This year's foray into container growing......
Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:12 pm
Been a while since i have posted but always lurking and reading the advice offered by many on here...
Last year was my first year attempt at growing Veg and soft fruits in containers, some with success, some not so succesful. I also have my name down with the local council for an allotment i am 12th on the waiting list for a site that only has 24 plots, even though the council have said as they become available they are splitting these in half due to the size of each plot...the wait continues.....
This year i have branched out a bit further and am trying for more things...Also splashed out on a small greenhouse....
What i have got so far.
after reading about some people growing potatoes in buckets i decided to go one step further and use a Bin(have 2 on the go) and earth(i think that is the right term) the potato up as they grow. I have started with the early variety of Scottish Lady christl, planted the end of February and they seem to be doing well. These will be earthed up end of May. And i will go onto a main crop variety. To be decided on yet.
The Rhubarb which was planted last year in a 15 ltr tub has come on it leaps and bounds this year, i also managed to get hold of some Victoria Rhubarb seeds and they have started to show some promise as well.
Onion set has been planted in what was my daughters Baby bath, thing is she likes to dig them up and then plant them again, so far they seem to be ok as she manages to put them back in the same place and the right way up. Will find out come October time.
Nantes carrots in toilet rolls, must have about 40 of these stacked in the childrens playpit.
Soft fruit seems to be doing well this year after last years failure of not netting them from the birds. I have expanded on these and have gone a variety of Strawberry plants so that i have early, mid and late fruiting plants seen as the children as well as the birds pull them off the plants and eat them whilst playing in the yard.
Bluegold blueberry bush, have planted this into a 20ltr Tub, hopefully this will be big enough!!!
Gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes planted in planters, these seem to be doing better than last year as i seemed to get a dud blackcurrant bush that died as soon as it was transplanted to a new area.
in the greenhouse i have Masoka(spelling) and tumbling toms starting to sprout, with some cucumber, can not remember the types.
A couple of varieties of Chili peppers and sweet peppers.
The herbs are out in the yard and surprisingly managed to carry on throughout the whole year, basil, Mint, Thyme and parsley all doing well.
Have also managed to fill a bin with the kitchen waste and pet rabbit waste and spent compost from pots and tubs from last year and are now fermenting into a nice compostable material over the past 7-8 months.
Have also decided to grow a few items to attract the gardeners friends, i have some borage (got this from the eden project last year) on the go in the greenhouse with some Sweet peas, african (mind blank) and the french marigolds (remembered now), will also try to pinch a honey suckle plant from my parents garden, that seems to attract the bees.
I also plan to get some runner, stringbeans, parsnips and sweetcorn into the propagator the end of April, its just that space seems to be at a premium....
The daughter just reminded to make sure i get the sunflowers which she grows, down as well.....
Last year was my first year attempt at growing Veg and soft fruits in containers, some with success, some not so succesful. I also have my name down with the local council for an allotment i am 12th on the waiting list for a site that only has 24 plots, even though the council have said as they become available they are splitting these in half due to the size of each plot...the wait continues.....
This year i have branched out a bit further and am trying for more things...Also splashed out on a small greenhouse....
What i have got so far.
after reading about some people growing potatoes in buckets i decided to go one step further and use a Bin(have 2 on the go) and earth(i think that is the right term) the potato up as they grow. I have started with the early variety of Scottish Lady christl, planted the end of February and they seem to be doing well. These will be earthed up end of May. And i will go onto a main crop variety. To be decided on yet.
The Rhubarb which was planted last year in a 15 ltr tub has come on it leaps and bounds this year, i also managed to get hold of some Victoria Rhubarb seeds and they have started to show some promise as well.
Onion set has been planted in what was my daughters Baby bath, thing is she likes to dig them up and then plant them again, so far they seem to be ok as she manages to put them back in the same place and the right way up. Will find out come October time.
Nantes carrots in toilet rolls, must have about 40 of these stacked in the childrens playpit.
Soft fruit seems to be doing well this year after last years failure of not netting them from the birds. I have expanded on these and have gone a variety of Strawberry plants so that i have early, mid and late fruiting plants seen as the children as well as the birds pull them off the plants and eat them whilst playing in the yard.
Bluegold blueberry bush, have planted this into a 20ltr Tub, hopefully this will be big enough!!!
Gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes planted in planters, these seem to be doing better than last year as i seemed to get a dud blackcurrant bush that died as soon as it was transplanted to a new area.
in the greenhouse i have Masoka(spelling) and tumbling toms starting to sprout, with some cucumber, can not remember the types.
A couple of varieties of Chili peppers and sweet peppers.
The herbs are out in the yard and surprisingly managed to carry on throughout the whole year, basil, Mint, Thyme and parsley all doing well.
Have also managed to fill a bin with the kitchen waste and pet rabbit waste and spent compost from pots and tubs from last year and are now fermenting into a nice compostable material over the past 7-8 months.
Have also decided to grow a few items to attract the gardeners friends, i have some borage (got this from the eden project last year) on the go in the greenhouse with some Sweet peas, african (mind blank) and the french marigolds (remembered now), will also try to pinch a honey suckle plant from my parents garden, that seems to attract the bees.
I also plan to get some runner, stringbeans, parsnips and sweetcorn into the propagator the end of April, its just that space seems to be at a premium....
The daughter just reminded to make sure i get the sunflowers which she grows, down as well.....