First attempt at growing veggies in pots

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Plantiejo
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Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:35 am
Location: South Hams, Devon.

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by Plantiejo »

Lots of great advice and links here for growing in containers.
Not enough can be said though about looking over your plants every day, twice a day if you can. Check for slugs, snails, caterpillars, eggs (usually on underside of leaves) and squash or remove them to the bird table.

Move/slightly tip the pot with hand or foot to test if it is drying out (it will move easily if lightweight therefore dry). A shallow tray under every pot will help with watering but will not cause water logging (most veg/fruit plants do not like constantly wet roots as in sitting in deep water).
You can mulch the soil in the pots (to help keep moisture in and add some nutrients) once the plants are growing nicely. To mulch, add a good inch layer of homemade compost or grass clippings (other things can be used too, search for 'mulching'), try not to pile it up to close to the plants stems, i.e mulch around not directly on the plants.
Goof Luck....:)
Everyone has skills...share your skills....keep them alive. :)

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PreppingPingu
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Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by PreppingPingu »

I'm trying to grow some plants inside. I have a tray of various salad leaves that I have started. Its sitting at the top of the house where all my heat rises to and under a velux window so it should get maximin light. I just have to remember to water it often. Not sure how it will turn out but thought I'd give it a go!
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Alleycat

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by Alleycat »

PreppingPingu wrote:I'm trying to grow some plants inside. I have a tray of various salad leaves that I have started. Its sitting at the top of the house where all my heat rises to and under a velux window so it should get maximin light. I just have to remember to water it often. Not sure how it will turn out but thought I'd give it a go!
You can grow cherry tomatoes indoors .....if you are not too bothered about aesthetics. Last year we grew five plants on our living room window sill. We tied them up to our curtain rail and put up with the light blocking of the leaves etc (can be quite significant....so if you like your veiw, or your neighbours are nosy and you dont want them to know what your doing maybe not) Just an experiment for us because we started growing them with the intention of putting them outside but it just kept raining...blah blah blah. Any way it worked a treat and we had a really good crop, day after day of tomatoes for ages. If your growing under velux, I'm guessing not many people will be seeing it its definitely worth a go - more intensive (more watering) than salad leaves (which we have also grown on window sills - we live in a flat with limited outdoor space so always looking for other options). Another good indoor plant is chilli .....one plant will give quite a few chillis which can be used as you pick them or dried for later use. I grew 3 last year and it was too many for our use, easy peasy to grow tho :) good luck
short circuit

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by short circuit »

yes them smaller toms do grow well indoors, just got to watch out for spidermite in older houses thay get under the leaves and suck the life out of your plants you get leaf burn with them if you start seeing tiny webs you have a good amount of them, neem oil mix works but stinks but stops them been abled to pull out there egg sack on any new ones.
short circuit

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by short circuit »

I have started useing indoor space under the front room floor ,loft and a growing room here are a few pics of how its going
under floor
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In our loft
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growing room
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growing the girls
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Top tip make every inch you got spare a usable area and you will win the battle of man v's the cold weather out there ;)
12mp82
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Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by 12mp82 »

No wonder you don't want to be moved to a smaller place, you look like you need all the room you have. ;)
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short circuit

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by short circuit »

lol yes more or less got the food growing indoor rite tuch wood
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Plantiejo
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Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:35 am
Location: South Hams, Devon.

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by Plantiejo »

Some good effort being put in there! Well done. Thanks for sharing the photos.
I started the usual inside in module trays late Feb, (using the propagator set at 20 C near a bright window) Toms, Peppers, Chillies, French Beans, Peas, Mange Tout and quickly moved them out to an unheated Polytunnel as soon as they each had two proper leaves. I still protect them with fleece overnight.
An outdoor homemade cloche would work just as well, to 'hold' the plants in the cool and protect them from frosts and very cold winds.
I find this cold treatment slows the top plant growth (as there is not much light yet to sustain them without 'stretching', but it does allow the roots to grow and get established. Then when the weather warms and the light levels/length improve they are primed ready to take off.
Everyone has skills...share your skills....keep them alive. :)

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ptans

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by ptans »

The best plant pot I've used is the paper ones that you make yourself. but it does depend on which veg you choose to plant.
plant your veg in them, put them on the window sill. once the plants are big enough then you just put the hole thing in the pot outside and the paper pot becomes mulsh for the new plant.

A good veg is pea as you not only have a veg for your Sunday dinner but you also have a veg that the kids will eat out of the pods instead of sweets (They can be very sweet like sweets so the kid love them).
But the small leave are very good on salads and have a great taste to them.

If you leave the plant in after the veg have been eaten then the pea will start to put nitrogen back in the soil before it dies. so then the soil is ready for a new crop.

Good look and if it all go's wrong don't give up
ptans

Re: First attempt at growing veggies in pots

Post by ptans »

Sorry forgot to put the link on


paper plant pots


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gTyAmH1LAk