Lots more help needed please

[jo9919]

Hi All,

First of all I'd like to thank you all for your invaluable help and advice on my previous thread.

I've come up with a list of things that I would like to have a go at growing (there's quite a few, so I'm hoping that I'm not biting off more than I can chew).

Just to recap, I will be growing in containers.

My list is as follows:-

Beetroot

Carrot

Garlic

Lettuce

Spring Onion

Parsnip

Radish

I'd also quite like to have a go at Leek and Sweet Corn but don't know if these would be suitable to container gardening.

Herbs I'd like to grow are Chives and Parsley, both in a a small container.

In the greenhouse I want to grow tomatos, Sweet Pepper and Chilli Pepper.

OK, now for the questions.

Firstly, what do you think about the Leek and Sweet Corn. Will I get away with growing these in containers?

Secondly, is there anything on my list which you think is a no no with container gardening?

Is there anything that I can plant together to save space? I was thinking that my radish might be able to be sown in between the lettuce to save space? On the subject of Lettuce, I was thinking of salad bowl. Can I just take some leaves off this variety and it will continue to grow?

Any advice about the variety of each that I should go for?

Is there anything on my list that I can get on with sowing now? I have got a heated propagator.

I did warn you all that I would have LOADS of questions. Do you see what I mean now?

Thanks in advance, I know you'll all come up trumps for me (hopefully now literally  ;D).

Jo.

[jo9919]

[jo9919]

OOooops, I wasn't meaning to rush everyone, I mean hopefully NOT literally, not hopefully now literally. (My bad typing!!!)

Jo.

[carolinej]

Hello

I have grown lettuce, spring onion and stumpy carrot in pots. I also found it a good way to grow runner beans. I had a big pot with a wigwam of 5ft canes. I didnt stop the plants when they got to the top of the poles, just let them dangle back down. It took a little more time to pick the beans, but this was more than compensated for by the extra beans.

I grew some chives in a pot last year. They did OK, but better in the garden, possibly because of the hot summer.

Some people grow radish in the same row as parsnips, as the 'nips are slow to germinate, so the radish show where they are.

Sweetcorn could be a problem in pots, as it may get top heavy and blow over .

I have some lettuce that has been in a heated propagator for a few days, and it has just started to peep through. It's my first time to grow it so early, so dont know what sort of harvest I will get. If you are growing lettuce in a container, why not grow a mixture of red and green ones. They look pretty while in the container, and just as pretty on your plate.

Sorry it's a bit jumbled up, but I hope I have helped a bit.

cj :)

[jennym]

Leeks should do alright, providing you don't try to grow the very big ones, you really want summer leeks I guess, Imperial isn't bad. Agree with carolinej about the sweetcorn, wouldn't do that in pots. Watercress is good as is radish (thank you Georgie  ;D ) and how about pea sprouts (I know supersprout has posted about these in the past but can't find posts).

[jo9919]

Thanks for your replies.

I think I will give the Sweet Corn a miss then.

Green and Red Lettuce sown together sounds good. I would like a pick and come again variety, is Salad Bowl one of these? Also, can I get on with sowing this in my heated propagator now?

I have found quite a large container and wondered if it would be ok to plant the Leeks, Garlic and Spring Onions together?

Thanks,

Jo.

[dandelion]

Salad Bowl is brilliant  :) ; very slow to bolt unlike some other lettuces I've grown. I grew the red and green mixture last year and found the green ones grew a bit faster than the red ones. They look great in rows of alternating colours.

[sarah]

you can buy packets of mixed salad seed especially for cut and come again cropping that contains things like...er rocket ... mizuna... that sort of thing which would do very well in containers.  i am not sure if salad bowl responds to cut and come again but it is still definately worth growing especially if you plan well and do successional (sp) sowing; i.e you sow a small amount every couple of weeks in modules and then replace picked plants with new seedlings which should keep you going throught the season.

