Growing veg in containers. Ideas for growing

[Dr Pips]

Hi all,

I'm going to grow veg in containers for the first time. We've moved house recently and I used to have a veg plot, but no more.

I was planning on filling the containers with a mix of general purpose compost and sharp sand. My question is, should I also mix in some manure? Also would I need to feed throughout the season, or would the compost / manure keep everything going?

I'm planning on growing potatoes, carrots and peas.

[Lamboluke]

From what I've read manure will be great for the potatoes but I could be wrong but I think it will burn the roots of carrots, make them fork or just stop them actually growing

[Kirk]

The fertiliser in compost is added and will in effect wash out.
I use 2:1 compost to manure for potato's and quite often simply 50/50 mix.
Nothing exact but something in that area.

Not sure about carrots, they tend to go into less fertile soil, sandy being commonish to prevent forking on anything. They will I think need a fertiliser added when watering after 4-6 weeks - you will find the sack says that after X weeks you need to supply liquid fertiliser.

Peas will probably like some manure, say 20% to 25%. You will also need a big container if you are letting them climb, simply you need a big pot to get a frame in that is firm. Can you let peas sort of tumble??

For potatoes I usually plant "smaller" ones like Pink Fir Apple and Anya, not the baking potato varieties.

If there is a B&H Home Centre/Base/Something place near check out the pots they have presently, sa some big one there a few days back.

You could likely throw a handfull of spring onion seed in a pot as well. Bit late for garlic. Couple of tomato 's is another option, not cordons but bush and let them grow over and down - or plant in a hanging basket. Isn't there one called Tumbling Tom ??

[arpoet]

Like kirk says... i grow toms and tatties in flower buckets and any other containers i can get for free.
I put well rooted hos muck in the bottom, worms and all, then top up with cheap MPC. The worms will mix it all up for you.
Carrots and Snips dont like the mixture too rich, but most other veg will love it.
Beware of tall varieties of peas and beans as they can soon get top heavy in the wind.

[Jungle Jane]

I grow in containers & the ground,never use manure,don't feel any need for it,I get good results. But yes I feed the plants with m1racle grow plant food & then tomorite later on when they need potassium.

[Dr Pips]

Thanks for the tips. For the potatoes I was going to get one of those potato barrels with a hatch at the bottom to make harvesting easier, but I was thinking a compost bin with a hatch at the bottom would be just as good (and cheaper). I know you can get bags, but I'd like something more rigid.

[Jungle Jane]

Compost bins have quite a narrow hole at the top for watering,someone on here said to try dustbins,it's more sturdy than a bag,sounds like a good idea. I've had no problem with £land bags,I've tried using empty compost bags (inside out so they're black to attract heat) they kept falling over (but its cheap!) I don't feel it's necessary to harvest from the bottom,you can have a feel of the size from the top.

[Dr Pips]

Would I need to put some holes in the bottom of a dustbin?

[Jungle Jane]

Yes drainage holes,iv made holes in pots with a drill,so I suppose it would be the same?

[Penellype]

I use an old cracked dustbin and the potatoes grow nicely in it. I'd certainly have some sort of drainage otherwise you'd end up with a bog if it rained heavily. I'm also trying some of these Heavy Duty Container Pots (30l size) instead of bags, as I find the bags a bit floppy. Interestingly I have planted some Rocket seed potatoes in these and in bags at teh same time in the greenhouse. The tops of the leaves are just emerging in the bags, a good week later than those in the buckets. I can only think its because the buckets are warmer, being black.

I grow carrots in pots too - the main difficulty I find is keeping them watered, particularly when young. They really don't like being dry. I grow mine in a mixture of last year's used compost and home made compost containing some soil, but I have no evidence that this is any better than using fresh bought compost really. I wouldn't use muck for carrots - I grew some last year in soil which had had copious amounts of horse muck added the previous year, and a lot of them were forked.

I've not tried peas in pots - they are one of the veg that always gets a space inthe ground, so I can't comment on those.

[Jungle Jane]

I grow carrots in pots too - the main difficulty I find is keeping them watered, particularly when young. They really don't like being dry.

I grow carrots in a large pot 60cm diameter, after iv watered the seeds in,I cover the pot with thin clear plastic,add tiny holes so it can breathe & rain can get in. It also keeps the moisture in & bugs out.

[Potstubsdustbins]

For main crop spuds, 75/80ltr plastic dustbins with 5 22mm holes in the bottom, piece of hot copper pipe does a good job and the plastic ring left around the hole will stop the bin from cracking. MPC to start with, feed with high nitrogen feed after 6 weeks, change to high potash after week 16. Keep them well watered once the haulm has come through, check by stuffing your hand down into the compost to make sure it is not dry below the surface. 4 Picasso to the bin should yield 20/24 pounds of good spuds.

Peas again MPC bot feed with high nitrogen after week 6 don't bother to change to high potash go all the way through with nitrogen.

Carrots last years compost, riddled to remove any lumps, twigs etc. I don't feed these to much, just a sprinkle of grow more every now again.

Runner beans also do well at one plant per bucket sized container Morrison flower buckets are dead cheap or even free and do a very good job, again feed with high nitrogen after week 5/6.

There isn't much you can't grow in containers if you put your mind to it.

One last thing don't forget to save your compost at the end of the season, refreshed with a general purpose fertiliser it will save you good money next year.

[Kristen]

the plastic ring left around the hole will stop the bin from cracking.

Sorry, being thick, not understanding what you have described there. Could you clarify pls?

I drilled some hold through a hard plastic container at the w/e and cracked it a bit through over exuberant force! I would have used something hot if I could have though of anything I had that was suitable ... copper pipe I do have, but didn't think of Doh! ... next time ...

[Bacchus]

I drilled some hold through a hard plastic container at the w/e and cracked it a bit through over exuberant force!

If possible, I find it's best to have a block of wood behind where you are drilling ( and use a high speed drill). I appreciate this can be difficult behind rounded surfaces like a bin, but anything at all will help - like a log or something.

[Potstubsdustbins]

#13 Kristen, if you heat the copper tube to cherry red it will slide through the plastic with great ease and without risk of cracking. During the process it melts the plastic and as you pull it back the molten plastic solidifies in a small ridge around the hole, thus giving it extra strength.

Plumbers have been making holes in plastic water tanks like this for years, we wouldn't dream of using an ordinary drill and drill bit.