?t=6971&view=next&sid=4c8ae4205642adb5a82b33e1e6f17d36

phizzimum

when I started gardening I thought that only proper terracotta pots would do, but I've come to realise that you can use just about anything! just remember you need drainage holes.

never look down on the humble plastic pot...people often give them away and once you're lovely veg is growing you won't notice the container.

Like most things in life it's whats on the inside not the appearance that counts!