Where do I start??!!

[Shelle]

Hello there! What a great forum this is!

I have lots of questions, but think I should probably just start with one or two(!) and work my way through them!

After a bit of reading through threads, I have decided to try growing veg in containers and see how I get on. I have bought a variety of seeds today, and will need to buy some tubs at the weekend.

First question. Liked the idea of growing potatos in bags. I thought I saw in another thread that the lager the better, especially those with a flat end to sit on. Looking today in my lunch hour I culdnt find any like that, only thin end ones. Should I be looking for some with a flat end? How large a bag? 40 litres good or not? Compost or grow bag? (I know that is more than one question!!). Also is it ok to sow in compost and nothing else?

Second question. Amongst seeds bought today, I got some kestrel seed potatos. Had intended to get some first earlies but couldnt get any. Says on packet to sow from mid april. Is that right? Have I bought them too early? What do I do with them til then? How do I know how they should look when I buy them? Mine have some shoots, is that ok, or do I need to do some chitting on my bedroom window sill (no heating on there)?

Will stop there with this subject! Have lots more questions but will start another thread (unless you think I should continue on this one??)

Please bear with me!

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi and welcome to the Vine Shelle.

Looks like you found out how to edit!

I grew spuds in buckets last year - I used the flower buckets from Morrisons (the ones they sell for 99p for 8). I used multipurpose compost with a bit of well rotted horse manure in some and pelleted chicken manure in others. Just popped one seed spud in each bucket and waited. The crop wasn't huge but then I did get a bit impatient, but they were delicious. Going to do the same this year but promise to water them more and wait longer! Best thing with the smallish buckets was that I could move them about to mow the lawn, weed the patio or whatever and could also move them to the shade if they looked as though they were suffering.

I also grew dwarf beans in the same buckets and carrots too.

My one tip is - write everything down this year, that way you will have a note of what went good and what went bad that you can refer to next time. Enjoy growing your own and see it as a learning curve this year to improve on next year (hoping to make some improvements this year myself!)

Have fun!

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Shellie, and a very warm welcome to the madhouse oft reffered to as the 'vine! There's a great bunch of 'grapes' on here, some of whol really know their stuff, so please feel free to ask away with the questions, not only will it give you the info, but could help others who are too shy to post or havent yet realised that they needed to ask that question!

Dont worry, theres no such thing as a daft question, we've all been newbies, in fact I still am one!

If you've tatties that arent due in yet, then place them rose end (the one with the most eyes in it) up in a cool bright frost free space (prefferabl;y not in direct light) and let them chit, if you do it this weekend, then they should be just about ready for planting at Easter!

As to the rest of the questions, I'm sure another of the more knowledgeable grapes will be along soon with some naswers for you!

Good luck with the growing, hope your crops are bumper ones this year and that you enjoy the vine as much as the rest of us grapes!

[wellie]

Hi there Shelle,
My real name's Shelley, so I feel acquainted already if that's ok with you !
Trousers and I grew potatoes in used compost bags year before last, then in plastic trugs (the sort with handles, and drilled drainage holes in before we planted) and the latter was so much more successfull. Much easier to water or liquid feed.

We've been growing now for about 3 years in our garden (no allotment) and are finding this forum very informative and huge fun - only been a part of this forum since January this year, and believe me, you won't need to go anywhere different for advice or entertainment !

Best of luck with it all,

[Shelle]

Actually my real name is Michelle, but get called Shelle!!!! So possibly a large trough/tub may be better provided I have drainage? May be easier for me to get actually, as I recall Wilknsons having a large trough for £2.29, may be worth looking in that direction.

Thanks!

[Benacre]

Tubs are great as you have control over the soil type feeding etc and Kestrel are a second early but I ignore that phrase. "New" Potatoes stay in my plot up until the first frosts only because I have no need to dig them all up for a follow on crop. but in theory second earlies are the fill in crop until the lates arrive.
You pays your money you takes your choice.

[rustylady]

Hi Shelle, Welcome to the madhouse - how much space do you have? Garden or allotment? This info will help us to help you.

I've always grown spuds in open ground, though I know they can be grown in containers, and I've always meant to try them this way. What else do you intend to grow?

[nick the grief]

Hi Shelle,

Welcome to the Vine.

You can grow your spuds in compost bags, Buckets Tubs large pots or whatever you want. If you use compost bags kust roll them down put a layer of Compost in, put your spuds in then top off with about 5" or 6" of compost/soil/growbag or a combination of the three. then as they grow top them up (instead of earthing up) then when the bag is about half full leave them. Just make sure the don't dry out & give them something like tomato feed once a week and then you'll be oicking spud in about 12 weeks ish.

The compost can be spread over your garden ( but not where you are going to grow SPuds or tomatoes.

As to the shoots, stand them up in trays with the shoots uper most in a bright cool place but not in direct sunlight and they'll be OK.

[Shelle]

You are all so good!

