My tips on planning an edible container garden

Two years ago (January 2010) I decided to start growing my own fruit and veg to save money on supermarket food bills. My two problems were that I was (and still am) a complete novice at gardening and my garden is covered in concrete. I had no idea where to begin.

One evening I saw some dwarf fruit trees being sold on a TV shopping channel. They came with 30 litre pots that they could grow in. Imagine growing fruit trees in pots! I ordered 4 trees, apple, pear, peach and plum. They were delivered as bare roots and were so easy to pot I was encouraged to try more.

Despite my lack of knowledge, I have successfully grown carrots, beetroot, salad leaves, peas, tomatoes, onions, courgette and I am even trying out some winter veg (broccoli and parsnip).

January is the perfect time to begin thinking about starting a garden. Seeds start to be sown outside from March/ April time and some can be started off from as Early as February if sown indoors. Start planning what types of crops you want to grow and where you are going to grow them now, and you can start getting together the equipment you will need.

Here are some of the tips I have learnt and I encourage anyone, no matter how little knowledge you may have about gardening, to give container gardening a try.

Choosing a container

There is no right or wrong container for growing crops. Just bear in mind how the actual plant will grow, courgettes for example, trail along the ground so will do better in lower containers, or the plant can be grown up a trellis.

The container also needs to have good drainage so the plants don't get water logged. Holes can be drilled in to plastic containers. I have also used containers that did not have drainage holes, by filling the bottom with broken tiles.

If you want to use containers that have been used before just ensure that they have never contained anything that would be harmful to plants or people.

Of course you can also buy various pots and planters which you can use to create beautiful colours and designs in your garden. I have also been known to use grow bags.

When deciding what type of container you want to use remember, the smaller the container the more frequently it will dry out, so you will be committed to regular watering.


Potting

A fairly light mix is needed for containers. Soil straight from the ground tends to be too heavy and a definite no-no if you have a clay rich soil as this tends to hold too much water.

You can buy special compost for containers and special compost for seedlings, these will give the best results but tend to be more expensive. I filled 3/4 of my pots with an ordinary multi-purpose compost and then the top third (where the seeds are sown) with the special potting mix, with good results.

Plants can be bought as seeds or young plants called seedlings. I prefer buying seeds because there is a greater choice of varieties and they are cheaper.

I planted my seeds directly in to the containers rather than growing seedlings, because I didn't have anywhere inside to grow them where they would get enough light and not be disturbed by a curious child. This does mean I have a slightly shorter growing season, because I have to wait until the risk of frosty weather has passed before sowing.

When sowing directly in to the pots you will need to do what is called 'thinning out'. This just means taking out some of the young plants so there is enough distance between them to grow properly.


The Sun

Plants need lots of light to grow healthily. Generally root crops can tolerate a partially shaded area, these are crops such as potatoes, beetroot and carrots. Vegetables grown for their fruit such as, cucumber, pumpkin and peas, need a minimum of 5 hours of sunlight. Fruits, including tomatoes perform best with 8 to 10 hours of sunlight.

The flexibility of containers means that they can be moved around the garden to get the best light. Go out in to your garden at different times of the day to see exactly where the sun is falling, you may well be surprised at how many shady areas there are, even in a south facing garden.


Watering

Fruit and vegetable crops need a lot of water, and in summer they need even more. But be careful, as over watering can be just as damaging as under watering, particularly to young plants.

To check if the plant needs water, stick your finger in the soil down to the first knuckle, only water if it feels dry.

At the height of summer containers can dry out very quickly. You will need to water at least once a day and some plants will need watering twice a day.

There is all sorts of information out there about the best time of day to water plants and I agree it is best to try to avoid the hottest part of the day, as the water will evaporate off before the roots can get to it. However, I find in practice just get out and water whenever you can.

Still nervous?

If you are still a bit unsure about the whole gardening thing, start off small. Choose 1 container and 1 vegetable to grow. Choose a vegetable that you would actually like to eat, rather than choosing one because you think it will be easy to grow. It doesn't matter how easy it is to grow if you can't stand to eat it.

If all goes well this summer you can increase your crops next summer. Just remember that gardening, like most things, is a skill that can be learnt with practice, so the more you do it the better you will get.

Happy growing.