[cornykev]

As Caroline says radish's and parsnips are good companions the radish's will be harvested before the parsnips really get going but pick some of the parsnips when they are young so it gives the others space to reach their full potential. Your right to give corn a miss, the lettuce grows so quick you'll just keep replanting, leeks should be OK, again keep them spaced out using some eating like spring onions to make others grow bigger or you might want to try miniature leeks.  ;D ;D ;D

[Deb P]

I've grown sweetcorn successfully in half barrels for several years, and they did well even when planted quite closely together, good pollination. They got a bit dry last year which did affect the crop; not as much as the squirrells nicking them though! ::)

[kt.]

Sweetcorn could be a problem depending on how big the pot & how many you intend to grow. They pollinate eachother to produce the cobs. Most books recommend 'square planting'. Though some appears to have grown in pots looking at pictures above. Sweetcorn has shallow roots and will need supporting as it grows taller. If it is grown in the land it is good for undercropping, not sure in pots as undercropping could take away too many nutrients.

Leeks: I grew leeks in containers last year and they became root-bound. I transplanted them late and they have only grown to about 12-15inches high with a diameter of 1-2inches max. Everyone else who planted the same got 2-3ft high leeks with a 3-4inch diameter minimum. How gutted am I.... :(   I am now eating baby leeks :( :(

[saddad]

Now I see why you wanted an allotment Deb...
8)

[supersprout]

How gutted am I.... :(   I am now eating baby leeks :( :(

next time you're in the supermarket look how much they charge for baby leeks, bet you'll feel smug not gutted ;) My leeks come in all shapes and sizes, that's part of their charm :D

[Deb P]

Now I see why you wanted an allotment Deb...
8)

Ran out of room.. ;D

[saddad]

Just back from Potato day at Ryton... kitchen overflowing with tubers got some of both Sarpo varieties as well as a few Burgundy and Salad Blue....
;D

[cornykev]

Looks like you did all right with the sweetcorn Deb nice big barrels, them poxy squirrels stripped about ten of mine big and juicy they were.

[jo9919]

Thanks everyone.

I've been to Wilko's today and come home with lots of goodies. I even managed to get some pots for my tomatos, buy one get one free. I grew three in a grow bag on the patio last year and one in a pot on its own. The one in the pot did much better than the three in the grow bag so I thought I would let them all have their own pot this year.

I'm just about all set to go now, just waiting for planting time!!!

I didn't buy any sweet corn, but looking at your's Deb I still might give it a go, just depends how big the pots are that I can get now.

I ended up buying some peas too, which I hadn't really thought about before. I don't know if these are suitable for containers or not. Any idea anyone? Also, with peas, do they grow like beans, in that I would need to build a sort of wigwam for them to grow up?

Sorry for all the questions, but thank you everyone who has responded, I'm so grateful for your help and don't think I would have had the confidence to try growing veg in containers without all your invaluable advice.

Jo.

[cornykev]

Wigwams should be OK Jo like the one's in Deb's photo's. ;D ;D ;D

[Deb P]

Yep, you can grow peas too; if you look at my photo above, I had tomatoes, sweetcorn, peas, sweetcorn and cucumbers growing in my tubs last year.

I got mine from a salvage yard, cheapest I could find. The bottom third is filled with broken up bits of polystyrene, middle third with home made compost, top third a J.I type soil based compost. I top them up every year with my home made compost and a bit of calcified seaweed, plus some chicken manure pellets, seems to work ok!

I also use polystyrene boxes (from my washing machine packaging) to grow carrots in, that works really well and they keep a bit warmer. ;D

[MrsKP]

I grew Leek Musselburgh in a big pot last year and they did really well. They weren't huge but definitely edible.  My mini leeks still look like spring onions, but they chop up and go in things just fine !

Will definitely do some again this year but space them out a bit more.  Think they were a bit cramped.

Pots are cool if you've a good water supply (which I do).


8)

[miniroots]

I don't know if anywhere is still stocking garlic - You're a bit late to start that now.  It needs to settle in a bit before the freezing weather - that's when the cloves are formed, and if it's not growing by then you just end up with one massive clove!

Wait for next year?  It sounds like you've got a lot to keep you busy.  It's probably a good idea to try a lot of things because if one crop completely fails (I'm good at killing entire crops) at least you've got other things to keep you encouraged.

Good luck!