Where do I start??!!

[Hazel at the Hill]

You could always sow up a pot of peas on the windowsill whilst you're waiting, Shelle (thanks for the brill idea, Alice!) - takes about 3 weeks for them to get tall enough to be snipped off and used in salads - they regrow, too! There's a thread all about it here:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ghlight=shoots

Exciting, isn't it!

[Alice]

Hello Shelle, you've certainly been getting some great advice on here. I've grown lots in containers for want of a proper kitchen garden, but all that's changing this year as kitchen garden is underway and I'll mostly be using raised bed. I'll still be growing some things in containers as it works so well.
Can I suggest you look about the car parks at the supermarkets for things you can use as containers. Those big crates things get delivered in sometimes just get abandoned. If you line them with porous membrane they make grear containers. I grew my lettuce, carrots, spring onions, radish and purple top milans in them last year. I've got my garlic doing great in one just now.
If your desperate to be started things you could try just now
Early Nantes carrots. Use deep pots (like for roses) filled with compost. Take the time to set the seeds out 1" apart each way, cover with compost and keep indoors until germinated. Then put them outside in a sunny, sheltered spot. Mine are starting into real leaves.
Lettuce and mixed salad leaves likewise, and some spring onions.
I would also recommend you get some fleece. You can use this to cover your pots at night and on cold days. It will give you protection from 2 or 3 degrees of frost.
Another suggestion is while you only have a few containers and the season is early, if you can raise the containers up off the ground - the higher the better - as this will give you a temperature advantage. A pot sitting on a chair might be 4 degrees warmer than a pot on the ground. If you have a couple of pounds left in the kitty for the project I would suggest one of those cheap plastic staging things for that reason.
It's quite late, but not too late, to plant some garlic. Try some from the supermarket. Just divide it into cloves and plant them a few inches apart in a pot. Wait for it to shoot and put it outside. It's fully hardy. You won't get a great crop but you will get something.
And you could be growing peppers and chillies on a sunny windowsill. If you want seeds for some, PM your address.
Hope there's something helpful in there for you. Happy gardening.

[wellie]

Nick, 6oz. BF&B in 35 litres compost. Did I read that correctly? Seems quite a lot.....

[nick the grief]

that wrks out to JIno3 strength

[wellie]

Perfect. Thanks Nick.

[Shelle]

Another quickie question (or two )

Was looking around today for ideas where to get the best size containers from. Think Wilkinsons is my best bet as Yorkshire Trading, Morrisons, Asda and Focus had nothing.

Will 40cm size square planter or oblong planter be ok for potatoes with say 2 seeds?

For the carrots and beetroot, will 30cm do?

Saw some 15cm planters and wondered if that was any good for the radish (as I am planting a few waves) or is it too small??

What size do I need for spring onions? Same as beetroot?

When in focus, I noticed that had a promotion on a product called Growmore which mentioned it should be added to compost before adding potatoes or other veg to it. This leads me to ask do I need anything like this? just intended to use compost and a few of you have said this is ok. Just needed to check as obviously once I sow it is too late!

I also found some fleece in Poundworld (for a £1 ) but also saw some in a roll at Focus for £5.99. Is this one of the ocassions where quality matters and I should spend a little more?

Still cant find any Charlotte potatoes, but think as I have 10 Kestrels, I may stagger them over a month and not bother with Charlotte if I still do not find any. Is that a good idea??? Had also intended to get King Edwards as I liked the idea of storing some, but understand that maincrop are difficult to grow in pots?

Think I should stop rambling on now

[Alice]

Hello Shelle, I think maybe you are worrying too much. Sometimes the answer is just suck it and see. BUT
for your potatoes, buckets from B&Q for 99p with holes drilled in them will be fine
for your radish, anything 4" deep ( 10 cm) will be fine
For carrots 8" deep pots (20 cm) will be fine
AS for the fleece, look on the packet and see what they claim. Does the £5 stuff give 5 times the protection of the £1 stuff, or is it a longer roll - or what. Sometimes you just have to decide. Good luck with the project.

[bramble]

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

Hi Shelly, my advice to you while you are waiting. Read everything you can lay hands on about container growing. go to your local library, they are sure to have some books on the subject as container groeing is so popular.
As someone else said, do try tumbler tomatoes in hanging baskets, they are very successful grown this way. One last thing, get a pot or window box qnd grow your own herbs, they will always come in handy
Good luck and keep us informed of your progress.