Kiwi Phil
Commander
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 2,182
I have cut and pasted info to put another article together.<br /><br />You dont need a lot of space to harvest your own fresh home grown vegetables, and with a little ingenuity it is possible to grow almost any vegetable in pots, and there is a range of varieties that are perfectly suited to the smaller garden.<br /><br />Remember that pots are portable, so they can be moved into other areas from season to season. <br /><br />· The first ingredient for success is sunlight. Most crops need at least 5 to six hours a day. <br /><br />· It is important to use a good potting soil that has good structure and drainage. A wetting agent and water storage granules can be added to reduce the need for water. A granulated fertiliser can be added to support initial growth. <br /><br />· Pots exposed to full sun will dry out very quickly, so special attention needs to be given to watering. It is better to use larger containers that are more able to withstand the drying effects of sun and wind.<br /><br />· It is beneficial to surface mulch the top of containers, as this will reduce evaporation and the need for frequent watering.<br /><br />Thought needs to be given to the types of container that is going to be used. This decision will be controlled by aesthetic considerations. <br /><br />The size and depth of the container will also influence the type of vegetables that can be grown. <br />As a rough guide, when planting shallow rooted vegetables, like lettuces a depth of at about 20 to 25 cm is needed. As tempting as it is to fit as many plants as possible into a pot, it is much better to allow some space for development. This way there wont be lots of undersized plants because they are all competing for space. Silver Beet is another great cut and come again vegetable, which can be picked as needed. <br /><br />When growing larger crops like tomatoes or capsicums, they will need a depth of about 30 to 40 cm. Birds Eye Chilli and capsicums both have a nice compact habit, and produce a good crop as well as being very ornamental in a pot. Mini Lebanese Eggplant with a compact form, which produces lots of small slender fruit. Tomatoes are another tasty pot specimen. An innovative idea is to display tomatoes in a hanging basket. The Cherry Tomato Tumbler has small sweet fruit that is fantastic in salads, or a more upright growing variety like the heirloom Black Russian Tomato has dark coloured flesh. Hanging baskets are high off the ground and exposed, so they are going to dry out and heat up very quickly, so regular watering is essential. <br /><br />Dwarf or baby varieties of beetroot and carrots do well in pots. Mini Gourmet Beetroot that produces golf ball sized beets with a concentrated flavour. <br /><br />Large pots provide a perfect opportunity to consider planting combinations. Herbs are a natural companion to vegetables, and they can introduce some wonderful flavours. Edible flowers are perfect as well. The leaves and flowers of the Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus are great used in salads. Try cheese, vegemite and nasturtium leaves in a sandwich!<br /><br />With all the watering, nutrients are quickly leached from containers, so vegetables growing in pots need to be liquid fed regularly. Leafy vegetables like lettuce and silver beet will benefit from good nitrogen based liquid food. High Phosphate and potassium fertiliser will promote good crops in fruit and root vegetables like beetroot, capsicum and tomato.<br /><br />Big or small, there is still nothing quite like the satisfaction of harvesting and eating your own home grown vegetables. <br /><br />Cheers<br />Phillip
