Dear Sven

We live in a terraced house and only have a yard. I would love to be able to grow some of my own vegetables this summer but they would have to be grown in pots. What vegetables would you recommend?

Thanks

Elaine Rose


Our Gardens Expert replies:

Hi Elaine

You do not need acres of space to grow veggies in the garden…in fact you could even grow stuff in a window box. Most vegetables can be grown in pots and many dwarf varieties are available if you are really short of space. The main problems you will face is keeping things watered and fed well. Pots tend to dry out really quickly especially in the summer, and with constant watering the nutrients are leached from the soil and will need to be replenished.

I would aim to have as big a container as possible with a depth of 45 cm minimum, otherwise you will be constantly watering the things. Mix in a bit of well rotted manure into the bottom of the pot, this well help with water retention and supply vital nutrients. You can use liquid feeds but if you are organically minded then the manure will do the trick! Another great tip is to use a suitable slow release fertilizer that will feed the plants all throughout the growing season.

Crops that work well in pots include beetroot, tomatoes, peppers, broad beans, carrots, lettuce, peas, other salad leaves, spinach, garlic and even potatoes! Herbs too are great in pots and will take really well, parsley, coriander, thyme, chives; the list is ends less just be sure to look closely at the individual requirements of each plant. Most vegetables need plenty of light and fertile soil to grow in so if your garden is in deep shade you may well struggle, so make sure to position your pots in the right place, check the seed packets and labels for individual requirements and position, or even plant together, in groups with similar needs.

You can get really creative with your choice of containers, try buckets troughs, oil drums, wicker baskets, wine boxes, window boxes, grow bags….. Anything you can find will work and could lend itself to a really quirky feature in your garden. Also don’t think that you can only plant vegetables, try placing your containers in groups with perennials, shrubs and grasses for a more exciting effect.

Good luck!

Sven