New Year, New Ideas.

[New_Bud]

Hey all,

There is a fair bit of info here, so I'll number some questions below. If anyone can answer any of them I'd be very happy

I finally got around to preparing my pots today for growing, by using the soil from my box-lottie that I made last year.

Also in my box there were worms (no slugs etc I took those out). I emptied that and used the soil from there to fill my pots.

After sowing some february suitable carrots into my trough, I started planning my other pots. Last year I grew beans (a no go) and peas (yummy), along with a pumpkin (weirdly, a great success), potatoes in my HUGE pot, some strawberry runners (that I bought late but should fruit this year) and some tomatoes and peppers etc.

Now this year, I wanted to stick some radishes in my trough, do a herb pot, grow the peas again, obviously I'm not going to throw out good strawberry plants so they're staying as they are.

This leaves me a hanging basket, the HUGE pot and a large pot (that I used for the pumpkin).

1) Was it okay I used the soil with the worms in?

2) What should I put in the hanging basket? Any ideas?

3) Will it be okay to do raspberry canes in the HUGE pot?

4) Any ideas for the other pot? I'm in a rut. Its about 50cm diameter. I'm open to anything

5) Radishes and carrots together - is this okay?

6) Can anyone reccommend a good fertiliser?


I know it's a lot, so if you actually feel like answering a question, just post the answer to one. Again, I'd be very grateful!

I just didn't want to take up forum space with lots of different questions!

Cheers.

[Geordie]

I'll try and give you my ideas for some of your queries.....

1. the soil will be ok to use but if you have grown something in in previously it may be low in nutrients....either mix with new compost or add a mutli purpose fertiliser.

2. A tumbling variety of tomato such as garden pearl.

3. I wouldnt...would go for maybe a blueberry bush or one of the special dwarf single stem fruit trees, apple, pear or cherry etc.

4. how about courgettes

5, should be just fine...even try some of the mixed salad leaves sparingly

6. organic or not bothered.....growmore, chicken pellets, miracle grow...list goes on!

Hope this helps.

[spennysaint]

HI

last year I had chillis and tumbling toms in a hanging basket. also had baby aubergine the year before (no idea what type but worked OK) . This year i have got two three tier basket trees so will do toms and chillis again (worked well) and then trailing/dwarf sweet peas with half pint peas, then another of hestia runner beans. Also might do some rocket and other lettuce type things. I'm lloking for ideas too so can't wait to see what others suggest

Claire

[shirlthegirl43]

Can't see soil with worms being a problem - after all, there are lots of worms in my garden and I don't think I would ever even start to get rid of them

Raspberries don't need very deep soil so maybe spuds in your huge pot?

You could try Tumbling Tom or another mini tomato in your hanging basket - or you could put your strawberries in it.

I think radish and carrot will be okay together but you would have to be careful not to disturb the carrots when pulling up the radish - maybe alternate rows?

Fertiliser depends on how 'green and organic' you are. Blood fish and bone meal or Growmore are good general purpose.

As to what else to grow - what else do you like to eat?

[spennysaint]

On the blueberry idea posted by Geordie. I have blueberry in a big pot from last year and was planing to put cranberry round it

Claire

[bazzaboy]

hi NewBud, I increasingly use containers, less prone to diseases, easier to protect, better for successional sowing etc. Of course there's downsides, quantity and watering being two such... but as far as I can see you can successfully grow anything in a container. The commercial companies have wised up on this recently and now they all sell various "patio packages" which for the most part work fine.
On your particular questions:
1. worms are the best (you could even think of having a wormery - another container! - to produce rich 'soil' from veg waste).
2. the obvious one is tumbling tomatoes - "Pearl" I think is one such, wiser Grapes will advise.
3. how huge? you could grow anything if huge enough, the aspect and soil is probably more important. Remember raspberries have a permanent site and prefer it quite damp.
4. how deep is it? I like growing squashes...
5. oh! dunno! i don't see why not.
6. GrowMore (NPK777) is the most usual general one, use before and during the growing season.

Also if you've space have a look at PW's recent successional salad thread, very useful.

b.

[New_Bud]

Nice, thanks guys!
I really love raspberries, so I think I will put them in the pot I used last year for the pumpkin in the shade of the house, so then it can be moved when it's really sunny for ripening etc. That way, they're in a nice permenant container with a decent volume of soil that will, with fertilisation, produce a good crop hopefully!

HUGE pot is a beast, seriously. About 75cm across, and REALLY deep. At least 50cm. It is the daddy of all pots. I did potatoes last year, so I wanted to do something new seeing as the crop was a little disappointing. What do you all think about brassicas? I'm sure I could fit at least a few on top, especially with the width. We LOVE brocolli and Colli.

Hanging basket - I did tumbling tom last year, but didnt get a SINGLE tomato. Was really disappointed. Any fruits I could try? Or maybe even chillis - we LOVE those to, the hotter the better!.

Fertiliser - I would prefer organic, so I'll probably go for chook poop- thanks for that tip! (Gosh I would love some chickens *sighs wistfully*)

Defo gonna go for the radishes now! Yum.

Cheerssss!

[Snadger]

I can answer question 3 from experience!

Last year I had a Grecian Urn I was given, positioned in my herb bed with a single raspberry plant in it.

It was one of those cheappie rasps from Poundland or something like that. The rasp flourished but only grew to about two foot high.
I had loads of rasps off it and would have left it where it was for this year if the recent frosts hadn't got to it and smashed it.

I wouldn't have believed I could have cropped so many rasps from a single plant.................so in essence, if you want to grow rasps in a lage pot, go for it! I did and will again this year (unfortunately in another container)

[cupcake]

I don't remember to water my hanging baskets enough, so I nearly gave up on them, but found that herbs do quite well, especially things like thyme, sage, and trailing rosemary.

[New_Bud]

Cheers Snadger and cupcake.

And cupcake that may be a great idea, that way I can do my herbs in the hanger and use the ground pot for some blackberries or something along those lines.

You lot are my think tank!

[Alice]

Hello New Bud. What was the problem with the beans ? Did you just not like them or get a poor crop. I find beans do very well in a container. In fact for the space used I don't think you can do better for a crop.
No worries about the worms.
Pak Choi does well in a container. It comes quick and early and produces a crop while you're waiting for other things. So maybe you could get 2 crops from the one container.

[New_Bud]

Hello New Bud. What was the problem with the beans ? Did you just not like them or get a poor crop. I find beans do very well in a container. In fact for the space used I don't think you can do better for a crop.
No worries about the worms.
Pak Choi does well in a container. It comes quick and early and produces a crop while you're waiting for other things. So maybe you could get 2 crops from the one container.

It wasn't just a poor crop, it was NO crop. The bees had a right good go at the flowers, but no bean pods were produced at all! It was depressing.

Pak Choi is a leaf, right? I'll look into it, don't know if we'd get use you see.