Self-Sufficient.co.uk
Find out more about Self Sufficiency
Latest Articles
Plums and Damsons
Find out more about plums and damsons
fruits
09:58, 17th Aug 2010
Review of The Treehouse Diaries
A review of the book The TreeHouse Diaries by Nick Weston
books
11:17, 26th Jul 2010
Storing Herbs by Freezing
Find out how to freeze herbs to retain their flavour for months
preserving
16:10, 4th Jun 2010
Make Your Own Leafmould
Find out how to make your own leafmould to improve your soil
grow your own
15:28, 4th Jun 2010
Greenhouse Thermometer
Use a suitable max min thermometer to track temperatures in a greenhouse
greenhouse
11:22, 3rd Jun 2010
Greenhouse from Plastic Bottles
Build a greenhouse from old plastic bottles
greenhouse
10:19, 3rd Jun 2010
Make Tomato Passata
Preserve tomatoes by making delicious tomato passata
preserving
12:00, 25th May 2010
Growing Outdoor Tomato Varieties
Tomato plants which will survive outdoors in the UK
fruits
11:56, 25th May 2010
Container Vegetable Garden
Grow vegetables in Containers
Container Vegetable Garden
vegetables | grow your ownIt is not necessary to have an allotment or enormous garden in order to satisfy some or all of your yearly vegetable requirements. It is also possible to get some decent yields growing vegetables in containers on your patio or in your back yard. Everyone can get the benefits of home grown organic vegetables even if you live on the 20th floor and only have a window box.
Unless you want to dedicate your life to watering and feeding your crops, choose containers at least 40-50cm in depth which will retain water and nutrients. Also ensure that you use sterile compost (e.g. from a growing bag) so that disease and weeds are less likely to kill your crop. If you use your normal garden compost in containers then any bacteria, fungus, or disease, and any soil pests will take hold. Finally, it is wise to use well rotted manure, or another organic fertiliser in the bottom half of the container so that the roots of your crops will be able to source this added nutrition. Mulching will prevent water loss through evaporation, and prevent weeds growing.
Weekly or fortnightly feeding will also help - do this supplementary feeding after watering so that the food is not just washed out of the bottom of the container and lost.
The following are suggestions of vegetables which will grow well in containers thanks to their compact nature: turnip, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, onions, chard, spring onions, lettuce, dward french beans, and peppers, tomatoes, and aubergines if you have a sheltered south facing hot patio, cucumbers, squash, redishes.
The vegetable seeds to look out for at your local garden centre will likely have bush or patio in their name indicating that the resulting plants will be compact and thrive in compact container growing conditions.
Article Published: 03:37, 20th Apr 2006
Related Articles
Carrot Fly
Understand carrot fly and how to protect your crops from them
Article Published: 10:13, 5th Jul 2008
vegetables | grow your own
Your Vegetable Plot
Find out more about the ideal vegetable plot
Article Published: 13:12, 8th Jul 2008
vegetables | grow your own
Growing Peas
Find out more about growing delicious peas
Article Published: 16:16, 18th Jul 2008
vegetables | grow your own
Fighting Slugs
Find out how to protect your crops from slugs
Article Published: 10:20, 18th Jul 2008
vegetables | grow your own
Grow Potatoes in Containers
Find out how to grow potatoes in the smallest garden
Article Published: 11:51, 5th Jul 2008
vegetables | grow your own
Crop Rotation
Find out more about the importance of crop rotation
Article Published: 09:08, 5th Jul 2008
grow your own | vegetables
Growing Shallots
Find out how to grow your own shallots
Article Published: 08:06, 12th Jul 2008
grow your own | vegetables
Making Pickled Onions
Find out how to pickle onions
Article Published: 15:05, 7th Jul 2008
preserving | vegetables | grow your own
Growing Asparagus
Find out how to grow your own asparagus
Article Published: 12:55, 18th May 2010
grow your own | vegetables
Allotment Gardening
Grow all you can eat on your own allotment.
Article Published: 07:24, 22nd Feb 2008
grow your own | vegetables