Growing your own veg and fruit

apprentice_tycoon

OK - it's dead easy, you get a bucket or dustbin, drill some holes around the sides about 2" up from the base. Put some small pebbles in up to these holes. Then put in some compost, either bought or homemade (don't use soil it will dry rock hard) you put the potaotes on the compost, about 5 small ones will do. Cover with compost. This will only be about half way up the container. When the leaves grow and are clear of the surface add more compost and keep filling it up as the stalks get higher. When the foliage starts to die off in mid to late summer tip them out and eat.
You might be able buy some seed potatoes at a garden shop (it is so late they may have sold out) then you can give it a go this year, even if you can't buy seed potatoes you might want to just give it a try with supermarket spuds, just to see what happens

calleyw

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

You might be able buy some seed potatoes at a garden shop (it is so late they may have sold out) then you can give it a go this year, even if you can't buy seed potatoes you might want to just give it a try with supermarket spuds, just to see what happens

I bought a net bag on saturday from wilkinsons for 75% off so they where grand total of 63p.

I planted what I wanted. Only have a small garden and only moved in 2 months ago so still getting to grip with things. Gave the rest to my mum and dad. I will then be able to raid there garden later on in the year. LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Yours

Calley

soba

Thanks apprentice tycoon and calleyw, I'll be on the lookout for seed potatoes over the weekend, but is there a problem with using spuds from my cupboard?

apprentice_tycoon

Yes and no - the good thing is they are cheap, or even free if you were going to throw them out because they were sprouty. What makes proper seed potatoes different is that they have been bred to be disease resistant etc and in theory they are supposed to be better. In practice I have used old household spuds and they've been fine, in fact I have found potatoes growing in the compost bins that have grown from discarded spuds or even the eyes cut off when peeling, you cannot get anything cheaper than free spuds grown in your 'rubbish' - magic!

apple_mint

I have two netto potatoes growing in a bucket by the back door. They have healthy green foliage - the best plants in my garden at the moment!

Loadsabob

J_Tous wrote:

Rocket is really really easy to grow and I have found that the slugs don't attack it so much, plus it is quite expensive to buy in the supermarket so I can feel smug! Sometimes it can 'go to seed' in hot weather but if so don't despair, just keep the seeds when they have dried for next year.

I had a wonderful first year of rocket, couldn't pick it fast enough. I did it in a shallow couldron-type pot. The second year it was really poor, and bolted right away. This year I had one picking from a shallow tray I sowed, but then it went to hot and woody - I left it in the "greenhouse" and really it should have been outside! I agree with you, it's great thing to grow, and one of the most economical really, when you consider the cost of the supermarket stuff! I haven't saved the seeds before though...should do that!! How silly of me!

I wish I had a proper greenhouse, I'd grow peppers, as they're another thing that is expensive to buy, compared to, say, carrots...

J_Tous

Loadsabob wrote:

I wish I had a proper greenhouse, I'd grow peppers, as they're another thing that is expensive to buy, compared to, say, carrots...

Have you tried growing peppers outside? I grow all my tomatoes outside as I don't have a proper greenhouse and they are always fine, so I was thinking of trying peppers outside this year too. Mind you, I do have quite a sheltered sunny garden. If you are down south it might be ok. I've sown some chilli peppers already so I'll see how they do outside, as my window ledges will be full of basil plants!

Anne_Marie_2

soba wrote:

Can someone please, please tell me (as a complete novice) how to grow potatoes in a bin? I did see an item about it on Gardener's World ages ago, but didn't pay enough attention. Also is it too late for this year? Please remember that you are dealing with a complete numpty gardening wise, so you may have to use child-like language!!

Further to advice already given, have successfully grown potatoes from old sprouted ones which would be going in the bin anyway. Have had great succss in planting around September/October, to get nice new baby potatoes for Christmas, although the yield isn't as good with earlier plantings, but what the heck, they taste great!

Trying2Save_3

Yes I've grown peppers outside, I live in Berkshire. We are just talking about peppers on another thread (don't know how to do the link). They didn't grow as big as the ones in the shop, but they tasted great. You can grown them from the seed scraped out of one you have used for cooking. Got some on the windowsill now. Also a thread called my baby seedlings.

squeaky

Trying2Save wrote:

Yes I've grown peppers outside, I live in Berkshire. We are just talking about peppers on another thread (don't know how to do the link).

Hi, If you take a look at the bottom of the Welcome sticky - follow the clue in my signature below you'll find a pointer to the place where you can learn how to do links. HTH