SMALL-SPACE GARDENING Bring your containers to life with seasonal ideas from our columnist Isabelle Palmer, The Balcony Gardener CROP OF THE MONTH
Potatoes
SOLANUM TUBEROSUM ‘MARIS PEER’ CHRISTMAS CROP HARVEST
M
aris Peer potatoes grow well in pots in autumn. This all-round salad-type variety has a firm creamy yellow flesh and superb flavour and is good for boiling, roasting and mashing. Plant up to early September for a crop in late October, or leave them in the pot if you want to enjoy them at Christmas. For best results, plant in full sun.
SECRETS OF SUCCESS » Use a pot at least 40cm deep and wide, with drainage holes in the base. » Add a layer of potting compost or a garden soil/compost mix. A layer 10cm thick is enough for 40cm pots. » Plant one to three tubers per pot, each with about 10cm of space. » As the foliage develops, add further compost or soil until the container is full to within 5cm of the top. » Keep well watered and feed with a general-purpose liquid fertiliser. » Bring them indoors on cold nights and return outdoors during the day.
SUSTAINABLE CONTAINER GARDENING
You might think a small container garden wouldn’t offer many opportunities to be environmentally friendly, but think again! With a few minor concessions, they can be a really sustainable option.
» Choose drought-tolerant plants
Conserving water in the garden is a challenge, especially in summer, but you can significantly reduce water consumption by going for drought-tolerant plants. » Reuse or recycle your old plant pots
Once you’ve finished with them, donate them to local nurseries or allotments, or give to someone you know who grows from seed. » Use ecofriendly options If you usually start your garden plants from seed, kitchen
towel tubes cut into small sections make a good alternative to plastic seed trays. If you’re going to use pots, opt for biodegradable and compostable ones. And there’s no need to buy new: choose recycled objects such as dolly tubs or vintage garden containers from reclamation yards or car boot sales. » Plant a mini forest Create a forest in your pots or window boxes to release oxygen and offset carbon dioxide. Miniature versions of Douglas fir, spruce, true fir, beech and maple release the most oxygen.
» It couldn’t be easier to grow your own crop with this potato pot from Elho, 13.99, bakker.com. Plant it up and when your harvest is ready, lift out the inner pot to access the potatoes.
Turn the page for Isabelle’s pick of drought-tolerant and mini forest plants. Follow her on Instagram @thebalconygardener House Beautiful SEPTEMBER 2021 141
