sowing seeds straight into containers

[Carlyis]

hello!

i hope all you experts out there can help! i want to grow a few things in my garden (well its more of a yard) its lovely and sunny but but due to the lack of earth (and abundunce of concrete!) i am limited to containers. i've read that lettuce and some miniature root vegetables grow quite well containers?

Heres the thing... alot of the books and seed packets say to sow seeds indoors in propogators or in greenhouses. i have no windowsills or spaces indoors for propogators and no green house! .If i wait a bit until early summer, can i sow straight into the containers outside? also do the same rules apply for sowing? should i sow in rows then thin out when they germinate or should i sow in the correct spacing to start with?

sorry for all the questions, its just that the books are so confusing so i thought real people may be explain better??

thank you x

[Silverfox]

It all depends on what you would like to grow really:

Lettuce can be sown from seed direct into your pots outside, but wait until the weather is better (and if there is still a risk of frost cover the pots with something like bubble wrap. Plant them to the space distance that is recommended on the packets (but always sow a few extra in the pot just in case a few don’t survive). If I was going for lettuce in a pot would be tempted to go for a cut and come again type.

Tomato’s are always a good one to grow in pots. You can start your seeds inside now (I know you said that you don’t have any window space – maybe try keeping your ironing board up by a window), otherwise buy them as plug plants (ones that are already part grown for you) you can pick load of these up at car boot sales around April / may time – mainly due to everyone sowing far to many themselves.

French Beans / Peas can be sown direct into pots again once the frost has gone. If you plan to grow climbing beans then you will need some cane support. Otherwise you can get Dwarf French beans (Like Nomad) and they will grow to about 18” tall and will not need support. These also look great with a few flowers on the pot.

Potato You can also grow potato’s in pots – but when I tried mine they didn’t work all that well so another Grape might be best to help you there.

If you really did want to grow it all yourself and from seed then maybe invest in one of those portable greenhouse type things. A 5 level one will cost you about £20 but it does mean that you can start items off a bit earlier than just in the open air. It also means that you can keep other items sown while the pot is in use and you can transport it when the original item has died off.

[mandyballantyne]

I think you could start of carrots this way. WHat about courgettes from my experience they seem to be happy anywhere, just don't sow to many...

[Two_Sheds]

Whereabouts are you? If you're in the south you'll obviously get a few weeks more growing time than oop north. I don't have any windowsills either, & a tiny flat, so I got a folding table off Freecycle (or charity shops) and my seedlings sit on there until they're big enough to go outside. Because of my lack of space and no greenhouse, I sow as much as I can direct in the ground, once its warm enough (this also saves money that would've gone on compost of course)

[Alice]

Hello Carlyis, you can sow your carrots straight into pots. I planted mine in long toms (pots about 8" deep that roses come in). I took the time to space out the seeds about 1" apart each way, so no thinning. The pots were full to bursting with beautiful carrots. The variety was Early Nantes.
Spring onions did well in little troughs sowed straight in. No need to space out or thin. Just eat the thinnings. Radish likewise, and cut and come again salad leaves. Hope you find something nice to grow.

[Carlyis]

thankyou

thankyou very much for the excellent advice.. i am way oop north in the beautiful newcastle so i've got a bit of time to twiddle my thumbs til its warm enough but i'm very excited for some yummy carrots now x