an excellent use of containers, and

herbs lend themselves to growing in

windowboxes or other small containers.
Root vegetables are possibilities; these
particularly benefit from transplanting
as multiblock-sown plants. Perennial
vegetables and brassicas are the least
worthy of space in containers.
PLANTING CONTAINERS
All containers must be well drained;
waterlogging leads to crop failure.
This can be ensured by the existence
of several drainage holes in the base;
if there is only one and more cannot
be made, put plenty of broken pots in
the bottom to provide a drainage layer.
Proprietary soil-less or soil-based
growing composts are best for filling
the smallest of the containers, including
windowboxes and hanging baskets. Soilbased
products will give more stability
and are likely to hold moisture better.
Adding up to 20 percent sand or grit
by volume will aid drainage, add weight,
and probably make the overall purchase
less expensive. For the largest of rigid
containers and plastic sacks, the best
course is to resort to filling with fertile
garden soil, specially prepared by mixing
in well-rotted and shredded farmyard
manure or garden compost and a good
measure of grit.
In addition, apply a compound fertilizer
to the soil surface at 1oz per sq yd
(50g per sq m) and work it in to a
depth of 2–3in (5–8cm).
WATERING AND FEEDING
Where porous materials are used, such
as terra-cotta, it is helpful to line the
sides with thin plastic sheet, which will
effectively reduce water loss. Surface
evaporation can be reduced by applying
a mulch of well-rotted organic matter or
even composted bark or stone chippings
(see below). In all cases, watering crops
in containers requires close attention
to the plant and weather conditions,
and the feel of the soil. Always water
copiously and not in dribbles; in hot
or windy weather this may be necessary
twice a day or more. Never assume that
natural rainfall has done the job for you.
Nutrients are also used up rapidly in
free-standing containers. The roots will
be restricted, and have to obtain all the
necessary nutrients from a smaller volume
of soil than they would have naturally,
so the soil needs to be enriched by
regular feeding. Supplementary feeds
(see pp.20–23) can be added as growth
proceeds. This can be done by topdressing
with a dry compound fertilizer,
but liquid fertilizers are most effective
and convenient. For annual crops, it
is best to start each season with fresh
compost, but the growing medium in
large, well-fed, and watered containers
can be left in place for more than one
season. Compost in growing bags is
ready mixed with fertilizer and will
usually serve for one season’s tomato,
cucumber, or sweet pepper crop; after
clearing, bags can be used in a second
season for strawberries or salad crops.
The need for constant attention to
crops grown in containers cannot be
overemphasized. Plants in containers
are living in fundamentally stressful
conditions, and it is all too easy for
much enthusiastic investment to go
to waste because of a little neglect.