So many of us have very little garden space we thought it would be a great idea to look at how to grow successfully in pots.
GROWING FOOD IN CONTAINERS
You can grow vegetables in all sorts of containers as long as they are a decent size. Make it fun and use the things that might end up in landfill! Wooden boxes, old window boxes, buckets, something that will hold compost and you can make drainage holes in. Although most are plastic, they get reused over and over again, and retain moisture better than porous terracotta.
Size- It really depends on what you are growing. A pot of salad leaves can be as small as a 30cm across but ideally you want a diameter of 45cm.
One of the benefits of growing in pots is you can move them about and start them off inside if necessary. The bigger the pot the less quickly it will dry out. Most veg will want to grow in a sunny sheltered position.
Compost and Soil
Fill containers with a mixture of topsoil and multipurpose compost. The topsoil gives the mix body and drainage, whereas the compost retains moisture. This provides moist but well-drained conditions.
For greedy crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and courgettes, also mix in well-rotted manure or chicken manure pellets to feed through the season.
Once the crops are established, feed them once a week with a liquid tomato fertiliser. This is rich in potassium, so it promotes the development of flowers and fruit.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes love to grow in pots or grow bags. You can even use old compost bags sat on their ends and filled with compost. This gives them a deeper root run than traditional growbags. To support the tomatoes, wind the stems around string that’s looped and tied around the stem at the bottom and attached to a frame at the top or use bamboo canes stuck into the bag or the ground whichever works for your space.
Courgettes/Cucumbers- Very hungry plants so a large pot is a definite, 45cm plus. Always add extra fertiliser to the compost.
Salad Leaves & Roots
Root veg like carrots and beetroot will do well in containers but you are best to choose the more dwarf varieties and the stumpy rooted carrots to suit the containers. Spring onions are quick and easy in large window boxes or troughs. They don’t grow too big so are a good crop to try, especially if you have never grown in pots before.
Mixed salad leaves are great in pots and can be sown every few weeks so that you have a constant supply. Thinly scatter the seed across the whole surface of the pot or do neat rows if you are doing other crops in the same pot.
Climbing beans
Climbing beans need deep but wide containers (plus extra manure). Use canes in a wigwam shape and a cane spacers at the top (If possible), so the beans don’t get bunched together.
Strawberries
An easy choice for pots or hanging baskets.
Potatoes
The early varieties do really well in pots. Fill a container about 45cm across with a thick layer of compost. Lay 3 or 4 seed potatoes in the compost, cover them well. Let the shoots grow and as you see the new growth add more compost to cover the leaves. Keep adding compost as the plants grow until you reach the top of the pot. Water regularly.
Peas
If you only have room for one veg then this is a tasty choice! They are best planted in a circle in the pot with twiggy sticks or canes and bean netting to grow up.
As a general rule water the pots regularly throughout the week but make sure they are dry before watering, use your fingers to check or feel the weight of the pot. Try to water onto the soil and not onto the leaves so the soil reaches the roots.
Tip- You can sink a small empty pot into the compost next to a courgette or tomato and then water into the pot each time you water. This makes sure the water goes direct to the plant roots.
Place the planted pots in a sunny spot. They can look good grouped together and help to retain moisture,
