Allotments 4 All

i am relatively new to growing my own, but i really want to start properly. i live in a flat but luckily have a veranda area that is all mine, so i can grow veg in pots :) what can i sow now that can be potted? any help would be a godsend!! thank you!

Hello zenalae,

There is not a lot you can't grow in containers.

The most common things I used to grow in containers are tomatos, lettuce and other salad leaves, spring onions, peppers, carrots,beetroot, cucumber, courgettes, squashes & potatoes.

The only things that I can think of that I now grow on my allotment, but would not try in containers are runner beans, sweetcorn.

If you want, you could try planting some winter hardy variates of spring onions and lettuce now maybe too late, maybe not.

Quote from: conthehill on October 12, 2009, 12:08:32
Hello zenalae,

There is not a lot you can't grow in containers.

The most common things I used to grow in containers are tomatos, lettuce and other salad leaves, spring onions, peppers, carrots,beetroot, cucumber, courgettes, squashes & potatoes.

The only things that I can think of that I now grow on my allotment, but would not try in containers are runner beans, sweetcorn.

If you want, you could try planting some winter hardy variates of spring onions and lettuce now maybe too late, maybe not.

Overwintering onions?.... maybe garlic (given you're using containers you might as well just use supermarket garlic, especially if it is UK grown),  shallots and broad beans in a couple of weeks or so

chrisc

I beg to differ and i never say never.

I grew tons in containers back in the summer of 2002 on my mums balcony, including runnerbeans and sweetcorn. i used all manner of containers but for the above mentioned crops i used very deep containers of about 12" plus and they were approx 18" in diameter. i planted the sweetcorn in a circle with one in the middle i think i squeezed five in the tub. the runnerbeans were planted 8 to the tub up a 5ft wigwam of canes. i fed them a lot and didn't let them dry out and i got 10 decent corn cobs and i think five/ six meals from the runner beans.

i have had more problems with sweetcorn since getting a garden, which this lovely site helped me iron out and this year is the first since 2002 my corn have gotten to a lovely height of 5ft+ and given me a great crop to be proud of.

if i had to grow beans again i would go for a climbing french beans as i believe you would get more  for the space but you could always try both (i would :)).

also if you do grow tall veges like the forementioned then be sure to site them where the wind doesn't catch them and tip the pots over. also if you are planning to grow veg seriously in containers, i would also suggest using a mixture of topsoil and potting compost, for two reasons one it would add weight to the pots (for tall specimens) and most importantly it would be more water retentative and also hold nutrients longer (oh don't forget water retaining crystals).

and to use space efficiently i would also under plant/ interplant some crops with annual herbs such as basil, rocket and coriander.

and like said before there is practically nothing that can't be grown in containers but research the crops you would like to grow well and find out what their needs are and what their root systems are like so you provide them with the right growing mediums and with the right size containers.

then by all means HAVE FUN :D.

Quote from: conthehill on October 12, 2009, 12:08:32
Hello zenalae,

There is not a lot you can't grow in containers.

The most common things I used to grow in containers are tomatos, lettuce and other salad leaves, spring onions, peppers, carrots,beetroot, cucumber, courgettes, squashes & potatoes.

Seems like a fair amount to me youve listed there conthehill....

Sweet corn is possible because I used to grow it in containers dont forget lots of feeding and watering.
Others are:~

dwarf beans ~runnerbeans swiss chard~aubergines ~strawberries~herbs~babyleeks~blueberries

fruit trees are possible but I do understand that you will be using a balcony!!
There is a quite a good READERS DIGEST book called CROPS IN POTS by BoB Purnell. I used to refer to this book before I got my allotment.
Have fun and experiment.

Duke  ;D
...

Quote from: thifasmom on October 12, 2009, 13:19:08
I beg to differ and i never say never.

I agree, never say never, I did try sweet corn and runner beans, both failed, I know why, and I decided it was not worth it, but that is my opinion for me in my situation. nothing is impossibe.

I can not beleive I left strawberries of my list  ;D

Welcome to A4A...
put three gardeners in a room and you get at least four opinions....  ;D

Quote from: saddad on October 12, 2009, 14:45:55
Welcome to A4A...
put three gardeners in a room and you get at least four opinions....  ;D

Yeah, one from each of the gardeners and one concensus that none of them are particularly happy about but at least it means not having to agree with someoine elses opinion :D