Growing vegetables in containers

 At the start of lockdown I was worried that we might not be allowed to visit our allotments, so I started to grow some vegetables in containers at home in the garden. As it happened we didn't get our allotments shut down and we have been able to spend time there, but I have continued growing some veg in containers and it is interesting to compare  how they grow in these different situations.

I have a variety of  containers from big plant pots to old plastic storage boxes and council recycling boxes. Old compost bags turned inside out can be used too for potatoes. There are also containers which can be bought from garden centres or online especially for growing vegetables.

The salad bar

I started off sowing seeds of salad leaves, radish and spring onions in plastic troughs. These have grown really well, especially the salad leaves. I sowed some lettuce seeds, intending to take them to the allotment when they were big enough to plant out--a flat lettuce called 'Clarion' and an 'Iceberg' type. In the end I decided to plant them in troughs too as I find that lettuce often get attacked by slugs in the ground at the allotment. In the troughs they don't have as much space to spread out but that won't matter. I am finding that its easier to have the salad stuff here at home so I can just pop outside if we want a few salad leaves with a meal.

Healthy looking pea plants

I have two big storage boxes which I sowed peas into a few weeks apart. They are coming on well so I'm hoping that as well as the peas from the allotment we will have plenty of them this year. My husband loves home grown peas and I can never grow enough. The allotment peas have had their leaves nibbled by pea weevils, but the ones grown at home are looking weevil free.

Also in a big box are French climbing beans.  These are a mix of 'Blauhilde' which is a purple bean and 'Blue Lake'.

Climbing beans

I have problems with carrot fly at the allotment and after several years of ruined crops I thought I would try growing them at home. They are in a big tub and have germinated well. I will sow another lot soon.

Carrots

I am also growing beetroot and courgettes, both are growing well. In fact the courgette plants  seem to be much bigger than the allotment ones.

Courgette plants

I started off with all these vegetable containers on the patio where they would get a lot of sun, but have since moved them onto the drive.  This was partly because I was running out of space on the patio, but more importantly I think they were getting too much sun and often seemed to wilt in hot weather. On the drive there is sun and shade and they seem much happier now.

courgette plants

I am now harvesting lettuce and salad leaves--no other vegetables are ready yet, but with flowers on the peas which will turn into pods and little courgettes starting to form, I'm sure it won't be long before we are picking veg at home as well as at the allotment.