can i grow crops in underbed storage boxes?

[giggler]

Hi all, well the title says its all i supose!

I have bought 4 of these this year GARDEN TOMATO, PEPPER PLANTER VEGETABLES PATIO GROW BAG

but when filled with compost they are a little 'floppy'

grew some things in growbags last year but I found the soil got quite compacted in them. So I thought if I had some underbed storage boxes they would be the same depth as growbag but i would be able to 'fluff' the soil. I would put drainage holes in the bottom and fill it with compost or soil from growbag.

I know I wouldnt be able to grow anything with a huge root system but what do you think to

onions
garlic
cabbage
swede?
lettuce
herbs (not invasive mint)

Has anyone had any luck with such a pot?

Thanks x

[mangobroadbean]

I think it would work beautifully, however I'd take them out from underneath the bed first :0) A neighbour grew tomatoes in suitcases last year. He planted out the tiny plants early and if frost threatened he'd just shut the lids down for the night opening them in the morning. Genius!

[dawndaisy]

I have used them in the past for salad crops, and they did ok for a while. The size wasnt a problem at all, but the plastic degraded in the sun, and the boxes collapsed when I moved them. They also worked well as cloches. I think your money might be better spent on a more uv stable trough designed for the purpose.If you allready have some spare Id say go for it but dont expect them to last long.
Hope this helps

Dawn

[LittleShamrock]

are they see-through plastic? I grew some salads in similar tubs last year, and the compost went very mossy green and nothing grew well, I thought the light might have affected the soil and/or roots. I saw cat-litter trays in Poundland, I might use a few of those this year as salad crop trays.

[taff]

cabbage, maybe not, it needs very firm soil, or a good firming in. Maybe one in a morrisons bucket or something would do it, or a mini variety.

[Two_Sheds]

are they see-through plastic? ... the compost went very mossy green

I used those clear plastic storage boxes as cloches one year - after just one season they disintegrated into a million shards (not UV stable)

cabbage, maybe not, it needs very firm soil,

Swedes neither (brassica too)

[TonyF]

I use storage boxes to grow veggies in, mainly for things to grow over one of the fruit tunnels, like courds, marrows etc, anything that could be thought of as a vine.

Because J doesn't like to see the boxes (I know, they do look unsightly) I've made some wooden surrounds for them and they're lined with black plastic (compost bags inside out) and they have reduced the degredation. The wooden boxes are just for easthetic purposes, I'd be happy with the plastic.

[giggler]

Thanks for the replys guys

I bought a couple of the boxes really cheap the other day only for dd to tell me she had a spare under her bed!! 1 is now filled with the onions and garlic I started in modules and the other i think I will put in a shady spot for lettuces. If they only last a couple of years, oh well, everything may die on me this year and I willlose heart by next year.....hopefully not though.

Thanks x