Operating on one leg.. need help!

[bobbin]

Hi all. I'm two months down the line post op for a bone fusion on my foot. ( talonvecular if anyone's had one) I've been trying to do stuff on the lottie but it's nigh on impossible.
Trying to tie bean poles together on a raised bed balancing on one leg is not ideal. Though did net all my strawberries. ( The blighters look gorgeous but are tasteless)It's frustrating as I can look over the allotment from my upstairs window. Arrrggghhh.
Well.. what salad crops are good in pots as I'm struggling so much. Are lettuce good? Which variety. Will Romain do well? Really keen to do lettuce. My toms are through but rather late. Ive done cucumber successfully. What can you suggest.
X-ray next week and maybe further 3 weeks in my enormous boot. That's if the fusions worked. So need a bit of encouragement. I chitted spuds but never got them and too late ,now. Hubby helps a bit but he's just not a gardener.
Ps. Please don't think I'm moaning. I'm absolutely. delighted this treatment was available at all. I just miss gardening. It ain't the same on crutches... and no absolutely no day time TV. Can't abide it.

[1Bee]

Congratulations and sympathies on your treatment!

If you got a cheapo wheelchair on free cycle or FB selling pages, would that allow you to move about the plot, sit and hoe etc?

Could you ask another plot holder to help for a share of the produce?

Many things do well in pots, including lettuce, especially cut and come again varieties. Others here do more pot growing than I do, so I'm sure they'll be among soon.

Hope it's worked! Good luck.

[Small pumpkin]

That sounds a little uncomfortable. Really hope it works for you
Any of the cut and come again salad will be fine in a pot. any lettuce if you only grow one to a pot, I like Tom Thumb. Also radish, Spring onions, carrots.
A tumbling tomato ( probably need to buy a plant, might be pushing it trying from seed now ).

[Small pumpkin]

Almost forgot herbs ! Basil, parsley, thyme, mint to name a few

[Snoop Puss]

I'm not much of a pot gardener, but just wanted to drop in and say hello. I was incapacitated one year and I found the whole thing so frustrating. Hope your recovery continues well.

I'm not sure how mobile you are, but it sounds like you've been getting some things done. So rather than giving up on the plot, could you maybe consider low-lying plants rather than having to erect frames and netting. Dwarf French beans rather than runners or climbers, sown direct, for example. And you could scatter some cut and come again lettuce mix. Likewise carrots. Where you are, you could even get in a harvest of sweetcorn if you sow a quick-growing variety like Lark now. Might your husband be up to sowing things so that they'll have germinated and have just started growing so you can take over by the time your boot is off?

[Chippy Minton]

Cut and come again types always seem to work well. Radishes can be successful in pots. Spring onions maybe? Some herbs to add to a nice salad?

As for the spuds I guess it depend on the type. First Earlies should be OK (10-12 weeks takes them to end August, blight may be an issue but no harm in trying).

[Bren In Pots]

Bobbin you can grow just about anything in pots so long as the pots/troughs/boxes are big enough and you keep up with the watering.
Most of my lettuce is still pot grown I use any variety they don't seem to mind being in pots at all.

Fingers crossed your bone fusions are successful.

[Mr Bones]

Hope you can bear up with your big boot Bobbin, it must be very frustrating. You can jump ahead by buying a tray of supermarket live cut and come again leaf salad, separate it out and pot on. That'll bulk up to a decent size and be ready for eating while your seed sown stuff if getting going.

Good luck with your bone fusion.

[bobbin]

Thank you all for your kind words. I've raised beds on lottie so wheelchair no good. Though I've other gadgets. A peg leg walker and a knee scooter ( costly but worth it) Not suitable for uneven ground though I've tried on the allotment. It's all down to arthritis unfortunately. I was also cabin crew for many years and think all that hoofing up and down the cabin contributed to foot problems. Hey ho its nothing compared with some folks problems.Gardening is so therapeutic too..When I'd just had my second cast put on I went into the garden and discovered the next morning that all my Alliums ( flowering type) had emerged and now look wonderful despite being bunged in unceremoniously last year. They obviously love my garden soil as they are stunning now. It was like someone saying " ok this is a nuisance so here's a treat!" Ok know they'll probably grow anywhere but the delight of seeing them flower.....
I never thought of radishes in a pot. What a good idea. Do scallions really do well in pots too? Of course the bonus is they may avoid some slug damage too.. I thought I'd leave sweetcorn this year but now I'm not so sure as I am successful with it. Our problems Badgers so it needs lots of protection. I start my onions in pots and they are crying out to go in the ground. I've sown basil and have mint. I may as you suggest still shove my tattles in .. nothing ventured nothing gained. If anyone can suggest any more veg in pots I'd really appreciate it.
I do find it worrying that as I type this that an advert below popped up for foot surgery. I don't like being tracked by google!

[bobbin]

Oh and thank you Mr Bones (very appropriate!!) I hadn't thought of buying starter trays from nursery
That's a good idea.As you said I can bring them on until I'm mobile again.

[Penellype]

Sorry to hear of your problem bobbin - I know how frustrating it is not to be able to garden having broken several ribs a few years ago. Hopefully it will be better soon.

A variety of lettuce I am very keen on that grows well in pots is Warpath - its a mini iceberg type and very tolerant. I grow it in the house in 4 inch pots, but it would probably be happy anywhere. Its good for either cut and come again or for hearting.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Hey, you've just got to do what you can safely do, don't overdo things or worry if your garden isn't what you want it to be. There's always next year.

[OfTheBestStuff]

Oh, I hope you heal up soon!

I've been growing lettuce mixes as baby leaf quite successfully sown pretty thickly in lightweight seed trays. To water I just lift the trays (which have drainage holes) into another water-filled tray to soak up what they want every other day or so depending on weather. Keeping them fed is my one concern so I'm planning to add a little of the nettle water I have steeping to the watering tray every now and then. I just have them on my outdoor windowsill and they're so small and light that I think they could be done with one leg. I've been sowing a new tray every week or so and it's been lovely to have the little greens whenever I want them.

A few bush/tumbling cherry tomatoes in pots near your door perhaps?

ETA: I don't use any specific varieties for this lettuce, just "salad mixes". I bought a collection from seedaholic dot com and just sow a bit of a new one each week, so far I've done a pak choi, provance, frilly leaf. There are so many seeds I think this will get me though the summer. I also got some nice ones from Brown Envelope Seeds, but I imagine most places do them.

[Snoop Puss]

Might this thread provide some inspiration?
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...mat_94517.html

[rary]

Bobbin, you say that its too late for potatoes you can still plant potatoes etc. now it just means you get them later than normal, if your chitted ones look a bit dried out try putting them into a pot of water this can revive some if they are not completely dried up.
That is one of my pet hates, the way garden programs etc. tell you, you must have things planted by a certain date, if seeds and bulbs are viable they will grow if you give them the right conditions