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Hi everyone, I'm Simon and live in rural Northants. Just joined today after lurking for a few months and getting loads of top tips from the more experienced growers here. I'm not sure if this is unusual for a member of this board, but my 'garden' is almost all hard landscaped and is best described as 'compact and bijou!', twas the compromise we made to get a good house in our budget! Consequently I'm spending every year figuring out what grows well in barrels, pots, and a small 1mx1m raised bed. So far I've found that courgettes (well 1 ball variety anyway) produce loads in tiny (6" cube) pots, and carrots, broad beans, kohl rabi, lettuce, pak choi, and even cabbages all do well in 10" pots or the raised bed. This year I'm trying out potatoes using old compost sacks and the potato bags you can get at the garden centre, also going to try to see if I can get cucumbers to grow in a pot. Any top tips for cuc's would be gratefully received. Wish me luck!
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Hello Cavalier and welcome to the vine. Hey compact and bijou is great! My garden isn't very big so I started off with containers. Now I've taken the remains of my lawn up and have 3 raised beds and containers. This is only my third year of growing so don't take all I say as gospel! I grow cucumbers in pots (about 10") and they do fine. You've just got to get the amount of water right as sometimes if the roots get too wet, I find they rot. I just put a cane in with them and let them grow up that. I'm also doing potatoes both in a raised beds and in potato bags. Haven't tried Kohlrabi yet but am hoping to grow some this year so you're one up on me there! Interesting that they grow in pots okay, might try that myself if I run out of space (which I usually do!!) Are you growing from seed?AKA Angie -
Kohlrabi was from seed, tried a red (Kolibri) and white (Logo) variety, both did quite well and you only have to have 3" between plants to get lots of golf ball sized roots so you can plant them 5 to a 10" pot. With the exception of leeks, which I bought as young plants and then filled an oak barrel with, everything I grow is from seed. Great news about the cucumbers, I've just finished planting my seed so fingers crossed I'll have a few plants soon.Comment
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I have to say I haven't grown cucumber from seed before, I've cheated and bought the plants at the local garden centre! Good news about the kohlrabi, didn't realise you could plant them that close together, that means I can squeeze even more in!!AKA AngieComment
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Hi Cavalier - welcome. Cavalier, Naseby - aha!
You can grow a surprising amount in pots - lots of people do. However, they then get seriously bitten by the bug and end up on the local allotments list!Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - SpringComment
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Yep, the losing side, but Roundhead didn't really sound as good
)
Funny enough I've already been looking in to an allotment, but my better half has forbidden me from getting one at the mo because my job keeps me very busy. I suspect when my work situation changes my name will be on that list!Comment
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Nor have I, but I thought I would give it a goOriginally posted by selfraising View Post
I got to that density on the KR playing around with different planting layouts. One thing to try is start at the 3" spacing, and when they are all golf ball size thin them out (i.e. eat every other one!) and leave the rest in for another month to get bigger ones.
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Good luck with the cucumbers! I'll wait and see if yours work and then might have a go mysellf next year!! Thanks for the tip on the Kohlrabi. It takes quite a bit of planning though, don't you think, with a small garden?AKA AngieComment
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Find out how long the list is in your area - some areas it's well over two years - you can always apply now, just in case!Originally posted by Cavalier View PostYep, the losing side, but Roundhead didn't really sound as good)
Funny enough I've already been looking in to an allotment, but my better half has forbidden me from getting one at the mo because my job keeps me very busy. I suspect when my work situation changes my name will be on that list!
Welcome to the Vine
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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Hi, Cavalier!
If you want an allotment one day, I would strongly recommend putting your name down right away - demand is very high at the moment and some councils are actually closing their waiting lists as a result! If you do get offered one before you are ready, you can always decline politely (and promptly!) with an explanation of the problem, whereas if you wait a while and then can't get on the list at all, you'll be kicking yourself! Or you could look around for an allotment buddy to share the load
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