Vertical Veg container Growing essentials

Containers Essential:
Free/ recyclyed containers

• old platic food buckets (don't use paint buckets~), food barrels (chop in half), large oil or food tins, platic water tanks, builders bags, and old recuyling boxes.
• wood form skips is useful to make containers to size - line with plastic to prolong life and/ or use linseed oil as a preserver.

Container Size:

• The General rule is: the bigger the pot, the bigger the crop.
• Bigger pots (40cm diameter and up) also need less watering, less feeding and can better sustain valuable soil life (worms & microbes).
• Smaller pots are easier to move around. Good if weight is an issue and for leafy crops like salads. Needs more regular watering.
• fruiting plants like courgettes, squash and tomoatoes need big pots.

Number of plants per container:

• its easy to overcrowd a pot
• use the spacings on the back of seed packets as a guide
• take particular care with fruiting crops: Tomatoes need about on square foot of space, more for courgettes.
• The 'What to grow' section at http://www.earthbox.co.uk/ has a useful guide to how many plants of each crop can grow in a 74cm x 34cm conatiner. Be surprised by how many beans can be cram in!

Drainage

• Good drainage is needed for the roots to get air, If drainage is poor the plant will be unable to breath, the roots will rot, and will die.
• water needs to darin well through the whole growing mix, not just out of holes at the bottom (ensure your pots has these). Most good quality commercial composts should drain OK. To further improve drainage, you can add 10-20% sand, grit, perlite or vermiculite.
• Check water flows freely out of the bottom when watered. Stand pots on feet if needed.

success is mostly easily cultivated on a small scale. Strat small and let your growing evolve as you learn.

Daily attenstion is the secret of a successful container gardening.