The Art of Growing by muse boi

THE ART OF GROWING FOOD IN SMALL PLACES

8 REASONS TO GROW FOOD AT HOME IN CONTAINERS

10 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL CONTAINER GROWING

REASON 1 Eat tastier, fresher food, right from your doorstep

STEP 1 Choose what you want to grow

REASON 2 Meet and chat to more neighbours REASON 3 Save money REASON 4 Get close to nature in the city REASON 5 Grow crops that are hard to find in the shops like Asian, Caribbean or gourmet varieties REASON 6 Show off to your friends and share your produce REASON 7 Recycle your food waste to make free nutritious compost REASON 8 Discover a hugely rewarding hobby for you and your family

STEP 2 Work out what size containers you need STEP 3 Find the containers STEP 4 Get your seeds or plants STEP 5 Find a source of good compost STEP 6 Check drainage STEP 7 Avoid overcrowding STEP 8 Feed your crops STEP 9 Check daily for watering STEP 10 Keep learning

STEP 1 CHOOSE WHAT TO GROW To help you chose the right crops for you and your space ask yourself: a) What do I/my household love to eat? b) How much sun does my growing space get? (Observe it to find out.)

LESS SUN (at least 3 – 4 hours a day) Most leafy crops: Lettuce, rocket & other salads Pak choi & stir fry greens Mint, parsley, coriander, chives Woodland fruits: Blueberries & blackcurrants

STEP 2 WORK OUT WHAT SIZE OF CONTAINERS YOU NEED The container size you need depends on what you want to grow. 15cm deep Salad leaves/leafy herbs/oriental leaves (eg pak choi) Example: standard window box, polystyrene box from fishmongers, vegetable tray 40cm wide 30cm deep Tomatoes, peppers, chillies, carrots, runner beans Example: big plastic bucket

MORE SUN (5- 6 hours - nearly ½ day) Peas, beans and root crops: Runner & French beans Mange-tout Potatoes Carrots Radish

LOTS OF SUN (6 hours - over ½ day) Fruiting crops: Tomatoes Courgettes or squash Chillies/peppers Strawberries Aubergines

50cm wide 40cm deep Squash, courgettes, fruit bushes Example: recycling bin

The general rule is: the bigger the pot, the bigger the crop. Bigger pots (40cm diameter and up) are also easier to look after. They need less watering and less feeding. Smaller pots are lighter and easier to move around, but need more regular watering. Remember that big pots are heavy – check your space can accommodate them safely and always secure them so they can’t fall off.

STEP 3 FIND THE CONTAINERS

STEP 6 CHECK DRAINAGE

You can get containers for free: old plastic food buckets (don’t use paint buckets), food barrels (chop in half), large oil or food tins, plastic water tanks, builders bags, or old recycling boxes. Wood from skips can be used to make containers to size – line with plastic to prolong life and/ or use linseed oil as a preserver. You can also buy containers from your local pound shop or garden centre.

Good drainage is needed for the roots of your crops to get air. If drainage is poor the plant will be unable to breathe, the roots will rot, and the plant will die. Ensure your pot has plenty of holes at the bottom for drainage – if not, make some with a drill, a large nail and hammer, or a hot nail (be careful, obviously).

STEP 4 GET YOUR SEEDS OR PLANTS The most enjoyable place to find seeds is local seed swaps. Google ‘seed swaps’ or ‘Seedy Sundays’ to find one near you. Good online seed suppliers include Real Seeds (each pack comes with instructions on how to save your own) or Tamar Organics. Alternatively you can buy plants – community plant sales are usually the best value.

STEP 5 FIND A SOURCE OF GOOD COMPOST Good compost will make all the difference. New Horizon and Vital Earth peat-free multipurpose composts came top of a recent Which? survey. They are stocked by most good garden centres. Composts made from council waste vary in quality. Some – like that from Edmonton, North London – are now very good. They are also cheap and sustainable – do try them.

Water also needs to drain well through the whole growing mix. Most good quality commercial composts will drain OK. To further improve drainage, you can add 10 – 20% sand, grit, perlite or vermiculite. Check water flows freely out of the bottom when watered. Stand pots on feet if needed.

STEP 7 AVOID OVERCROWDING It’s easy to overcrowd a pot with plants. Use the spacings on the back of seed packets as a guide. Take particular care with fruiting crops: Tomatoes need about one square foot of space, more for courgettes. The ‘What to grow’ section at www. earthbox.co.uk has a useful guide to how many plants of each crop you can grow in a 74cm x 34cm container. Be surprised by how many beans you can cram in!

STEP 8 FEED YOUR CROPS

STEP 10 KEEP LEARNING

Most composts contain enough nutrients for six weeks of plant growth. After that, feeding is needed. Fertiliser can be mixed in with the compost, applied as a ‘top dressing’ (mixed into the top) or given as a liquid feed.

Keep experimenting and trying things – don’t worry when things don’t work (it happens to all of us). Volunteer for your local food growing project – it’s a great way to learn and meet others. Sign up for a local food growing course. And/or come to a Vertical Veg workshop to learn all about container growing.

There are many different fertilisers, the most useful include: Worm compost: a brilliant all round fertiliser for container growing. Wormeries are subsidised by Councils or you can make your own from a plastic or wooden box with lots of air holes. You can get worms on line, from fishing tackle shops or a local compost heap. Seaweed extract: an excellent general purpose liquid feed that promotes growth and adds valuable trace elements - plant vitamins! Liquid comfrey or organic tomato feed: essential to get a good yield from fruiting plants like tomatoes and courgettes. Chicken manure pellets: are rich in the nutrients needed for leaf growth – excellent for salads and other leafy crops. Add sparingly!

Success is most easily cultivated on a small scale. Start small and let your growing evolve as you learn. Daily attention is the secret of successful container gardening.

BLOG AND TWITTER You can keep up to date with Mark’s latest vegetable exploits at www.verticalveg.org. uk and on Twitter @verticalveg For more container growing tips and information about Vertical Veg container growing courses please visit www. verticalveg.org.uk Vertical Veg is a social enterprise that inspires and supports food growing in small spaces. Vertical Veg is supported by:

STEP 9 CHECK DAILY FOR WATERING It’s hard to tell by looking at a container if it needs watering. You need to put your hand into the soil, three or four inches below the surface. The soil should feel moist, not dry or wet. You’ll often be surprised by what you find! Check your containers every day.