Growing Your Own at home in containers

Hi Matt Craven, the owner of Green Dream Concepts. I do hope your all keeping well at this difficult time and you are not getting too stressed at home. I am a big believer that garden does relax you and is good for the mind, I know from my own personal experience it is been benefiting me for my mental health over the last few years.

So, let us get you started growing from home in containers, get the kids involved if you have any, mine love it.

My 6-year-old even kept her pip from an apple she ate last year and planted it, its growing slowly but she loves it. As she grows so does her apple tree.

Salad Leaves

Best in a 25cm pot not so deep or a growing bag sprinkled with seeds. Sow these at intervals of 2-3 weeks and you will have a continuous crop.

Beetroot

3-4 at a time I would go with a 30cm deep pot

Tomatoes

Everyone has had a go and done too many me included. 1-2 plants will give a good harvest, go with Determinate tomatoes (are not usually too tall or wide generally 3-4 feet) or a bush plant so there is not too much fiddly work to do. 30cm pots are best or a grow bag. I will give you some more tips later. 

Potatoes

Deep soil and deep pots are needed here, about 3 tubers should do you for a nice harvest. Earth around with soil as they grow

Carrots

Variety that’s carrot fly resistant although they say!

Spring Onions

Very easy to grow and great for salads.

Herbs

Some are easy and great for cooking. Rosemary, lavender, thyme, chives, mint, sage, parsley, oregano

Beans or Pes

Great to grow with the kids as mine pick them off and eat them little monkeys.

Items you might need:

Pots 

Container compost

Bamboo sticks (for supporting the peas/beans)

Lolly sticks (for labelling)

Twine (for tying beans/peas)

Chippings or broken polystyrene (for the bottom of the pot as drainage)

Liquid feed

them off and eat them little monkeys.

Why container compost?

Container compost generally has water granules and extra nutrients or plant food in. This will help the plants last longer and if you struggle to water and feed regular then it is the perfect choice for you. That is not to say you just plant them and leave it, you will still need to add a liquid feed once they have grown every 2 – 4 weeks mixed in the water. 

Let’s get you started…………

If your growing from seed 

1. pick the veg you want to grow.
2. Put a layer of drainage in the bottom of your chosen container (chippings, stone, broken clay pots, polystyrene to name a few)
3. Fill with container compost 
4. Your ready for you seeds, follow the guidelines on the packet

If your growing from plug plants

1. Pick your chosen plant
2. Put a layer of drainage in the bottom
3. Fill with container compost to around ¾ 
4. Add the plug plants (3 max in a 30cm pot) in the pot
5. Fill the soil around them to the top 
6. Tap the pot on the ground lightly to release any trapped air
7. Tape the plugs out in their pots, there should be a perfect hole for you to put the plugs in out of the pots

This is a quick guide of how to get started.

There will be videos up on my youtube channel and website over the coming weeks of what I’ve been doing and tips to growing your own in containers.

I’ll also chuck some recipes up once things start growing 

Enjoy and Stay Safe