Hi,

I have been trying to read up on how to grow vegetables outdoors in
containers, most of the advice I have found is a bit general though, as
a beginner I guess I need someone to spell it out to me!

Questions:

1. I live in central Scotland, I would like to grow peppers, chillies,
cucumber, potatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic. That's what I
would like, could someone comment on which of these vegetables I can
realistically grow in containers, in Scotland? Should some of these
(chillies/tomatoes) be grown on windowsills? I have seen seeds for most
of these in the local garden centre, but I'm not taking that as gospel.

2. I have no idea about potential yields of the above vegetables,
unfortunately I am from the supermarket generation! How many plants of
each kind do you think I would need to provide for two adults for the
duration of the growing season of each vegetable? What size of
container would you recommend and should it be one container per type of
vegetable?

3. Are the quality of seeds sold at garden centres acceptable or is it
better to buy mail order (or other?)? Could anyone recommend a source?

4. This is probably a completely stupid question, if I buy the seeds to
start the plants off is it feasible to gather seeds that they produce
later in the year and store them somewhere to use again the following
year? I say a stupid question because I assume the answer is of course
I can - but are there particular storage considerations?

5. If I buy a pack of seeds, can I sow them directly into the intended
containers or do they need to be sown into a small tray and then
transplanted at some other date?

6. Could someone recommend a soil/compost that should be used to fill
the containers, as I understand it is not a good idea just to use soil
from the garden?

7. It is now mid-late April, could someone recommend some varieties of
the above crops that I could realistically sow now to give me a project
and some experience this year?

As I'm writing this I can see that I am expecting answers to a lot of
questions, perhaps someone could recommend a book or website that may be
helpful?

Thanks in advance for your time,

GC

On Apr 19, 3:45 pm, GC wrote:
Hi,

I have been trying to read up on how to grow vegetables outdoors in
containers, most of the advice I have found is a bit general though, as
a beginner I guess I need someone to spell it out to me!

Questions:

1. I live in central Scotland, I would like to grow peppers, chillies,
cucumber, potatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic. That's what I
would like, could someone comment on which of these vegetables I can
realistically grow in containers, in Scotland? Should some of these
(chillies/tomatoes) be grown on windowsills? I have seen seeds for most
of these in the local garden centre, but I'm not taking that as gospel.

2. I have no idea about potential yields of the above vegetables,
unfortunately I am from the supermarket generation! How many plants of
each kind do you think I would need to provide for two adults for the
duration of the growing season of each vegetable? What size of
container would you recommend and should it be one container per type of
vegetable?

3. Are the quality of seeds sold at garden centres acceptable or is it
better to buy mail order (or other?)? Could anyone recommend a source?

4. This is probably a completely stupid question, if I buy the seeds to
start the plants off is it feasible to gather seeds that they produce
later in the year and store them somewhere to use again the following
year? I say a stupid question because I assume the answer is of course
I can - but are there particular storage considerations?

5. If I buy a pack of seeds, can I sow them directly into the intended
containers or do they need to be sown into a small tray and then
transplanted at some other date?

6. Could someone recommend a soil/compost that should be used to fill
the containers, as I understand it is not a good idea just to use soil
from the garden?

7. It is now mid-late April, could someone recommend some varieties of
the above crops that I could realistically sow now to give me a project
and some experience this year?

As I'm writing this I can see that I am expecting answers to a lot of
questions, perhaps someone could recommend a book or website that may be
helpful?

Thanks in advance for your time,

GC

This year try tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and cucumber. Its not too
late to sow but maybe buy tomato, pepper and cucumber plants to get
you going. Buy big pots. Buy any multipurpose compost. Water plenty
and use a bit of feed when the plants are a decent size (a couple of
feet tall for toms and cucumbers). They'll need staking and training
too.
Lettuce are easy but beware slugs.
There is no way you will feed adults for the whole growing season from
containers. Container veg growing is fun and decorative but not a
practical way to fill your larder.
Just give it a go and read up on what you are doing and you'll learn
as you go.

wrote in message
ups.com...

This year try tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and cucumber. Its not too
late to sow but maybe buy tomato, pepper and cucumber plants to get
you going. Buy big pots. Buy any multipurpose compost. Water plenty
and use a bit of feed when the plants are a decent size (a couple of
feet tall for toms and cucumbers). They'll need staking and training
too.
Lettuce are easy but beware slugs.
There is no way you will feed adults for the whole growing season from
containers. Container veg growing is fun and decorative but not a
practical way to fill your larder.
Just give it a go and read up on what you are doing and you'll learn
as you go.


and don't book any holidays or cruises unless you have VERY good neighbours
to do your watering :-))

Mike

--
.................................................. ..............
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
www.rneba.org.uk

GC writes
Questions:

1. I live in central Scotland, I would like to grow peppers, chillies,
cucumber, potatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic. That's what
I would like, could someone comment on which of these vegetables I can
realistically grow in containers, in Scotland?

Not asparagus. It needs a huge root system to keep producing fat stems
which never get as far as making food for the plant because you chop
them off to eat. Realistically, you are looking at a dozen plants spaced
2 ft apart in the garden - replicating this in containers is not
practical.

