Page 15 - ALG Issue 2 2017

Plants in containers have to be checked daily
because the growing medium can dry out quickly
and so needs regular watering. The simplest way
to check is to push your nger into the surface of
the compost. If it is still moist at least 25mm/1 inch
under the surface, that is OK but if not, give it a
thorough soaking with watering until the water runs
out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. It is better to give regular soakings when needed rather than a dribble of water every day.
Various types of containers can be used successfully. You
don’t have to spend a fortune on buying expensive, fancy pots. Sometimes old buckets, dustbins, wheelbarrows or anything that is large enough can be recycled and used. Bear in mind that metal and plastic containers can become very hot on sunny days and result in cooking the roots which puts the plants under great stress.
Plastic, which is inexpensive, versatile and comes in many colours, can be moulded into a wide range of sizes and shapes. The cheaper products become brittle, breaking easily when exposed to sunlight for any length of time. Also they don’t have a very long life. There are more heavy duty, sunlight resistant products available.
Wood – avoid using tanalised wood or creosoted railway sleepers for building containers because the preservatives can leach into
the growing medium and damage the crops. If possible, use wood such as oak or chestnut that has natural tannins in them that act as natural wood preservatives. Wood is a poor insulator which makes it good for shutting out the heat in summer and keeping out freezing conditions in the winter. Timber is easily worked and can last for many years if looked after.
Terracotta – the classic material for pots. Made from clay, the pots are porous, allowing oxygen from the atmosphere to reach the roots and this helps to absorb water from the compost to keep the roots cool. As the clay can hold on to moisture, this makes the pots vulnerable to freezing weather conditions, causing the pots to crack or break. Only use frost-resistant clay pots in the UK; they can be stored somewhere frost-free during the winter.
Plants in containers have to be checked daily because the growing medium can dry out quickly
Feature on... Container Growing
Growing in Containers
Container gardening is becoming very popular these days. One
of the reasons for this is that for people with small gardens or no soil, vegetables can still be grown, whether it is in a pot, trough, window box or even a hanging basket. For those who live busy lives and do not have the time to commit to managing a large plot, a selection of various containers can be a boon. Another bene t is that if you have to move house, you can still take your plants with you – snug and secure in their portable homes.
There are certain considerations to bear in mind when growing in containers, one of which is to match the container to the needs of the plants you want to grow. For example, tall growing trees and bushes or vegetables need deep sides and broad
bases to provide plenty of room for the roots, and
also to give it stability so that it doesn’t fall over too
easily.
Feeding – One big advantage of containers is that they are less physically demanding to manage than having to turn over the soil and to push barrow loads of manure or compost. This is because they are lled with general purpose or potting compost and these bagged composts have around six weeks life of nutrients in them; after this it requires some form of supplementary feeding. This could be a powder or liquid mixed in water or granules that can be scattered on the surface of the compost and stirred in using a hand fork or cultivator.
You can grow most vegetables in containers. The taller crops can pose a problem of stability and need support; a tub of fully grown runner or climbing French beans in full crop can
become a sail in the gentlest breeze. Carrots are great in pots because they can be grown up out
of the way of carrot root y. Providing that you
give their roots suf cient depth, asparagus, globe artichokes, rhubarb, fruit trees and bushes grow well in containers if you remove and replace the top 5 cms/2 inches of compost with fresh compost at the end of summer or in the early spring. Strawberries were made for container growing. They can be grown on top of ‘tables’ in full sun and
out of the way of soil splashes.
The main problem with container growing is that of waterlogged
conditions inside the container. To overcome this, ensure that there are suf cient drainage holes in the bottom; put a 25mm/1 inch layer of gravel/drainage over the holes at the bottom of the pot to prevent the compost from being washed out, and never use garden soil to ll the containers. No matter how fertile it is, garden soil doesn’t have the structure suitable for container growing.
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