Last time, we looked at how the hours of sun in your space will influence what can grow productively.
Of course, your choice of what to grow will also be influenced by what you love to eat. You might also want to grow things that are expensive or hard to find in the shops, such as sorrel, chard, agretti, or tomatillos (all easy to grow and productive in containers). Or you may want the crops that taste amazing when they're home grown: cucumbers (unrecognisable from the bland, flabby supermarket version), tomatoes, or mange tout (that haven't been drained of flavour in a 4,500 mile journey from Kenya) for example.
Before you start turning your edible dreams into reality, you will of course, need to get pots and compost. We'll start with pots this week and go on to compost next time.
The first question about pots you need to ask is 'Does size make a difference?'
The answer is definitely yes. In general, all crops grow better – and bigger – in large pots. Big pots are also easier to look after: they need less feeding with fertiliser and less watering. So, if you have space, large containers (or even raised beds) are the way to go.
Of course, the one thing that most container growers can least afford is space. Big pots also weigh more, and need more compost – which is a serious issue if you have a fourth floor balcony and no lift.
With this in mind, you'll probably want to know which crops need a big pot and which will grow well in something smaller. There are few hard and fast rules, but here are some guidelines to help you choose the right size:
Most fruiting vegetable plants (such as tomato or runner beans) and root vegetable plants (potatoes or beetroot) need big pots to yield well – at least 12 inches in diameter and 10 - 12 inches deep. Generally, the bigger the fruit, the bigger the pot it needs – squash need very big pots, 40 - 50 litres or more.
On the other hand, most leafy vegetables and herbs will grow fine in smaller pots, around 6 inches deep – your typical window box, for example. They may not grow to their full size but they will still be productive, and taste just as great.
Container depth is important, particularly for root vegetables, but volume is most critical – the larger the volume, the better.
However well you get on with your downstairs neighbours, you probably won't want one of your pots to fall through the ceiling on to their breakfast table … or worse. It's just common sense really, but you do need to be confident that your structure can support the weight of pots filled with soil (and water). If you have ambitious plans, seek advice from a structural engineer first.
When it comes to finding your containers, you'll soon discover they come in all shapes and sizes. You can spend as little – or as much – as you want. You can buy stylish designs, cheap practical pots, or enjoy a creative and resourceful journey into upcycling – or a bit of all three.
Good places to find containers include:
• Pound shops: these often have plastic pots in a range of sizes and, occasionally, attractive hanging baskets. This is an easy way to get started quickly at a low cost.
• Garden centres and online retailers: suppliers worth exploring include Elho for stylish designs to fit on top or railings or round your down-pipe, and Woolly Pockets for planters that can be hung on walls or railings. Some of the fancy containers are a bit small for serious vegetable growing, so check the size carefully.
• Skips, back alleys, behind restaurants, vegetable or fish markets, or the recycling centre: it's amazing what you'll find when you keep your eyes peeled. It's more time consuming, but richly rewarding and free! Good containers include old recycling boxes, veg crates, mushroom boxes, large oil tins, plastic buckets, bags for life, old hot water tanks, baths, basins, and old drawers – the only limit is your imagination and what people throw away. To convert them into containers, all you need to do is make sure they have plenty of holes in the base for drainage. Avoid any container that might have contained anything toxic in a previous life like paint buckets, or those that are coated with anything toxic like wood preserver. And remember, however fun it is to grow in small volume containers like old boots, larger containers are easier to grow food in successfully.
There is much more to say about containers: the pros and cons of different materials, how to beautify them, and the benefits of containers with water reservoirs. I'll return to all these points later in the series.
Next week we'll look at the one thing that can make more difference to your container growing than anything else: the soil mix you use in your pots.
The early bird booking on Mark's container growing course, The Art of Growing in Small Spaces, closes at midnight on 31 March.
The Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.