first time container grower

[Royboy]

This is my first post on this forum, I apologise in advance for the long preamble below, read last 2 paras. before you fall asleep

I have grown some vegetables in past years in open ground, but sadly I do not now have as much garden space. I am therefore attempting container gardening, and trying stuff I have not tried before. I have tatties in tubs, earlies showing through now. I have a raised bed with onion sets in-looks as though they are sprouting up now. I have bought a plastic coldframe and put a bit of staging in to create 2 tiers. The frame gets sun from noon till eve. I have sown carrotts in a trough-coming through now, pak choi in seed trays--look like 4 leaved clovers at the moment-I may transfer to raised bed this w/end. Parsnips in seed trays-no show yet. Sweet peppers and couregetts in pots since mid march but no show yet??

My question is regards leeks-I have sown in a trough and are coming through looking like tiny blades of cylindrical grass. What to do now with them? When are they the right size for planting into something and what into? I have a wheelbarrow I may use or just put into troughs?? Any advice please

Also, I am using westland vegetable organic compost --the surfaces of the troughs and seed trays have gone all algaefide and turned green, is there a reason for this??

Cheers
Royboy

[Lesley Jay]

Hi there Royboy and welcome to our forum!!

Both courgettes and sweet peppers need warmth to germinate - about 75F. If you still have some seeds left I would sow them again and put the pots on a nice, sunny, warm windowsill. I would also put the pots you have already sown on another warm windowsill because you never know! Courgette seeds need to be sown on their edge to stop the seeds rotting and the seedlings are very large. I transplant leeks when they are the size of a pencil, make a hole 6 inches deep with a wooden stake, pop in the leek and fill the hole with water. I don't think that a wheelbarrow will be deep enough for them.

[Royboy]

Thanks for your advise Lesley, I will try both suggesstions and use a trough 9in deep for leeks

[Royboy]

Why did I not think of it before!! An electric propagator I bought off ebay. That got cougettes germinated, just waiting for sweet peppers to appear.
I recommend gardenventures.co.uk. Very reasonable prices. G & T to celebrate.

[golden14]

I have found garlic grows very well in containers (Last year I only grew my veg in containers) - very simple to grow, although it's vital to get some that's organic as shop bought garlic (E.g. from any supermarket) is most often sprayed with root inhibitor to stop it from bolting, thus prolonging its shelf life. Alas this means it's useless for planting at home. Hence the organic route is required.
Last year I bought 1 bulb of Isle of WIght Garlic for 90p and split it into 25(!) cloves. This resulted in 20 bulbs of garlic a few months later - saving me a massive amount of money. Garlic seems to like the deep space containers offer and it's virtually idiot proof to grow. Sounds silly but its ready to pick when all the leaves fall flat and it looks like it's dead. It's my top container tip! I tried carrots but the normal varieties just came out as baby sized carrots - that said you can now buy container specific varieties of carrots.

[Royboy]

Now that I have all these seeds, as in above post, sown and a good many are going well albeit slooooowly, I am wondering what I can get ready between now and summer to provide continous veg through winter. All suggestions greatly recieved

Cheers
Royboy

[fromthecrowsnest]

I've just emptied a large half barrel of Pink Fir Apple potatoes and they really gave a good crop, better than in the veg plot. Much more water in the Summer I guess.

Today revitalised the soil with Blood,fish and bone and planted four pak choi plants for the late season and winter.

Having never grown pak choi before, does anyone know how large they will grow?