What is good for me to grow?

jaycee76
jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I am thinking of using my big garden pots to grow some veg/fruit this year. (I don't have any space in the garden to plant)

I think it would be really enjoyable for the children.

I have a south facing orangery room at the back of my house that I can use to start them off, but, because the orangery is actually the childrens play room, they can't stay in there!

Does anyone have any tips for an amateur on what would be good to grow in the garden once they have started to grow? And also, it needs to be pretty tough for the UK weather conditions!


Thanks in advance xx

Replies

  • CinthyNair
    CinthyNair Posts: 261
    herbs! Lots and lots of herbs :) Great fresh herbs for your salads :)
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
    What do you and your family like to eat? Sugar snap peas are nice and easy, so are lettuce or beans. Carrots and beets can be more difficult but radishes are not so bad as they grow fast. Potatoes - they like sandy soil but are otherwise easy. Rhubarb loves cold weather - my plant is already over a foot high; started poking through the mulch way back in February. Cherry tomatoes are my all time favourite but they do need sun; ditto for hot peppers. Cucumbers can be trained to grow up a trellis; thye do need more care especially water at the right time so they don't turn bitter. Sunflowers are fun for the kids.

    It's probably best to talk to your neighbours and staff in local gardening stores - they know what works well in your area and also have seeds that are adapted to your conditions.

    Good luck - don't go overboard in the first year; gardens take time to grow.
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
    I'm not sure where you are based, but I'm in the UK and grow nearly everything in pots. Tomatoes are always good for a first time, and easy. You can get varieties of cherry tomato that grow in a bush shape and need less looking after. I even plant mine in hanging baskets! Courgettes are dead easy, but can take up a bit of room. Beans are great if you can put them in a big pot and train them up a fence, or up a wigwam of garden canes.

    Pop in to your local garden centre, they'd be able to give you the best advice.

    Good luck, and have fun.

    Erika
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
    What do you and your family like to eat? Sugar snap peas are nice and easy, so are lettuce or beans. Carrots and beets can be more difficult but radishes are not so bad as they grow fast. Potatoes - they like sandy soil but are otherwise easy. Rhubarb loves cold weather - my plant is already over a foot high; started poking through the mulch way back in February. Cherry tomatoes are my all time favourite but they do need sun; ditto for hot peppers. Cucumbers can be trained to grow up a trellis; thye do need more care especially water at the right time so they don't turn bitter. Sunflowers are fun for the kids.

    It's probably best to talk to your neighbours and staff in local gardening stores - they know what works well in your area and also have seeds that are adapted to your conditions.

    Good luck - don't go overboard in the first year; gardens take time to grow.

    Thanks for that! My partner and I am probably the only one who will actually eat them! lol

    I am loving the idea of sugar snap peas too! I love to smell tomatoe plants but I think you need to grow them indoors?

    My neighbours are really old and have gardeners and don't grow new things but I imagine they would know what would be good!
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
    I'm not sure where you are based, but I'm in the UK and grow nearly everything in pots. Tomatoes are always good for a first time, and easy. You can get varieties of cherry tomato that grow in a bush shape and need less looking after. I even plant mine in hanging baskets! Courgettes are dead easy, but can take up a bit of room. Beans are great if you can put them in a big pot and train them up a fence, or up a wigwam of garden canes.

    Pop in to your local garden centre, they'd be able to give you the best advice.

    Good luck, and have fun.

