Maximising Yields: self sufficiency

[Farmer_Gyles]

I'm on a mission to become totally self-sufficient in veg. I have limited space for planting veg in the ground, so grow a lot of things in pots. I need to make sure I get varieties that will grow well in pots and in the ground, and also grow varieties that are reliable and give a good yield.

I will be growing all year round. I have a greenhouse with paraffin heater, although can't guarantee to remember to keep it burning. I have a cloche for some of the outdoor plants.

I will have crops in the ground all winter. I will pull them up in spring and replace with something else. For example, when the courgettes and runner beans are finished, I'll be planting out the broad beans. When they're done in spring, I'll be planting out the cauliflowers or broccoli.

I will have crops in pots all winter - kale, cauliflower, cabbage. When these are done in spring, I'll pull them up and use the pots for tomatoes.

Any tips on which varieties grow well in pots? And on good croppers? Reliable varieties?
Any other tips?

[chris]

If you plant your broadies too early, they'll not overwinter as well as later (i.e Oct/Nov) sown ones (smaller =m hardier 7 able to withstand winds better).

Are the pots frost proof?

GL with your mission - I'd love to do the same!

[Bren In Pots]

Here's a good link about sowing in succession :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ger_29101.html

[Potstubsdustbins]

First big tip don't listen to the doom mongers who will tell you you can't grow this or that in containers.

With the right containers and a little knowledge you can grow most anything.

Containers need not be all bought, you can make them from tanalized timber (now safe for growing in) or better still you can salvage/recycle. Plastic water tanks of the type you may have in your loft are great. They can be used full size or cut down to save on compost depending what you are going to grow in them. If you know a plumber ask him if when he fits a combi boiler can you have any tanks he takes out. Polystyrene fish boxes come in a vareity of sizes and are a single use item, fishmongers will gladly give you those.

The list is endless you just need to do a little lateral thinking.

Colin

[Farmer_Gyles]

most pots are just ordinary morrisons buckets or the usual plastic pots - they're movable like that - when plants are small, the pots can be next to each other - when they grow and need more space, i can move them apart - i can move some to sunnier areas etc
i already have carrots in window box troughs and spuds in sacks
not planning to get any more pots or anything .....
for now, it's making the best i can from things i've got - more about the varieties for the yield etc etc

[Potstubsdustbins]

Spuds in sacks can work but black dustbins are so very much better. Also they are great for keeping used compost in when your not growing in them.

As to vareities there are lots of 'baby' veg you can try. Bean dwarf french speedy, beetroot F1 action carrot ideal, leek Atal, Lettuce Lolla Rossa is a CACA I have grown all of those with success. Google Mesclun I tried it for the first time this year, mixed salad leaves again CACA. Its wonderfully peppery and crisp and is now on my perminant to grow list.

Colin

Colin.

[redser]

Grow early spuds in sacks/pots in the greenhouse from January. Keep old compost bags to grow in. Lady Crystal is supposed to be a great one for this. Just fleece them when it's frosty. Reusing your compost from the early spuds for carrots and parsnips is a good money saver. You're likely to get more success from carrots in pots than in the ground I'd say. When the compost is totally depleted dig it into your soil as a conditioner. But you could well get another crop of carrots from it

[Potstubsdustbins]

Compost is very rarely totally depleted. With a little neutral NPK base fertilizer it can be reused over and over unless of course you have had some nasties in it.

If you think about what compost is supposed to do i.e. support the roots and supply nutrients it becomes clear that if you add more nutrient to the compost it can live again.

Also if you are growing in containers you will have to feed any plant that is going to be in the ground longer than 6 weeks.

Colin

[chris]

By dustbins, Colin do you mean wheelbins, or those 80 odd Litre ones? What do you do for draining, drill holes in above the base around the edge to create a small reservoir?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Chris, 75/80 ltr black dustbins, they are cheap about 6 or 7 quid and last for ever.

I say black because I have at last proved that colour to be better for all round production. For the last two years I have grown main crop spuds in 2 green bins along side my black bins. In both years the yield from the green bins was some 20% below the black bins despite being watered/fed exactly the same. I presume its something to do with heat transference from the sunlight.

For drainage I have 3 1 inch diameter holes in the base of each bin with polystyrene crocks.

Coli

[chris]

Do you store the compost over winter in the same bins?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Yes I do, I place a piece of polystyrene over the drainage holes, riddle the compost and mix with a little Growmore, pop it in the bin and put the lid on. Then all is ready for the start of next season.

Mind you I have 10 bins now so at this time of year there are 5 PSB in them in errrrrrrrr 5 of them, the rest are already starting to fill up. 3 so far the other 2 spare will be dealt with this coming week.

Colin

[solway cropper]

I think that unless you only eat a small amount of veg you need quite a lot of space in order to be completely self-sufficient. My veg patch and about 120+ assorted containers gave me around 520 lbs of food last year. That sounds a lot but when you remove outer leaves, peelings, bad bits, etc it reduces by quit a bit and is not enough for twelve months supply for three people. Being self-sufficient for six months is easy but it's the winter months where things get tricky, even where you have crops in the ground/greenhouse to go at. I was heartily sick of leeks by March!!

Getting back to the containers, I agree with PTD that just about anything can be grown successfully in them. Check the link to my blog to see what I mean.
the recycled gardener: container growing

[Farmer_Gyles]

you need quite a lot of space in order to be completely self-sufficient.

when space is limited, it's about growing as much as we can in that space .... or growing varieties that are heavy croppers .... one variety of french bean can produce twice as much as another variety, all in the same space ....

because i need to use pots etc (as well as some ground), i'm looking to find varieties that will cope well in pots - some seed packets are labelled as "good for patio containers" etc - but are they good for containers? or do they put that on the packets because they don't have any other USPs?

there are different sized cauliflowers and cabbages and kales - do i try and grow the biggest varieties in pots or is it better to use the smaller ones?

i've been growing spuds in sacks and various salad leaves in patio tubs for a few years, always works well - i've still got 8 sacks of new potatoes to get through ....

this week i'm clearing a bed to start planting the first of 200+ leeks and a couple of dozen

[redser]

In case you havn't heard of it, Cobra is a heavy cropping variety of climbing french beans. And it produces nice long straight beans. Have had lots of comments on it and reading around people are always amazed how well they do.