Why chillies are such a great choice to grow in containers
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
6M ago
If you like chillies – and you have enough sun to grow them in – they are a brilliant choice for containers and small spaces. In this post you can find out why I find them so good, my three favourite varieties (the choice of variety makes a big difference), and four wonderful sauces / pickles to make with your harvests. I’d love to learn about your favourite chilli varieties and homemade chilli sauces in the comments below. Chillies are brilliant to grow when space is limited because: The best varieties have more subtleties of warmth and flavour than any you can buy. You can grow very hot chi ..read more
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Is ‘No Dig’ relevant to Container Gardening?
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
6M ago
No Dig gardening is traditionally practised in the ground, often (but not always) in raised beds. Awareness of No Dig gardening has risen in recent years, thanks to the work of inspiring growers like Huw Richards, Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty. But does it also work in containers? Here I share my thoughts and experience. I would love to hear yours in the comments below. The benefits of No Dig The biggest benefit of No Dig gardening in the ground – besides less work – is reduced disturbance of the microbial life in the soil. Disturbance, unfortunately, harms important fungal networks ..read more
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How to grow LOTS of spring onions / scallions in one pot
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
6M ago
I’m always on the look out for edibles that are super productive and worthwhile in very small spaces. A new one (for me, at least) to add to the list is spring onions / scallions. To get a brilliant harvest they need to be sown close – check out the video below for a more visual account of my adventure with spring onions! Scallions / spring onions are an excellent crop to grow in containers at home. You can pop out and pick however many you need, whenever you want. This is infinitely better, in my opinion, than buying a bunch from the supermarket. Not only is the flavour and texture superior ..read more
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How to grow MANY bunches of spring onions / scallions in one pot
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
6M ago
I’m always on the look out for edibles that are super productive and worthwhile in very small spaces. A new one (for me, at least) to add to the list is spring onions / scallions. To get a brilliant harvest they need to be sown close – check out the video below for a more visual account of my adventure with spring onions! Scallions / spring onions are an excellent crop to grow in containers at home. You can pop out and pick however many you need, whenever you want. This is infinitely better, in my opinion, than buying a bunch from the supermarket. Not only is the flavour and texture superior ..read more
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What’s the optimum spacings for veggies in containers?
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
7M ago
One thing I used to grapple with (and I’m still learning about) is how far apart to space seeds and plants in a container. Should I follow the guidelines on the side of the seed packet – or can veg in containers be grown closer together? After playing around with different spacings, I ‘discovered’ some general rules of thumb. The spacings depend on whether you are sowing leaf, root, or fruiting vegetables – and what size of veg you want to grow – as summarised in the table below:-   Explanation Most leafy crops – salad leaves, kale and chard – and a few leafy herbs like coriander, can be ..read more
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How to choose a good peat free potting mix (or compost)
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
11M ago
If you’ve grown in a peat free potting mix  (or ‘compost’ as we call it in the UK), you may have found a significant variability in quality. In my experience, some perform superbly, many are fairly average, but poor quality is not uncommon either. In the UK, the sale of bagged peat products to amateur gardeners is to be banned from 2024. Peat is being phased out because its harvest releases large volumes of greenhouse gas, and damages precious wetland habitats. So it’s important we all become more savvy about the different peat free options. Particularly, as the quality of a potting mix d ..read more
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Are miniature varieties always the best choice for containers?
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
1y ago
Miniature, ‘compact’, or ‘dwarf’ varieties of vegetables are often promoted as being ideal to grow in containers. But are they always the best choice for the container garden? Here are some thoughts and observations. Beans Let’s start with beans. ‘Dwarf’ or ‘Bush’ beans (beans that grow into a, short, bushy habit) are often recommended for container gardening. But are they better than climbing French or string beans? My experience of dwarf varieties is:- Because of their bushy nature, they take up a lot more horizontal space than climbing beans. For example, while 12 to 14 climbing bean plant ..read more
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Starting an edible garden in containers – what to grow first? 
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
1y ago
It can be hard to know what to grow first when you start a container garden – there are just so many possibilities! Exciting but also sometimes a bit overwhelming. I hope the ideas below will help.   Many people find it works well to start off with the easy and fast crops – to build confidence and gain experience. And it’s rewarding and motivating to get your first delicious harvest quickly. Luckily, many of these also make any list of best crops for small spaces, regardless of how easy they are to grow.  While I am going to share some of the easiest in this post, bear in mind that y ..read more
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Creating your ideal edible (and beautiful) garden in containers
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
1y ago
What makes the ideal edible garden in containers? It’s different for each of us, of course, and usually takes trial and error to discover. One good way to evolve a container garden is to try a few different plants in your container garden each year. This will help you discover what you love to grow most. Trying new things and experimenting is also good for learning and, in my experience, all part of the fun. The end of the growing season is a good time to look back on the year and reflect on what you’ve enjoyed growing most over the year.  And which plants have NOT given you so much pleas ..read more
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How to make your own fertiliser using easy to find ingredients
Vertical Veg | Grow your own vegetables
by Mark Ridsdill Smith
2y ago
In this podcast, I talk to Nigel Palmer, author of The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments.  Nigel’s book is full of recipes for amendments that make excellent liquid and foliar feeds for all plants. These feeds can help you to achieve optimal harvests from containers – and improve plant health and vitality at the same time. The book is informed by a lot of research to locate recipes from around the world, including from ancient farming practices and countries like Korea. Nigel has then put all the recipes into practice in his garden so that he can share his experience. Many ..read more
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