Storms and chickens

[Leicester_H]

Hi

I have a small unheated green house, a small raised bed and 10 (?) large 15" pots.

I grow many varieties of chillies - these end up filling the greenhouse (but GH can be used to start seeds off). Several interesting varieties of tomatoes. New potatoes worked well in pots.

What's WORTH growing at home - ie better than bought and/or not easily available. I tried sammphire and NONE germinated!!!

Any suggestions ?

TIA, H

[HarrisonFamily]

Home grown runner beans and dwarf beans are so much better and we have a blue berry plant in a large pot and get lots of delicious berries.

Also love growing baby cucumbers (no idea of the name but lunchbox size )

 

 

 

 

[soapdragon]

What about 'heritage' carrots? I'd love to grow some of the multicoloured ones but don't have the soil (heavy Oxford clay 😥). Runner beans for sure....I try them every year in pots, with limited success, but they'd be better in the garden as would broad beans. Pink Fir Apple potatoes are good too....lovely flavour.

I think Valkyrie will be able to come up with some more ideas (no pressure there then, Val!) as her description of various plantings are always amazing!

[Daphne]

29 minutes ago, soapdragon said:

I think Valkyrie will be able to come up with some more ideas (no pressure there then, Val!) as her description of various plantings are always amazing!

Just what I was thinking!  I think tomatoes, runners and potatoes are all excellent when home grown, and I think there is a lot of truth in the old adage to grow things you like, preferably things which are expensive in the shops or unusual so you can't easily get hold of them.  If you like peppers, I'd give them a whirl as they are different to shop bought (try smallish green ones with thin walls, or long thin green ones, as they seem to grow faster).  I also like soft green herbs grown under glass as they are less likely to suffer slug damage or rain damage, and they grow faster so you have them earlier.  You might like to consider the convenience aspect too, so growing something not that exciting like perpetual spinach or winter salad like mizuna might be an attractive option because you don't have to harvest it in the wet!  French beans might do OK in large pots as they aren't as hungry as runners.  And strawbs?

[Luvachicken]

Runner beans and cherry tomatoes are all I grow in pots.

I tried courgettes last year but they didn't do too well in my pots - I think it was just too hot. They needed a lot of water and didn't produce that much fruit.

[Cat tails]

I loooooove sugar snaps and peas. I stick em in all pots.

[mullethunter]

Definitely runner beans (never had bought ones) and dwarf / French beans.

If you have a bit of space in your raised bed I’d also put a vote in for a raspberry cane or two.

[Leicester_H]

Thanks all. Will be looking at seed catalogues and web sites soon.

Stay Safe, H

[Beantree]

Dwarf French beans are a must for us. The least hassle of any crop. Picked daily when they are small, so before the seeds form, for about 4 weeks. They grow well on poor soil and 12 plants will be OK as they don't crop heavily. Stage sow them if you want a longer crop. Tomatoes, beetroot, carrots are the others on the must have list because they taste so much better fresh than shop bought. Onions and main crop potatoes need loads of space, but you may be able to put first-early's in your pots?

Raspberries are good here as the birds don't eat them, but they do spread and can get out of control in a bed.

[Valkyrie]

Well for small spaces, I'd recommend Huw Richards books.  A young fellow and really knowledgeable - Veg in One Bed is really good - got it for my daughter who's garden space is limited.  But I'd grow a few things together.  Runner beans generally don't like having other things with them, but climbing French beans can be grown up a wigwam and you can have beetroot around the bottom - this can be done in pots too.  Salad crops can be grown in pots for a cut and come again session.  I grew carrots in the greenhouse with my tomatoes - they did well.  If you have a pot for potatoes, I'd pop 3 on a small layer of compost at the bottom, add compost and another 3 spuds, layer with compost again and put another 3 in.  Cover with compost and let them romp.  But as potatoes are easy to get hold of and carrots also, I'd use my limited space for things like chives, thyme and other herbs.  Then the peas, beans, tomatoes and peppers.  We grew melons in the greenhouse this year.  Ok but I could have used the space for something else.  Sweet potatoes grew fine, but they were bitter - another smallholder agreed they can be hit and miss, so I can't be bothered with them.  Gherkins are easy to grow and you can pick them as mini ones or larger.  Kale can be picked leaf by leaf so you only need one plant - two if you want to add some leaves for the chickens to chomp.  As they get taller you can underplant with something else like lettuce.  Nasturtiums are great for salads - eat leaves, flowers and the seeds - bit hot though!  OH pickled the seeds as capers.  Chard - rainbow sort - can be eaten small like spinach and colourful.  Spinach also easy.

With the small raised bed you could grow courgettes with sweetcorn and French beans (3 sisters planting).  Nothing quite like fresh sweetcorn - they haven't been left in the shop for hours - those like peas, are best straight from the garden.  Sweetcorn turns to starch and loses flavour the longer it is left waiting. 

You need to ask yourself what you like eating, and go from there.  I loathe beetroot, but I grow it for OH.  Then you can try for successional planting  where you harvest one thing and plant something for the later part of the season.  Leeks or broccoli for winter and spring chomps!  Oh aubergines in the greenhouse too!  Hope we've all given you food for thought!

And don't forget strawberries!

Edited February 7, 2021 by Valkyrie

[mullethunter]

Ooh Valkyrie I’m going to try carrots in my greenhouse under the tomatoes - I’ve never successfully grown them in the garden - they keep getting eaten!

I would second leeks actually for something that can be sown in pots and then planted out after an early summer harvest of something else to harvest in the winter.

[Valkyrie]

I have two rows of carrots growing along the middle of two rows of tomatoes.  One row has finally been harvested and we are working through the second.  Both different varieties, a couple have carrot root fly but mostly pretty darned good and very sweet.  Can't remember what they were called, but the seeds came from Franchi.  It was an experiment and I was so surprised - never grown well outside but I've not tried outside in this place.  Time for more experiments!

[Leicester_H]

Thanks again - very useful advice & info

Stay Safe, H