Dont have an allotment, so am using garden space. Cant use garden at present as live at home with parents (thanks to high house prices and inability to get a mortgage!) and they use it all for flowers. Have agreed to a small section for my tubs! If sucessful may well let me use a bit of ground!

In the meantime, am planting in containers only, so will buy a few large ones.

Seeds I have bought:

Beetroot Bolthardy - plant in one tub (largeish) filled with compost. How many seeds?

Parsnip Hollow Crown - plant in one tub, presumably deep for roots? Filled with compost. How many seeds in tub?

Carrots Autumn King 2 - Plant in one tub, again presumably deep for roots? Filled with compost. How many seeds in tub? Packet says not to use manure. That is different to compost????

Radish Sparkler 3 and Spring Onion white lisbon - intended to get one large tub and plant these two together. Is that ok? Can I plant anymore with them? Compost ok? How many seeds in tub?

Potato Kestrel. Will plant 3 or so in a large bag or tub. What do I do with them until I plant? When can I plant - mid march or earlier? I had intended on buying some swift (if I could just find some!) and then King Edwards. Is that too much? If I have all three varieties, do I plant at same time or stagger by how much time?

I may well use more than one tub for each so would just multiply accordingly.Do I go off dates on packets, or dates on various websites? I had planned on sowing around early to mid march.

Sorry my questions are rambling on and on!

[nick the grief]

I would get some troughs as well as tubs for things like the Radish's & maybe even the beetroot as they don't have long roots. You could even get away with the spring onions.

Your Carrots you can mix multi purpose with some sharp sand and that will be OK you'd have done better with something like Amsterdam forcing as they are a quicker maturing variety but no matter.

Don't use manure on the carrots or the parsnips or they will fork.

As to seed sow them thinly and then as you pick them you can thin them out a bit more anyway. The beetroot isn't a single seed but a cluster so you'll probably get 3 or 4 plants from 1 "seed" so space these out a bit more (3 or 4 inches)

If you want some swift spuds try Alan romans website I think he sells 1kg or 500gm bags. I wouldn't bother with maincrop in tubs really they take too long & the yeild you get wouldn't really be worth the hassle.

If all your plantings are outside then I would wait till after any chance of frost has gone before you plant the spuds so mid march maybe OK. One thing you haven't got on your list is beans. If you get a nice big tub you could grow either runner beans or climbing French beans. If runners try a mix of red flowered & white flowered types or Painted Lady which is a bi colour (red & white) or you could try dwarf beans Hestia is a red & white dwarf bean. In the french bean department there are black podded, yellow podded so colourful & productive - you'll soo win your folks around Also if you like spinach get some seed of Swiss Chard Bright lights and plant in amongst the flowers dark glossy leaves & stems that are white, yellow & red - again ornamental & tasty.

[vicki]

how about some tumbling cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket? I've done them for the last couple of years and they've been fab!

[Shelle]

Thanks again everybody!

Two things I am still getting confused at (!). You mention if I spread compost over rest of garden not to do where I grow potatos or tomatos. But you also say it is ok to use a layer of compost in tub/sack etc to grow the potatos?

Is there a difference between the bags you buy? What should I be looking at for potatoes, and also for the other seeds? I had intended to buy multi purpose for all of the stuff. Is that still right???

Also manure - presumably this is not the compost/grow bags etc that you buy from diys, garden centres, supermarkets etc????

Think I am finally getting there, just need to look at containers this weekend and prepare in my mind what I am doing from mid march or so

[madderbat]

Hi Shelle and welcome
Re compost/manure - yes, there is a difference in that manure = well rotted animal droppings and makes a wonderful soil nutrient, but it is a bit too much for potatoes/tomatoes.
Compost - the stuff you can make from rotting vegetable waste or buy in bags from garden centres, is not so strong/rich.
As far as aI know Multipurpose is fine for almost everything (except acid loving plants).
Hope this helps. See you around

[nick the grief]

Hi Shelle,

ahh it was late when I typed that & I was dosed up on painkillers a bit WHat I meant was when you've cropped the spuds spread the spent (used) compost over the beds in the garden it will improve the soil but if you want to grow spuds or tomatoes in the ground don't put it there as you could transmitt disease/pests to the new crop.

Yes it does get confusing when you talk about compost as it can mean the stuf you buy from the garden centre or the suff you rot down in you compost bin.

Another use for it would be to put it in some more pots/tubs & use it to grow a different crop say Beans, Lettuce etc just ,mix a bit of Blood fish and Bone fertiliser with it to replace some of the nutrients that have been used up (about 6ozs to every 35 litres)should do it.

[Shelle]

Got you Nick! Sorry I got confused! Basically recycling the "used" compost! Good idea too.

Now I just have to wait and twiddle my thumbs whilst waiting for mid march onwards!!!! No digging, preparing the ground etc for me! Keep planning in my head and have my labels ready etc, just can barely wait