Economy gardening tips for this year please

[veggiechicken]

I grow toms in flower buckets (MFBs) - in fact I grow lots of stuff in them, including spuds. I use growbags as a source of cheap-ish compost to fill the MFBs. Agree with NG - they're too shallow for toms.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ent_93105.html

[Guest]

Anything you don't understand or aren't sure of, no matter how silly or simple it seems just say. I do keep forgetting how daunting somethings can be, especially when terms and abbreviations get thrown about.

[Rapscallion]

Thanks all. Two quick questions:
- Where is a good source of cheap planting medium / compost? Last year i bought a few grow bags, but looking at how productive (or not...) some veg were, the compost was the majority of the cost, so reducing the cost here will make a big saving (i think?).
- Re pots Morrisons flower pots. They look great, but also look easily knocked over by a one and two year old. I haven't really got the layout to put then in an inaccessible area, so are there any alternative cheap pots (or similar) that could use? I have a drill and saw so perhaps could make a few v small square raised beds (say 1 foot square)?

[Baldy]

If the pots are on grass / soil you could perhaps drive a metal tent peg or similar through the base into the ground - would generally keep them upright. My local poundland had some pretty big pots in the other week - looked to be about 1ft x 1ft

[veggiechicken]

Could you group the MFBs together and run a rope/bungee around the lot? That should slow up the little ones!!
Put hanging baskets or guttiering on the fence up out of their reach. Build a planter on legs? Put pots up on a table? I've put a 4 sided wooden frame (knocked up from bits of wood) on top of an old plastic garden table and plant salads and strawberries in it to keep them away from the dogs.
Old supermarket trolleys are good too

[Kirk]

You may get pots etc from your local recycling centre, I often see loads of trays etc being disposed of at the one I drop my assorted junk off at. Also add a location to your profile - you mention potatoes in containers, usually grow well, but I need to scrap 4 or 5 large ones that used for potato growing in. For all I can tell you could be the new person who moved in a few doors down from me recently.

Much of the multipurpose compost and grow bags will have nutrients added in soluble form. Means that when watered it is easily washed out. Did you keep the stuff from last year? Reason is that MPC is best considered as a medium for the plants to get a grip in for support. What you do is add some manure to it, I find about 1 bag of manure to 3 or 4 compost is a fair mix.

If you try potatoes in large pots the a bag of compost to 1/2 bag of manure. Salad type potatoes seem to work best in a container - Anya or Pink Fir Apple I have had most success with.

Cheapest compost (MPC) tends to be the stuff at B&Q, especially the large bags that they get in. Something like 120 litre or 150 litre. Sometimes the compost is resonably fine others it is very "twiggy".

Not sure about sweet corn, the growing method is the reason I question the use of trying those. They should be in a large square of plants for pollination.

Tomatoes try early ones, as depending on where you are and so the weather, blight can wipe out any that are late, or the weather causes them to be late.

Reported as "easy" are turnip, swede, radish. Not really sure how easy however. Leeks may be worth a try.

I gave up with onions, but others have no problem. My spring onions last year had to be put out of their misery as humanly as possible, well the few that were the feeblist green thread that survived. Most just turned themselves in to compost.

Grow what you use or buy that costs proportionally more. If you use onions or potatoes in lots of meal then those but if you buy a steady but small supply of peppers then those. It is difficult to decide. I do not bother with onions as I use not to many and they do not cost much at supermarkets.

[Lumpy]

Bee & Q's do huge bags of compost. They are about £8 but will fill many pots and tubs. You do need transport to get one as they weigh a ton.

Go to the £1 shop and invest in a box of blood, fish and bone. This can be used to keep your plants fed.

If your fence is long enough could you tie your buckets etc to a part of the fence to stop the little un's knocking them over?

[ESBkevin]

I find the local homebase garden centre is a good source for cheap end of the line plants. Ofton they will look a bit sad/small but once in good soil they are productive. Think Kale/Cabbage/sprouts/sweetcorn etc.

I don't think you should give up your strawberries, just transfer them to a tower grow system or hanging bag type planter. That way you get the fruit and also the space back to grow something else. Strawberries don't seem that fussed as long as they don't dry right out in the summer.

[Lumpy]

Cut up plastic milk bottles make good recycleable plant lables and small seed starters (a few small holes in the bottom)

[Jimmy]

Yes I have notice I have started collecting milk cartons again.
Very useful for toms etc.
Particularly if you give plants to family, because you never get them back!
Or if you do it's never the ones you gave, usually some odd ball pots they manage to dig up from the shed.
Jimmy

[Rapscallion]

Exciting news.
I have been on the waiting list for the local allotments for some time. Called the allotment officer and he said 5 plots have become available and i was top of the list. Popped down to see them yesterday and it came down to a choice of two. The deciding factor was one had a lot of fruit plants which will be perfect for me as my sons love fruit and means the plot can be (relatively) low maintenance until i start adding vegetables.

Heres whats there already
- Blackcurrants
- Brambles (i think the officer was talking about what i would call blackberries)
- Some other type of currant.
- Raspberries
- An old gooseberry
- A decent patch of Strawberries
- A small apple tree
- Rhubarb
- Plum trees
- Some herbs - mint and oregano, possibly some sage.

Its also got a shed (albeit old and will need replacing in a year or two).

Heres a picture



And a link to a bigger picture

https://cldup.com/QoInO345ov-3000x3000.jpeg

[Jimny14]

Exciting news indeed rapscallion, looks like a decent plot with lots already going on. Certainly going to be fairly low maintenance on the fruit front, it doesn't take much looking after just beware of the birds. Ours seem to love red currants and to a lesser extent gooseberries but seemingly leave our black currants alone. Looks like now you've got some ground after a couple of years you should be able to be very frugal on the plot. Look at getting a compost heap started so you can start producing your own and remember that saving seeds from one year to the next is easy with many varieties

[Newt]

This is such great news! And you've got a fantastic plot there - loads of fruit already in place, a shed, and looks to be in pretty good condition too.

And you have plum trees!

[Guest]

Congratulations. What a great plot. Enjoy

[veggiechicken]

Congratulations Raps. That's the best news I've heard all day
I need to know more - see more photos! Your children will love it and you'll be able to give them free run of the garden at home too. Is it near home?