veg gardening in containers.

[Demeter]

You can grow land cress as an alternative to watercress - similar plant, but does not need to be so wet! I've had loads this year, very easy, and delicious

[Alice]

Sounds like you're doing great Bride , and certainly going on the right direction.
You could grow some garlic in one of your containers (coming up planting time now). It did well for me.
And you're right about parachuting slugs. They can dangle from the stuff they excrete. Little blighters.

[BrideXIII]

Sounds like you're doing great Bride , and certainly going on the right direction.
You could grow some garlic in one of your containers (coming up planting time now). It did well for me.
And you're right about parachuting slugs. They can dangle from the stuff they excrete. Little blighters.

it was the two snails on the underside of a hanging basket 5 feet off the ground and a foot from the wall that baffled me!

[Duronal]

i find the best way to cure this is to introduce them to mr brick

slugs have been my nemesis recently, one even had the cheek to eat one of my peppers off the plant. Consequently i went on a slug rampage a few nights ago to tip the scales in my favour. What was worse was finding out that my local slugs have been laying eggs inside my cabbages! They're covered in green slug eggs between the leaves by the base of the stem.....It's all very depressing.

Still i guess they're useful for compost....

[BrideXIII]

i have been experimenting this year with various slug and snail repellants.
best so far are:

all pots in tin foil trays, cut edges with pinking shears, so they are spikey,, they no likey.

blackberry suckers around the edges of shelving, again spikey, got a few scratches, but worked.

still had to fleece though to stop parachuters.

[FionaH]

Got quite a few bits in containers, kale, cabbage, leeks, spinach. Its great cos I can move them into the sun. Didnt know slugs could parachute though! Sneaky little so and sos!

[Demeter]

i find the best way to cure this is to introduce them to mr brick

slugs have been my nemesis recently, one even had the cheek to eat one of my peppers off the plant. Consequently i went on a slug rampage a few nights ago to tip the scales in my favour. What was worse was finding out that my local slugs have been laying eggs inside my cabbages! They're covered in green slug eggs between the leaves by the base of the stem.....It's all very depressing.

Still i guess they're useful for compost....

Mr Brick is my friend too. As are Mr Pokey Stick and Mrs Stampy Boot...

But - slug eggs aren't green! Sure it's not caterpillar poo?

[maximepaul]

[QUOTE=BrideXIII;288628]must try watercress I think, we use loads of it as salad, for some odd reason I though it only grew in water

I thought that too till i saw them and read the back.
just rummaging to see the variety i bought got then for about 50p in woolies
nope can't find, think they were watercress aqua just have to make sure compost is constantly moist.
also tried spinach beet i got at woolies for 80p got loads of it need to find a soup recipe or something for it now!!! any ideas??

oh and there is a free offer for free rocket seeds on duchy originals (prince charlies website lol) got mine through the post today still handy to sow under glass or save them for nxt year Duchy Originals - natural, organic, delicious food from HRH The Prince of Wales

[BrideXIII]

I had another result today, my new neghbours has found some sleepers and scaffolding boards in the garden and doesn't want them, looks like enough to make a couple more raised beds, I won't have any garden left at this rate

[maximepaul]

I know Bride It can take over !!! good fun though!!

[BrideXIII]

we , re above and the water cress, we had a salad last sunday, and I popped some in a glass on the windowsill.

it went very limp, but then it has started rootlets.

so now what?
very moist compost I assume, possibly keeping the pot standing in water?
advice please.

[bluemoon]

You have to keep it well watered, Bride. I grow mine in a bucket and don't drill any holes in the bottom. It likes to be reasonably cool so needs shade in summer too, and anything which is happy in the shade is a bonus.

[BrideXIII]

You have to keep it well watered, Bride. I grow mine in a bucket and don't drill any holes in the bottom. It likes to be reasonably cool so needs shade in summer too, and anything which is happy in the shade is a bonus.

well i came up with one of my novel ideas.
I keep all those plastic lids from cd stacks 50x.
i drilled holes in thebottom of one, lined with kitchen roll to stop the compost going through, placed it inside another one, which left a half inch gap at the bottom, so I can keep the bottom cell topped up with rainwater to keep the compost moist, but can drain it occasionally to stop the water getting stale.
its not a large pot of course, but if it works I shall cobble together a larger version with tubs.

[MrsC]

Hi Bride, I lived in a terraced house prior to this one and had a tiny garden (all flagged). Pulled up a few flags and got growing but grew lots in pots too as mentioned by other grapes above. Herbs grow well in pots too if you like them and go nice with the veg. The cucmbers I grew this year (Marketmore) were in black florist buckets placed into chimney pots, they romped away. Even though I have a decent sized garden I still grow salad leaves etc in pots. What about polysterene boxes? The type that fishmongers get the fish in, I know someone who use to paint them with fence stain and grew lovely crops in there. I still have a few container gardening books somewhere when I get time I will have a look I don't read them so may be able to send you one, will let you know.

[BrideXIII]

Hi Bride, I lived in a terraced house prior to this one and had a tiny garden (all flagged). Pulled up a few flags and got growing but grew lots in pots too as mentioned by other grapes above. Herbs grow well in pots too if you like them and go nice with the veg. The cucmbers I grew this year (Marketmore) were in black florist buckets placed into chimney pots, they romped away. Even though I have a decent sized garden I still grow salad leaves etc in pots. What about polysterene boxes? The type that fishmongers get the fish in, I know someone who use to paint them with fence stain and grew lovely crops in there. I still have a few container gardening books somewhere when I get time I will have a look I don't read them so may be able to send you one, will let you know.

that would be lovely if you could, I will Pm you my address.