Chillies are easy and fun.

Should some of these (chillies/tomatoes) be grown on windowsills? I
have seen seeds for most of these in the local garden centre, but I'm
not taking that as gospel.

Very wise

What size of container would you recommend and should it be one
container per type of vegetable?

Not necessarily. Suspect most of those would be best one to a container,
but I used to grow purple leaved french beans underplanted with lime
green lettuces, getting good crops of both as well as an attractive
planting.

I grow chillies in 6inch pots (these are small fruited ones) but most of
the rest would need much bigger containers.

3. Are the quality of seeds sold at garden centres acceptable or is it
better to buy mail order (or other?)? Could anyone recommend a source?

Mail order (or web) will often give you better choice - the GS may not
stock the entire range of a supplier.

4. This is probably a completely stupid question, if I buy the seeds to
start the plants off is it feasible to gather seeds that they produce
later in the year and store them somewhere to use again the following
year? I say a stupid question because I assume the answer is of course
I can - but are there particular storage considerations?

There's two considerations. Storage is one, the other is that seeds
don't necessarily come true (just as yo wouldn't expect all of your own
children to be identical)

In practice, you will find that there are more seeds in the packet than
you can use, so you will only need to buy every 2nd or 3rd year. I store
my seeds in a plastic box in the bottom of the fridge.

5. If I buy a pack of seeds, can I sow them directly into the intended
containers or do they need to be sown into a small tray and then
transplanted at some other date?

Easy to sow into small individual pots (yogurt pots will do) and
transfer the strongest plants - you'll only need half a dozen tomato
plants, for example. (Potatoes are grown from small potatoes - from GC
- not from seed)
Lettuce plants are too fiddly to transplant, so sow them where you want
to grow them, thin them out and eat the thinnings, and let what's left
grow into full sized lettuces.


7. It is now mid-late April, could someone recommend some varieties of
the above crops that I could realistically sow now to give me a project
and some experience this year?

April - May is planting time for most outside veg. Chillis, tomatoes,
peppers you might be better buying plants because the growing season in
scotland is not as long as in the south.


--
Kay

In article , says...
Hi,

I have been trying to read up on how to grow vegetables outdoors in
containers, most of the advice I have found is a bit general though, as
a beginner I guess I need someone to spell it out to me!

Questions:

1. I live in central Scotland, I would like to grow peppers, chillies,
cucumber, potatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic. That's what I
would like, could someone comment on which of these vegetables I can
realistically grow in containers, in Scotland? Should some of these
(chillies/tomatoes) be grown on windowsills? I have seen seeds for most
of these in the local garden centre, but I'm not taking that as gospel.
out doors you could hope for lettuce. Garlic & potatoes too but you are a
bit late for this year. Tomatoes and cucumber maybe. When are your
latest frosts? you might give yourseld a better chance if you buy
in plants for those two. Asparagus I doubt will grow in a pot and
if you start from seed you are looking at 3 or 4 years

2. I have no idea about potential yields of the above vegetables,
unfortunately I am from the supermarket generation! How many plants of
each kind do you think I would need to provide for two adults for the
duration of the growing season of each vegetable? What size of
container would you recommend and should it be one container per type of
vegetable?
yield is very variable see some later suggestions

3. Are the quality of seeds sold at garden centres acceptable or is it
better to buy mail order (or other?)? Could anyone recommend a source?
Garden centre seeds are fine so are their tomato etc plants. mail order
gives you more choice but you might need to buy more than you can use
4. This is probably a completely stupid question, if I buy the seeds to
start the plants off is it feasible to gather seeds that they produce
later in the year and store them somewhere to use again the following
year? I say a stupid question because I assume the answer is of course
I can - but are there particular storage considerations?
It depends some seeds of F1 hybrids are likely to be disappointing some
plants like garlic are biennial and take 2 years to produce seed, potatoes
dont grow easily from seed. you can of course save some of last years
potatoes but they are more likely to become diseased and you wont have
many any way if you grow them in a pot
5. If I buy a pack of seeds, can I sow them directly into the intended
containers or do they need to be sown into a small tray and then
transplanted at some other date?
It depends. Read the instructions on the seed packet

6. Could someone recommend a soil/compost that should be used to fill
the containers, as I understand it is not a good idea just to use soil
from the garden?
Have you though of using grow bags? or do they look too naffin any case
compost from them will do the trick so will compost designed for containers

7. It is now mid-late April, could someone recommend some varieties of
the above crops that I could realistically sow now to give me a project
and some experience this year?
I would try cut and come again mixed salad leaves and I would try buying
in some tomato plants and possibly a couple of cucumber plants

As I'm writing this I can see that I am expecting answers to a lot of
questions, perhaps someone could recommend a book or website that may be
helpful?
There is a good section on the bbc website for growing veg
Thanks in advance for your time,

GC

I grow runner beans in troughs (3'x 6"x6") 5 to each trough normal potting compost plus (about 25%) farm yard manure (bags from the garden centre)
Last year 15 plants kept us in beans for most of the summer, but they do need lots of watering.