Newbie's container growing project.

[Louiseness]

Hi there everyone,

Hope you guys don't mind a bit of a newbie introduction thread! I'm mostly interested in growing edible plants but am having to go with a mostly container-growing approach as I'll explain in a sec

After living in a flat for a couple of years I was so excited to get a garden where I could finally grow things. However, my first personal garden turned out to be a decked yard in a rented terrace. So I've sort of thrown myself headfirst into trying to grow a mad mix of mostly edible things in containers.

Before this I only ever managed to keep a cactus alive so it's very much trial and error! Not managed to grow a great deal this year due to only moving in and starting from scratch in May, but I've got overly ambitious plans for next year of course

So if anyone has any advice on the things I want to grow or other stuff that could concievably work in containers (or the one really shady bed I have) it would be greatly appreciated.

Here are a couple of pics of my garden as of today:



A view from the house. We've got - a giant sunflower , potatoes in a bag, a chilli plant, the ends of a few green beans still trying to flower for me, raspberry canes (and a tub where I just sowed salad leaves), butternut squash and my herb and fruit corner.



Bit of a different view. The purple and blue tubs are 40 and 60 litre plastic storage tubs, and seem to have worked pretty well so far as a bit of a Macguyver solution I think! Oh and you can see the only bed in my garden which is ridiculously shady and I've sort of optimistically planted a crown of rhubarb.



The sunniest corner of the garden where my herbs and trees live. Mint, lavender, oregano, french tarragon, thyme, rosemary, sage and chives, plus a blackcurrant and blackberry bush, and two little plum and greengage saplings we got free from a friend two days ago Oh and a sneaky bonsai!

If you got this far, thanks for reading and hopefully I'll be able to learn more from you guys!

[hiyatim]

hey louiseness, thought id reply as this is my first day back to the forum and i spent my first full year growing in containers. I use the ones they sell flowers from in supermarkets. i got a load for free, failing that some sell them around 10p each. ill just tell you what ive grown in pots and if you want more info on how they did feel free to ask.

Ive grown lettuce, carrots, parsnips, toms, chillis, peppers, spring onions, normal onions, beans, radish, celery, spuds, beets, cauli, brocolli, cabbage sprouts, cucumber, courgettes all in pots, probably other things ive forgotten too

ive only been growing 2 years so still learning also but happy to tell you how ive done. Least it gives you hope that it can be done

Good luck

[Louiseness]

Originally Posted by hiyatim

Ive grown lettuce, carrots, parsnips, toms, chillis, peppers, spring onions, normal onions, beans, radish, celery, spuds, beets, cauli, brocolli, cabbage sprouts, cucumber, courgettes all in pots, probably other things ive forgotten too


Good luck

Ooo, parsnips? That's promising. I was thinking of trying some when it comes to springtime. I know they take an absolute age but I didn't know how they'd work? The tubs I have at the moment are probably 30cm deep ish (too dark now to go out and check!) but I didn't know if this would give them enough room?

How did yours do? I was also thinking about peas of some sort, the beans did pretty well considering I had no idea what I was doing with them, but I don't really like beans so that wasn't a great deal fo use

[Thomas W]

Originally Posted by Louiseness

... my first personal garden turned out to be a decked yard in a rented terrace. ...

You should definitely consider removing 8 planks and build a kick ass raised bed all along the brick wall. Just store the planks somewhere and put them back in if you move again. Or maybe even build directly on top of the planks with some kind of isolation underneath the added soil.

--

"You know you're a gardener when you ..."

Originally Posted by Louiseness

... got overly ambitious plans for next year of course ...

http://www.vegetable-gardens.co.uk/forum/kitchen-vegetable-plot/3463-you-know-when-your-gardener-when.html Welcome home

Originally Posted by Louiseness

... , potatoes in a bag ...

or maybe in a pot:

Originally Posted by Louiseness

... The purple and blue tubs are 40 and 60 litre plastic storage tubs, and seem to have worked pretty well so far as a bit of a Macguyver solution ...

Make sure you punch holes in the bottom for drainage.

Originally Posted by Louiseness

Ooo, parsnips? That's promising. I was thinking of trying some when it comes to springtime. I know they take an absolute age but I didn't know how they'd work? The tubs I have at the moment are probably 30cm deep ish (too dark now to go out and check!) but I didn't know if this would give them enough room? ...

Definitely worth the wait. Homegrown parsnips are so delicious, especially if you have to clear the snow to pick them.

[claire2965]

is it too late to start pasnips for winter time or will they take too long

[The nut house]

I have had 3 whopper cucumbers from my container project this season so far

[Thomas W]

Originally Posted by claire2965

is it too late to start pasnips for winter time or will they take too long

Lesley recommends sowing in March or April, and harvesting from November to February, so it seems to be too late:
http://www.vegetable-gardens.co.uk/g...rowing-parsnip

It depends on where you live in the world, but I assume you're in the UK.

[The nut house]

I wonder if jerusalem artichokes would be an option? They're not too fussy and would give you a nice bit of greenery and sunflower like flowers too. Mine (not in container tho) are tall - about 7ft so would give you some privacy or block view from nosy neighbours too! Worth a thought?

[hiyatim]

Sorry Laura only just logged back on, ive tried both parsnips and peas both ways (in ground and container) and both have been better in the ground which would make me agree with Tom and take up some planks ( the best thing i did was make my raised beds). However i did get some parsnips from pots they were small but nice and the pots were probably 40cm i guess.

just as a boost tho the things i have grown really really well in pots - tomatos (had a great crop) cucumbers and courgettes (had so many i gave them away) lettuce (i find better in pots as the slugs seem to get to them less Springs ( just as big in a pot as in ground) beets brocoli and cabbage (had these in very big pots and had loads of success but u have to net the brassicas

good luck

[Louiseness]

Originally Posted by hiyatim

Sorry Laura only just logged back on, ive tried both parsnips and peas both ways (in ground and container) and both have been better in the ground which would make me agree with Tom and take up some planks ( the best thing i did was make my raised beds). However i did get some parsnips from pots they were small but nice and the pots were probably 40cm i guess.

just as a boost tho the things i have grown really really well in pots - tomatos (had a great crop) cucumbers and courgettes (had so many i gave them away) lettuce (i find better in pots as the slugs seem to get to them less Springs ( just as big in a pot as in ground) beets brocoli and cabbage (had these in very big pots and had loads of success but u have to net the brassicas

good luck

Thanks!

Unfortunately I can't quite bring myself to start pulling up bits of the decking - I felt a bit naughty when I hung a hanging basket for strawberries that I was supposedly not allowed to do according to our contract! Don't think the landlord would be too pleased if they did an inspection and half their garden was gone

I will definitely give the parsnips a go, though, I don't mind if they're smaller than average, I'll put them in one of the bigger tubs and see how it goes.

For the record, the potatoes in bags have started to come up and seem to be growing fast, so I'm pleased with that!

Also, I got some 'mixed salad leaf' seeds free from work which I'd just planted when I first posted, lots of little seedlings now

However, my fruit trees are not doing so fantastic but I shall make a new post for that