Year round produce

[Babygem]

Hi all,
I'm new to this site so first of all just like to say hello!

Does anyone have any good tips on getting all year round produce from a container garden, I get all enthusiastic plant loads of stuff it all ripens at once and then I have an empty garden? I know common sense says plant stuff out every 2 weeks or sow but there's only so much space. A I missing something? Any help would be appreciated

[happyhumph]

Hello Babygem and welcome to the vine. Lots of stuff on here which will help so have a look around. With out knowing how much space and what you grow it's difficult to give exact advice, but;

Successional sowing at intervals is key with lots of crops - salads, peas, French beans to name just a few.

Look at different varieties that ripen at different times.

Even in pots you can use cloches or other covers to extend the season.

Don't forget your windows sills for herbs, microgreens, pea shoots & bringing on seedlings.

also, instead of doing one pot of one crop and running out of space try mixing them up a bit.

Just a rough outline but hope it helps.

[Bigmallly]

Hello & welcome to the Jungle. I think you need to sit down & plan what you like to eat. A few crops have different varieties so you can grow them most of the year and sometimes over winter. I'm trying this year to adapt the varieties to the seasons & see how it goes.

[piskieinboots]

Hi Babygem and welcome.

In addition to the succession planting, which does take a bit of practice, but well worth it.

Do you grow garlic? Planted out late autumn/early winter, it will sit there lovely cute until harvest around June(ish) - giving you not quite 'an empty garden'

As HH says, an idea of space will help for advice.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Babygem

You've had some good answers so all I can add it to say sow little and often, starting your seeds of in modules then filling in any gaps when you've harvested.

[Penellype]

Hi Babygem, welcome to the vine.

You don't say where you are - if you put your approx location in your profile it makes it easier for us to advise you.

I grow a lot of my stuff in containers and plan at the start of the year what is going to go where. The most difficult time is mid summer, when the spring crops are not quite finished but if you don't get on with later ones it is too late to sow. You will inevitably have some containers that are empty over the winter.

My tips would be:
Grow what you like to eat - make a list of priorities.
Sow only a few seeds at once and use small pots - for example I sow 4 cabbage seeds in a 3 inch pot, then pot them up into individual pots at the 4 leaf stage. I then pot all 4 into a container when they get too big for their pot. You can do this with all sorts of veg, although it is not great with roots. I grow things like turnips in paper rolls and plant the whole thing which disturbs them less. Carrots don't transplant well, so sow them thinly directly into the container.
Don't pay too much attention to spacings. As long as the plants are not too squashed and get enough feed and water they will be fine. I sow 5 peas in a square 3.5 inch pot and plant them out without thinning. You can grow peas and beans in containers if you give them support.
Re-use the compost for unrelated plants, but add something like blood fish and bone meal before you plant.

Some examples:
March - sow spinach direct into a container. This will be ready to eat in may and bolting by June. Use the container in June to grow a tomato that has been started off in smaller pots indoors. The tomato will probably die off sometime in October. Have some spring cabbage seedlings ready in small pots to use the container over winter and into the following spring.
February - plant first early potatoes in a large container (I use 30 litre buckets with 3 seed potatoes in each) under cover. These should be ready to harvest in June. Use the container to plant 1 broccoli plant which will use the container over winter and through to around May the following year.
March - sow turnips in paper rolls under cover. Plant out in April and harvest early June. Follow with a courgette grow in in a smaller pot indoors. This will probably be dying by October, possibly earlier (courgettes in containers are prone to mildew). Follow with corn salad or oriental greens which are hardy and will last until April or May.
Some things like carrots, parsnips and winter brassicas can take up a container for the best part of a year.
Be careful not to fill all your containers over winter or you will be struggling for space for early crops the following year!

These are only suggestions based on what I do, so you get the idea. Containers are great because they can be moved around giving you much more flexibility.

June



September





January





Almost everything you can see in these photos is grown in containers, including the peas and beans.

[Bigmallly]

Mustn't forget the Alliums Pene................

[Penellype]

Mustn't forget the Alliums Pene................

I don't, but I didn't want to write a book...

There are leeks in the bottom photo.

[Bigmallly]

I don't, but I didn't want to write a book...

You not feeling well flower?...................

[KevinM67]

I would also add - take advantage of global warming.

Whilst we may not be so lucky every year - take the gamble on sowing a 2nd lot of crops a month or two after it states on the seed packet and hope we have a mild Autumn.

(Although remember the days get shorter and we have less light - so it may suit plants that tolerate some shade).

[Kirk]

Even though you need to plan it, you also have to read up (research) into things.
You need an early and a late whatever. I am searching for a couple of early peppers, just to give them more time to develop.

Get 2 or 3 charts form the net that indicate sowing and harversting times. You will first find that they give slightly different results. So guess or average things a bit.

Maybe grow things a bit different. Potato's in containers can alter the harvest time of those. You can place the containers at an advantagous position. Keep a look out for new varieties, about 2 weeks ago I was reading through a summer brocolli detail. Seems they produce late summer/Autumn not in the winter/spring.

Whatever you will need to work at it. A poly tunnel of some sort helps, green house or the big Victorian style cold frames but a big thing not the small ones we have these days.

Ultimately there is simply a time of year when what is available to harvest is minimal. But as said you will need to work at it.

[planetologist]

I'd say don't beat yourself up about it. To grow all your vegetables you need a fair amount of space. If you're eating everything that you grow, then I would say you're doing well. If you have periods with bare soil then it's true that you might be able to grow more, but it will take more time, especially in planning, observation, always having some seedlings on the go ready to plant out, even if some of those won't get used, and record keeping. I can vouch that that kind of obsession is way healthier and more enjoyable than television, pets or driving to the gym.

And in response to Bigmally and Kirk I would say don't expect too much of different varieties. Each species has its proper time at which it does well naturally. For something you really really like it might be worth the effort, but mostly it's easier to eat broad beans in summer, beetroot in autumn, leek in winter, biennial greens in spring, etc.