Topic: What can I grow in pots or containers?

[Jesse]

Hi all. As I don't have an allotment yet I am limited to growing things at home but my garden is crammed full of flowers and shrubs so the only option I have left is pots or containers.

What can I grow in pots which should be planted about now or in the next few weeks. This week I have planted lettuce (the type that you pick leaves as they grow), salad onions and radish - all of which are in a deep seed tray. Also carrots, turnips and leeks in deep pots to allow room for root growth. I have no idea if that was the right time to plant but I got the urge to grow something and had the seeds given to me!

I have heard of potatos grown in bags, has anyone done that before?

[tim]

Not so much what can you grow, as what is worth growing? For instance, I wouldn't grow leeks. Or one cabbage.

Potatoes (see HDRA's note on this & lots on the board), courgettes, climbing beans, strawberries, salads ( the ones you're growing), herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. But also see Google for 'container growing' et al?

I would have thought even a 'deep' seed tray was a bit limiting. = Tim

[jo2]

Have you got peas up a wigwam? Not too late for those if you shift.

[Moggle]

Jesseveve, I have grown spuds in 15 inch square containers, just harvested the second container this weekend. I didn't get masses of spuds, but it was still satisfying.
I'm also growing tomatoes, peppers, chillis, beans, strawberries, and herbs in containers/growbags as well, as I have no garden at all, just 2 second floor balconies.
Good luck with it all  :)

[tim]

Yes - look back on her balcony pictures.
And here's more evidence of good use. = Tim

[Doris_Pinks]

Wow Tim, the leaves on those are huge! And you have fruit, looking forward to harvesting mine! ;D

[aquilegia]

I've grown potatoes in grow bags this year. I used the compost already (not like growbags - opened at one end). Put some drainage holes in the bottom - then some garden soil, put the spud in and covered it. Earthed up as required. Haven't harvest yet, so can't comment on taste/yield. Only trouble is I lost several of the plants because I overwatered them - with containers it's much harder to get the balance right with watering.

Last year I grew toms in pots - but they didn't get enough water, so yield wasn't as good as those in the ground. I'm growing them in half growbags stood upright this year (idea copied from Tim - thanks!) Also doing peppers, aubergines, herbs, carrots, radish, beetroot, lettuce, rocket, strawberries in pots.

[philcooper]

You've got time for all salads including early carrots.

Tomatoes, courgettes from plants bought now.

Runner/ climbing french beans sown now on a wigwam

All require the max size pot you can find (12" min) or growbags

Phil

[Jesse]

Thanks all for your advice. I think I will give potatos a bash growing them in old potting soil bags filled with topsoil. But as far as I can tell they need planting around late winter time (is that right) so will have to be patient for that. Do I have to buy potatos from a nursery, why can't I use the potatos in my cupboard that are starting to sprout? Would "new potatos" be better for bags as they are small, and what are "new potatos" are they a special kind or are they small simply because you harvest them early? Stupid question I know!

I have sown lettuce seeds and happy to say they have already germinated along with my carrots, baby leeks, radishes, turnips and salad onions. I don't know if I have left it too late in the season for most of those things though but I will wait and see. Don't know if my carrot seeds were "early" variety, they are called Navarre F1. I have dwarf frensh beans in the garden but they are still quite small (about 30cm high), hopefully it's not too late for them to produce anything. I have one lonely pea seed waiting to germinate!

Moggle, your balcony is an inspiration, how do you manage to get so much stuff to grow so beautifully in such a small space! I though chillies could only be grown in a greenhouse, did you grow them from seed, and when were they planted/sown.

Tim, your courgettes in pots look lovely. I (or rather my son) has a courgette plant in a pot but it is not nearly that big and so far we have only got to flower stage, hopefully a courgette will follow soon.

[Moggle]

Thanks for your nice comments Jess  :)
I put it all down to obsession and the fab advice I have had from everyone here at A4A  :D

As to chillis, they are flowering, but they are yet to produce any baby chillis, so you may be right about them needing a greenhouse  :-\ Never mind, it was all an experiment, and I did grow them from seed. Might give it a go with an outdoor variety next year.  :)

I'll have a go at your spud question, and will hopefully be corrected by the potato experts. Also if you do a search on this site, an internet search, or link to The Gardners, or Gavin's site, there is lots of useful info about spuds around.

Timing: You can grow spuds for christmas (or any time) as long as you protect them from frost. I'm not sure how much protection this actually would involve, either getting them in to a greenhouse, or whether some fleece or something like that. Normal times are plant in march/april and harvest from now-ish onwards.

Supermarket spuds are sprayed with stuff to stop them sprouting (yuk) and I'm not sure if that affects them growing properly, but it definitely encourages disease to stick around.

Potatoes are classed as one of 3 types: early, second early and maincrop, which I think is based on how long they take to grow and produce. Early and second early spuds are usually the type you have as new potatoes, and they are ready earlier, but I have read on here that you can dig up maincrops early and get new spuds. I think earlies take 90-100 days to produce, second earlies 120, and maincrop I have no idea (experts insert correct info at any time :) )

I planted Charlotte spuds, they are a second early. Planted 7 seed spuds in 2 containers and harvested them after about 12-13 weeks later as "new" spuds, and got 2.5 kilos of spuds. One tub had flowered and one hadn't.

[oubykh]

Amongst other things already mentioned i would recomend some swiss chard in a container, mine is producing lovely little 'bright lights' just ready for picking and stir frying

[tim]

Oh, and Pak Choi etc? = Tim

[philcooper]

On potatoes, you can grow "second crop" potatoes - second earlies sold (at high prices) specially for the purpose. Plant in August for harvets of new potatoes at Christmas - but they do need to be put somewher frostfree lster in the year.

For container growing see http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/potato.html - the details apply to noraml growing (plant from Feb onwards) as well as second cropping

Phil