Planning for next year!

[Shelle]

As I live in the North East, and because I dont have a greenhouse or polytunnel etc, apart from garlic and winter onions, I am not growing anything over the winter.

Thus I have too much time on my hands and am spending money and planning my crops for next year  ;D

Your advice this year has been really invaluable and I have learnt several lessons despite our dismal summer.

What I would like to expand on is what you find is more suited to container growing?

I was very sucessful with my radishes (sparkler) so will stick with that variety for the time being. My carrots (Autumn King) were ok, although not on the big side, but one of the lessons learnt is to water well  ::) Same with the spring onions (white lisbon) which were skinny to say the least!

I intend to grow sweetcorn and peas and am trying to establish what is better in containers. I have searched using a variety of keywords such as container growing pea etc but nothing much coming up.

What experience have you had with containers and different varieties? Any recommendations for the following:

sweetcorn
peas
strawberries (I have a basket type planter ready for this so needs to be tumbling type)

Also as I have limited space for seedlings (ie in small pots before final destination) what of the following can be sowed direct in the container it will live in, and what really needs to sowed in peat pots/paper pots for germination purposes?

peas
sweetcorn
strawberries
carrots
spring onions
radishes

I have a small number of peat jiffys, but am limited as to number of window sills that get any sun so need to restrict number of sowings that are not direct in final container.

Your advice as always is much appreciated :D

[Shelle]

[Georgie]

Hi Shelle.  In my experience you can grow most edible things in pots providing you use a good compost and water regularly but you are unlikely to be self-sufficient.  I'd recommend Alpine Strawberries, Pea Half Pint, Carrot Parmex and Spring Onion Red Beard.  I can't help with the Sweetcorn I'm afraid.  I was going to try some this year but the weather meant I never got around to planting it.

G x

[valmarg]

Shelle. we grow lots of things in pots.

Seeds of Distinction/Totally Veg do a variety of pea called Half Pint.  They are dwarf, and produce a good crop in containers.

We also grow carrots, spring onions, radish, and also, cut-and-come-again salad leaves.  We grew a bush variety of tomato Red Cap in pots, and thy cropped very well.

One thing we were thinking of trying next year was parsnips, based on our carrot success.

We grow all our strawberries in pots - much easier to keep them under control.  We do have a greenhouse, so leave the pots outdoors to get frosted over winter, then bring them inside March/April time for an early crop.

I can't think that sweetcorn will grow in containers, the plants grow very tall.  We grow a variety called Swift, which is very sweet, and also Minipop for the baby sweetcorns.

What do you use for containers?  Shops like Netto and Home Bargains often have buckets for sale at 99p.  They are the equivalent of a 10" flowerpot, and only need a few holes drilling in the base (garden centres would charge about twice that).  Another container we use is old washing-up bowls - past their best in the kitchen, but with a few holes drilled in the bottom ideal containers, particularly for the salad leaves.

Don't go to the expense of peat pots!  Save your toilet roll cardboard inners.  Upright, in a tray, filled with compost, we use them to start off peas, broad beans, runner beans, climbing french beans and sweetcorn.  They are open-ended so the roots will not be disturbed, and will rot in the soil.

Hope the above helps,

valmarg

[SnooziSuzi]

I deffinately agree with valmarg re not using the peat pots!  I've had several sucessfull crops of peas and beans which were started off in regular loo rolls filled with compost - tie them together with string first, otherwise they fall all about!

I can help you out with some plastic for making a small cloche ready for warming the ground in Spring if you like.  The only thing I don't have is the plastic pipe to make the arches/uprights but I think you may be able to get hold of this easily enough.  Let me know if you want any and I can make a detour next time i'm visiting the outlaws in Ponteland!

HTH,
Su

[antipodes]

i don't have polytunnels yet but i think i will get some as i would love to get the new veg for spring off to a better start than this year! I am able to recover lots of very large plastic sacks from work and I am going to try using these as forcing tunnels too, just need to find how to prop them up.
also i am going to make cloches out of 8litre water bottles (again from work)
I don't think I will be able to grow much over winter but I have in sprouts and parsnips and cabbages that might well see me through till Christmas at least

[Shelle]

Su, thanks for your input and offer.  You actually gave me food for thought as I hadnt realised that I could use plastic sheeting to make my own cloche!  Dad has loads that he uses for putting in the boot when he is transporting dirty things to the tip, so I will nick some of his  ;D  I had wanted a mini greenhouse, but as it is so windy up here and in our garden it would just blow over, but now I am thinking I just need to do low one shelf thingys instead!

Thanks for your inspiration there  :)

I will try the loo rolls as well.

This planning is leaving me exhausted ;D  Got the T and M catalogue 2 days ago and now a one from marshalls has arrived!  Never ordered before from any of these companies as this was my first year, so I am getting a bit too excited reading them!

[Amazin]

Re the use of loo rolls - if you intend to start things off in them and then transplant, line the initial container with some old net curtain or other fine mesh material so that when you lift them out you don't lose the whole tube of soil (the voice of bitter experience here).    ::)

[SnooziSuzi]

I usually just pack the loo roll with compost and plant the whole thing out when it's time, that way there's minimal root disturbance.

[Lauren S]

Shelle,
If you can get hold of some cheap kiddies hoola hoops cut them and use them as your arches to support the plastic, make mini poly tunnels.  ;D

Little tip...T&M have a half price seed sale usually in May. If you happen to choose something that doesn't need sowing till end of May or later, it might be worth holding off till then. I got alot of my seeds from them for next season while the sale was on. It's a bit of (scuse the pun)...POT LUCK what's on offer, but they tend to have at least one if not more of each catagory. It might be worth your while to sign up for their news letter, so you can catch the bargains early.

Good Luck 
Lauren :)

[bedrockdave]

hi re the loo role, my good lady cuts the bottom of the roll about 1in and folds in to contain the compost and the root find there way through the wwe just fold them back out when we plant

[kitten]

hi re the loo role, my good lady cuts the bottom of the roll about 1in and folds in to contain the compost

Clever lady  ;)  ;D