Container ideas...

[nilling]

I would recommend the square flower buckets that Tesco use: you can easily stack them when not in use and they have a convenient handles on the side so you can easily move them.

I drilled drainage holes about 1" from the bottom and filled that bottom inch with stones to prevent them drying out.

Grew spuds in them this year with great success. But this year I'm going to take up some of the back lawn so I can get a bigger crop - the kids are not too happy though

[redlandrover90]

Thanks for all the tips guys.

Unfortunately putting stuff in the ground isn't really an option but I think I might just go and buy a load of large storage containers and drill holes in them, as long as I get them deep enough for carrots I reckon they'll do just fine...

Whilst we're on the subject what sort of depth would they need to be for carrots and Broccoli?

Thanks

[Two_Sheds]

Whilst we're on the subject what sort of depth would they need to be for carrots

Just a bit deeper than the eventual length of your carrot.

Brassicas don't grow well in containers - they need really firm soil.

[zazen999]

But they do grow!!! Broccolli especially...use the deep containers just like the carrots. I grew them in the same container and they were all fine - you just get smaller heads.

[Snadger]

Whatever container you choose, it will need copious watering on hot days.
Always use a saucer thing underneath to conserve as much water as you can. Might be a challenge on a plasterer's bath?

A Sky television disk for instance!

[Snadger]

If looks aren't important an old fibreglass bath dragged from a skip can be useful. I have two, one above ground as a water receptacle and one set flush with the ground as a small pond. Others on the allotments use them to contain the likes of rhubarb and horseradish but they could be prettied up and used ornamentally as well!

[Snadger]

Just found this!

[Snadger]

Oops! Didn't realise the pickie was THAT big!

[Anita Plot]

When we had our bathroom done I put the old toilet in the back garden under a tree and planted a fuscia in it.

[Two_Sheds]

A Sky television disk for instance!

I know where you can get one ...

[knittywittywoo]

We were planning to build raised beds next year and then looked into the big plastic boxes at Matalan. I think we are going with the boxes idea. Plus that way I can keep adding to it when needed and they will stack away if not in use. I only started this year so don't particularly want to dig all the lawn up yet.....maybe next year. Although Hubby did dig me a large plot out before we realised it was at the bottom of our sloped garden, it's collected all the rain and it hasn't been dry since. Anything grow in a bog????

[maytreefrannie]

I love the idea of using more containers and will put some of the ideas given here into use.

One question though - if you use a big container, do you use rotation system like for the ground? Or does the container have to be emptied and filled with new stuff each season?

Now that I've typed that it looks like a foolish question, but I put potatoes into a bin I'd been using for carrots and I emptied the whole thing into the compost then filled it up again and it was some job. Afterwards I thought maybe I didn't have to do that.

Info, anyone?

[redlandrover90]

I was going to ask that same question maytreefrannie regarding rotation systems!! I'd be interested to know too??

I'm going to have a look down at Matalan too, good idea, hadn't thought of there, and there's one down the road.

Thanks

[lynda66]

yes you need to empty and refill each year as the veg will remove the nutrients from the compost

[Bren In Pots]

I half fill with compost from my dalek bin then the rest is bought compost, after a couple of weeks everything apart from parsnips and carrots get watered with Comfrey tea.