Help get me started with my patio veg garden (in pots)

[funstuie]

I went to Wilkinson's on Saturday morning and there was nothing left. I got a couple of bags of seed potatoes, onion sets, tomato plants, and a pretty pathetic looking raspberry plant (which is just a stick with roots at the moment). The shelves were empty, I think the good weather got people out and planting.

We then went to Wyevales and got loads of compost and few growbags and some strawberry plants and some salad seeds. I got a bit overwhelmed by the choice and it was so busy I left before I started buying everything in sight.

So on Saturday afternoon I set about planting some potatoes, the ones from Wilkinsons had shoots growing out through the bags so I thought they were already chitted and just planted them in buckets as is. I have since read that I should have rubbed the shoots off before planting, so they will have to come up this evening. I planted out the strawberry plants in a planter, planted a salad selection in an old bucket BBQ, got some herbs going in pots on the window sill, planted some tomato seeds in pot on a shelf in the kitchen along with some pepper and chilli under cling film.

finally I put the raspberry "plant" in an old fire bucket but it now just looks like I have planted a stick.

One of my neighbours spotted me doing all this work (our gardens are open to the road behind and being a conservation area the fences have to be no more than 3 feet high) and came over and offered me some wood from his old fence if I wanted to make some planters. So put together a planted similar to this:



which is about 5 foot long. I was very pleased with how it turned out, I lined it with a couple of empty growbags. This morning I got up and before I headed off to work I was looking out at it and thinking that wood is about 20 years old and has been treated so now I am worried about arsenic and all that. Should I be worried?

I still have some stuff on order and I have a load of seeds which need to be planted in seed trays first. What is my best "cheap" option for this as I don't have the room to plant them in seed trays etc. Could I plant them in old takeaway containers (the plastic ones) on the window ledge (which is covered in plants at the moment)?

[Mchanen]

Sounds like you had a very busy saturday, i would think your wood planter would be fine since you lined it with old grow bags anyway.

I think those old takeaway containers will be fine for growing your seeds- you'll be recycling at the same time

Sounds like it's a case of stick things where you can- think i'm going to have to start using the windowsill in the 2nd bedroom as i've used up all the available space down stairs already- it's not a very big house

[funstuie]

Sounds like it's a case of stick things where you can- think i'm going to have to start using the windowsill in the 2nd bedroom as i've used up all the available space down stairs already- it's not a very big house

My biggest problem is I only have one window ledge which the kitchen window. The rest of the windows don't have "legde's" as it's a 70's house and for some reason those hippies back in the 70's didn't bother with that sort of thing.

[funstuie]

Would carrots be OK in the B&Q buckets?

I have a packet of baby carrot seeds and a packet of early nantes seeds. How many seeds should I sow to a bucket?

Also I have a packet of pronto baby beetroot. Again can these be grown in a bucket? I have seem some pictures of beetroot in an old plastic wash basin, would this work as I have 2 spare wash basins.

[Mchanen]

Those pesky hippys

I think they will be ok- i'm going to sow some carrots into a cheap trough- as long as it's deep enough and you can space the veg out as the packets says then it shouldn't be a problem.

[00264167]

What have you got the carrots in? I thought carrots need really deep soil to grow in?

why do the containers have to be really deep, cant they be the size of the expected carrot ie. 5 or 6 inches?

im trying them in 6inch deep storage boxes, i thought if they get big enough and hit the bottom they would either bend or theyll be ready for pulling.

[tamsin]

I spaced my tub carrots about an inch apart in either direction. I would say 5/6" might be a little short for full size carrots but fine for the round ones or growing baby carrots. You probably want about 10-12" depth so they have a bit of space around them. You can pull them when you want so like you say just lift them when they hit the bottom

[00264167]

I rent too, although I have dug a big veggie bed
However, it soon filled up, and I have the following in pots:

Runner beans
Borlotto Beans
Peas
Carrots
Leeks
Cabbage
Cauliflower
PSB
Onions
Garlic
Gooseberry
Lettuce
Pack Choi
Potatoes

They are all different size pots, things like the brassicas are one to a pot, then the pak choi is about a dozen to a pot. Everything is doing really well, although water is a pain in the rear end!
Tomatoes and cucumbers are going in grow bag a bit later on.

Theres soooooooo much to choose from! Have fun!

what size pot are you growing your psb in? ive read different spacings from 9 inches to 18 inches.

[00264167]

I spaced my tub carrots about an inch apart in either direction. I would say 5/6" might be a little short for full size carrots but fine for the round ones or growing baby carrots. You probably want about 10-12" depth so they have a bit of space around them. You can pull them when you want so like you say just lift them when they hit the bottom

ive got amsterdam and nantes in there, iguess ill have towait and see how it turns out. im trying alot of stuff in the disposable wooden fruit crates you get free from greengrocers this year with not much depth. im taking pictures to upload on here at the end of the year if it works.

[Demeter]

what size pot are you growing your psb in? ive read different spacings from 9 inches to 18 inches.

It will depend a bit on the variety but I would be amazed if you could get away with 9" - I would say 18" minimum, 24" better. A mature plant can grow to more than 3 feet high will be at least 18" across, if not more. You might get one in a bucket if you can firm the soil enough, but with limited room available, and considering that the plant takes the best part of a year to harvest, it may not be worth the space!

[funstuie]

Thanks again for the advice people.

Another quick question. I have access to loads of old post bag. They are the ones you see the postmen piling letters from the pilar boxes into. They are woven plastic I think but they are very strong and heavy duty. Could I plant potatoes in them? I have a small square metal cage box which I could put the bags in to keep their shape.

[Mchanen]

I think that would be a pretty good use for them- just cut some holes in the bottom for drainage.

I know someone at work who planted potatoes in builders rubble bags

[glut]

I grew rainbow carrots in a container less than a foot deep and they came up brilliantly. They didn't bend or do anything strange, they just seemed to grow the perfect length and then stop! lovely.

[funstuie]

Right I am planning this weekends work. I need to get some seeds started (I don't know where to start though).

But I have just discovered 2x 64litre clear plastic containers going spare. Could I use these? I would obviously need to drill drainage hole but I am worried that being clear plastic is a problem. If they are usable what do you suggest I grow in them?

cheers
Stu

[tamsin]

Just wrap something dark around the outside. I've two clear storage tubs and I've just wrapped an old compost bag around as they are nice thick plastic. I did it black side out so they look quite neat too Clears probably not much of an issue unless you are growing crops underground.

What's 64 litres in cm/inches? I'm guessing quite big so anything you like, maybe some carrots?