We have often planted in containers when in rented accommodation and also when we were short on space. Make sure your pot or container is large enough for what you want to plant. Root vegies like carrots and parsnips need deeper containers.
Consider if your plants need to be supported by a stake or trellis like tomatoes and beans and where you are going to put this. You will need a deep enough pot to hold a stake securely or maybe you can put one in soil behind the pot.
Make sure your pots have lots of drainage holes, most plants don’t like to sit in water – they get ‘wet feet'.
Some ideas for containers to grow in are:
- Terracotta, glazed or plastic pots (note: terracotta pots are porous and will dry out quicker than others)
- Poly boxes – you can generally get these from fruit and vegie stores, punch some holes in the bottom for drainage with a screwdriver or something sharp
- Besser blocks or similar are great for smaller herbs
- Old bath tubs
You can grow in pretty much anything but don't use anything made from treated wood or old tyres. Studies show that chemicals from these can leach into your soil and into the food you grow.
To fill your pots mix together:
- a good quality potting mix with
- compost (you can use homemade, mushroom or you can buy organic composts as well) and
- old manure. The reason it needs to be old or partly composted is because if it’s too fresh it can burn the roots on your plants
- if you have it you can also mix in a little blood and bone and potash
This all makes a good organic mix to feed your hungry plants.
You will need to keep your pots and containers moist – they dry out quicker than a garden bed does. Because you are watering them regularly, some of the goodness and nutrients are washed away from your soil so you will need to feed your plants with a liquid seaweed fertiliser every week or two.
Use your grow guide from your patch kit to help you decide what vegies, herbs or flowers to start growing!
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