    Erika

    I am from Lincolnshire

    Do you grow the tomatoes outside? I fancy doing peas and tomatoes but thought tomatoes needed to be in a greenhouse really?
  • KateDonnelly
    KateDonnelly Posts: 53
    I was so excited to reply because my husband and I grow things in containers each year and I have a small but varied herb garden. BUT, everyone already gave all the advice I would have! Lol! So, maybe instead we could add each other as friends. I would love to have more friends who share the same interests. Good luck with all your wellness goals and happy gardening!
    K
  • amberc1982
    amberc1982 Posts: 468 Member
    [/quote]

    I am from Lincolnshire

    Do you grow the tomatoes outside? I fancy doing peas and tomatoes but thought tomatoes needed to be in a greenhouse really?
    [/quote]

    My father in law grows tomoatoes outside in his garden.
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
    Start them off on a window sill inside and once they're big enough they'll do quite fine outside. You can even start them off outside in another couple of weeks, but they'd be slower growing. Courgettes work the same way. If you were closer you could have some of my seedlings, I've planted too many! Peas like cooler weather, but I've never had much success with them. They grow and everything, but I never seem to get enough peas to make it worth my while. They'd probably be good if you've got loads of room to plant loads of plants, but otherwise you're more likely to get a good crop with beans.

    Feel free to message me with any questions!

    Erika x
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
    Stuff like lettuce is also really easy to grow and does fine in pots.

    E x
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    My parents grew strawberries & tomatoes in pots and they're fairly simple :) And DELICIOUS!!!
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
    [/quote] I love to smell tomatoe plants but I think you need to grow them indoors?

    [/quote]

    They can go outside by the end of May - Victoria Day long weekend is usually the day I put my hot weather plants out. I take the easy way and buy bedding plants. :happy:

    Choose tomatoes with a shorter growing time and you'll have beautiful fruit by August/September.
  • crispy1990
    crispy1990 Posts: 53
    Hi
    We are just getting ready to start organising this years veggies, and though I'd add my two pennys worth :happy:

    Tomatoes, and courgettes, grow well in containers as do Patty Pans. Cut & grow again lettuce sown at intervals in pots keeps us going most of the summer. New pots grow well in a pot & taste yummy :laugh:
    If the pots are larger you can make a wigwam out of canes and train blackberries, raspberries etc up them.

    Erika - I know what you mean about the peas, I had 4 rows of them last year, and with 5 of us eating them I could have done with about 10 more rows LOL

    My favourite to grow have to be Butternuts & Gemsquash ............. but you need a lot of room !

    Happy gardening

    Karen
    x
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
    I'm in North Yorkshire and grow Tomato's outside in pots even in poor weather years like the past one.

    You do need to start them off inside on a south facing window/conservatory. And keep them inside until the frosts have stopped, thats beginning of June for me. I have mine going now and by June they will be a good two/three foot high in my kitchen window :D

    Then you need a sheltered south facing place in the garden for them to thrive. After that, water them religiously and feed them with good organic plant/tomato food, take care of them as recommended for the type you buy.

    Then get ready for the sweetest most gorgeous tasting Tomatoes in August/Sept, maybe even late July if you start with established baby plants (from a garden center) now and we get a really hot summer.

    Other stuff I grow in pots are loads of herbs, loads of different lettuce (very easy), Spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, red chili, Basically anything that can go in a easy salad.

    I have grown root veg in pots before but it's not as successful and you need to have good pots that don't let the soil break up when the pot has to be moved.

    lol, I never have thought of my self as a gardener, but actually I do enjoy growing stuff that can be eaten.
  • StaceG1986
    StaceG1986 Posts: 350
    I'm not sure where you are based, but I'm in the UK and grow nearly everything in pots. Tomatoes are always good for a first time, and easy. You can get varieties of cherry tomato that grow in a bush shape and need less looking after. I even plant mine in hanging baskets! Courgettes are dead easy, but can take up a bit of room. Beans are great if you can put them in a big pot and train them up a fence, or up a wigwam of garden canes.

    Pop in to your local garden centre, they'd be able to give you the best advice.

    Good luck, and have fun.

    Erika

    I am from Lincolnshire

    Do you grow the tomatoes outside? I fancy doing peas and tomatoes but thought tomatoes needed to be in a greenhouse really?

    I'm from Lincolnshire too :smile:

    Been thinking of groqing my own veg too but not really sure how to go about it lol

    Some great advice here though :happy:
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