what to put in this??

[squashysu]

My hubby has just come home with a huge 5ft wooden container on legs, which looks like a coffin!! (thought my days were numbered!) anyway, we are gonna put holes in it and layer in some black plastic bags, paint it and then plant something in it, but i dont know what??

He is gonna get me a couple more, its pretty deep, can i ask your expert advice and find out what isnt too deep rooted, is Chard and Kale deep and could i plant them in it?

Thanks Grapes

One other thing, i have two grape vines that i moved from my last house and are in huge containers (acutally got small grapes last year), would they be ok in one??

SS

[bazzaboy]

SS, Are we talking 6 inches or 2 feet deep? Either way if it's more than 5" you can plant lots of things e.g. I grow mini carrots for stir-fries in window boxes (though I don't actually put them in the window... . But there is a "but" which is that containers and roots are more exposed to frost and you seem to be primarily thinking in terms of winter veg - if it's a harsh winter they could freeze solid, roots an' all. Kale and chard are both pretty tough so should be OK with a bit of root protection but last year I think it was Wellie (apologies if I've got that wrong) who wrote about a "summer salad bar" (i..e. all salad crops in one set of containers in a convenient spot) and one of your boxes might be suitable for that neat idea. bb.
ps the legs will need to be pretty strong.... a box full of soaking wet earth when it's raining hard will weigh a lot....

[Mrs Dobby]

Sounds like an ideal Strawberry table to me, not only keep the strawbs free(ish) from slugs, but also eay to pick!

[squashysu]

thanks
the legs are really sturdy, so will hold well, it carried printing press parts from Germany, v expensive, so the boxes are really really strong.

I like the salad bar idea, that would be cool and then i would have room in my plot for the chard etc.....

Mrs D, i have strawberries in pots at the mo and they are going great, i have runners coming from them, if i used this box, could i then use the runners to get more plants?? and how would i actually achieve this as they are not in the ground?

Hope you understand what i mean!!

THanks for your help - i may be able to fit one in the greenhouse once the toms etc are finished for winter.

SS

[Mrs Dobby]

Just peg the runners so that they are in soil and let them be for a while, once they've rooted up just cut off the runner part from the parent plant and they should be fine!

[bazzaboy]

SS, Nearly every evening there's one thread on GYO that gets into my brain and won't go away... and tonight it's your coffins..... There tends to be more questions than answers at this stage , like dimensions (any chance of a photo?) and are they tannalised (ie weather-proofed coz even though you're lining them the damp will get into joints and fixings so they may not last beyond one or two seasons); weatherproofing stain isn't as effective as tannalised (which is injected under pressure) but might be a worthwhile step. Also where are they to be located? - you mention a greenhouse which is probably ideal, is that in garden or allotment? (coz e.g. at home just outside the back door might suggest herbs etc). In the greenhouse they could also act as staging for, e.g., growbags, pots, modules etc. Another question: WHY are you using them, is it just because they offer additional growing space or perhaps you like the idea of a raised bed that's easy to work - in which case something that requires more rather than less tendering would make best sense and Mrs D's strawberry bed or many of the cooking herbs or seedlings/propagation perhaps would be ideal. Although you'd probably get some results I think kale and chard should slip down the list of priorities a bit if you've traditional space for them elsewhere as they're both fairly hefty and tend to like firm soil whereas you want to be thinking of low-growing plants. If you're particularly keen to grow winter crops in them - partic in the greenhouse - there's a big range of stuff like wild rocket, japanese onions, all year lettuce, purslane, lamb's lettuce, corn salad, land cress etc etc even spring onion and even at a pinch carrots that will survive and even grow a bit during a winter in Bedforshire.

I think it's a good venture and wish you well with it. Pleased to hear the legs are sturdy and that you'll remain squashysu rather than squashedsu bb.

[squashysu]

Hi ya BB,

Sorry i had an early night, but your post did make me giggle, so i have taken photos of my "coffins"

as you can see they are quite long about 2ft or a bit more and about 50cm wide and the depth of the actual body is 30 cms (you can see from the ruler), therefore i think they are useful, too useful to waste, the material they are make from looks like layers of ply glued together and they are quite thick (see the third photo), we are definately going to treat them with some good stuff and then line them with this black bags, i love the idea of strawberries, so i may just put some in.

I am gonna use them outside at the mo, because I only have a small plot in my garden, not lucky enough to have an allotment, but i think carrots will grow well and even spinach and lettuces.

One other question, Mrs Dobby says about pegging my runners on my straws, they are in large pots, so shall i peg them in the pots as they arent close enough to the ground to peg, hope that makes sense!! obviously a root forms from the end of the runner to make a new plant, anything is worth a go as straws are great fresh and i begrudge paying loads for them! and they never that good!

SS
enjoy the pics - i could even fit my twin kids in the coffins, thats how big they are ha ha (they are 7!)

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Pumpkin Becki]

Hi SS,
You could sink your existing pots of strawberries into the compost-filled 'coffins' up to rim level, then as the runners grow out, they will be at soil level level. Once the runners have their own roots and are established the mother plant can then be lifted out again pot and all.

[squashysu]

thanks Becki

BUT the pots i have used for my strawberries are ones i used for flowers in the past and are so so so heavy and wide and they wont fit! they are really really heavy, so i think i may just have to try and plug the runner into an adjoining pot, if you know what i mean! I will give it a go and see how we get on.

thanks though x

[HeyWayne]

What about herb boxes?

And remember, it's not the coughin that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in.

Or something like that!

[broadway]

Hanging Baskets / Veg / Winter?

Hello Folks,

I know it's a bit early to ask but I want to grow something in by baskets over winter, any ideas?

Thanks
Danny


**** Sorry, I meant to raise this as a new item ****

[deezyb]

And remember, it's not the coughin that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in.

Or something like that!

OMG - this reminds of what my dad would say to my daughter...often!!! Oh dear Wayne!

[squashysu]

What about herb boxes?

And remember, it's not the coughin that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in.

Or something like that!

i got lots of herbs in a raised bed that is near the kitchen window - my garden slopes down so at the bottom is a great raised bed with a nice wall and some lettuce and herbs in it!

By the way i not speaking to you wayne since the "special shoes" comment lol!!

SS

[zanussi101]

wow! i'm really jealous- they look great! we're always on the lookout for "rubbish" that we can use for planting. how about filling them with herbs- i've got a couple of half barrels just by my kitchen door so convenient?

[squashysu]

i got lots of herbs, i think i am gonna go for a salad bar and then next year onion sets etc.....

herbs are great though, thanks for all your help, i hope BB comes back and sees the pics i put on here for him.

SS