| Many people ask me how they can grow vegetables | | | | smart decision horticulturally. The foam acts as |
| successfully in containers. | | | | insulation from temperature extremes (which is so |
| This is for a variety of reasons: they may be renting | | | | often is the cause of plant deaths) and it holds |
| a property and intending to move to a more | | | | enough soil to support a range of vegetables. |
| permanent location in the near future and want to | | | | Remember to punch some holes in the base of the |
| take their garden with them, or they might be living | | | | box for drainage and fill it with good quality potting |
| in an inner-city apartment or terrace that doesn't | | | | mix. A premium mix contains fertilizers and wetting |
| have enough room for a conventional "in-ground" | | | | agents to retain moisture in the soil. If you're an |
| garden. | | | | organic purist then the best growing media is an |
| I love the benefits of growing plants in containers for | | | | equal mix of home-made compost, sand and |
| whatever reason, even for the gardener who has | | | | coco-peat. |
| enough room in the ground but finds that this area | | | | What are you going to plant? Almost everything! |
| can be particularly shady due to surrounding trees. | | | | Lettuce, zucchini, silverbeet, spinach, broccoli, |
| With containers, you can identify an ideal | | | | cabbages, eggplant, capsicum and tomatoes are all |
| micro-climate anywhere you live and grow vegetables | | | | ideal. Look for smaller, bush varieties that go better in |
| all year round. This is especially so with a sunny and | | | | pots. You can add a trellis with bamboo stakes to |
| protected courtyard. This is a great spot to have | | | | grow climbers like beans, peas and cucumbers. If you |
| tomatoes growing right through winter months when | | | | want some root crops also, then make sure you |
| they become so expensive in the shops to buy. | | | | grow another different crop in fresh soil before you |
| Likewise a shady corner in the middle of the summer | | | | plant root crops. Soil that is too fertile can lead to |
| heat can provide a welcomed retreat for leafy crops | | | | disaster. |
| like lettuce that usually fail when exposed to hot | | | | Containers leach water and nutrients more than in |
| conditions in the garden. | | | | the ground so make sure your maintenance includes |
| So what are the best containers to use? Without a | | | | regular watering (especially in summer) to keep the |
| doubt, I'd have to say the old broccoli box from the | | | | soil damp but not wet and fortnightly liquid feeding. |
| green grocer! Recycling polystyrene boxes into a | | | | Stick to that and you'll have your veggies all year |
| thriving veggie patch makes sense from an | | | | round no matter where you live. |
| environmentally sustainable perspective as well as a | | | | |