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Pots of flavour in small spaces

You don’t need acres of garden to grow fresh salads and veggies. All you need is a balcony, patio or a postage-stamp of a garden, and some good-quality terracotta pots. With this, the right growing medium and a watering can, you’re A for away.

Why terracotta?

Whenever we’re asked what containers to use on a patio we tend to always have the same recommendation. You can’t go wrong with a nice big terracotta pot, or a matching set of terracotta pots. Why terracotta and not plastic? Visually, terracotta pots look so much classier, but there are practical reasons too.

Terracotta pots are made of clay, and natural materials like clay tend to work better with plants. Terracotta pots are able to breathe, allowing air and even moisture to move through the walls. This keeps pants healthier and helps to prevent fungal root disease.

Plants don’t like sudden changes in temperature, and terracotta pots act as insulation, slowing down variations in temperature.

Weight is also an advantage – terracotta pots are heavier than plastic or wood. This is very useful if you live somewhere with high winds. It also helps when you have a cat that keeps rubbing itself against your veggie pots and knocking them over!

Finally, terracotta pots get better and better with age, weathering and developing a beautiful patina that cannot be replicated.

What to plant?

Choosing what to plant can be overwhelming when you’re starting out. Our first rule of thumb is: plant what you eat! There’s not much point in growing coriander if the flavour offends your very being. But if you love cooking with other herbs plant things like rosemary, thyme, mint and origanum.

Another thing we suggest is to mix things up a bit – don’t be boring and grow only edibles. Beautiful ornamentals can do well in containers alongside their edible bedfellows. Plus, some have the added benefit of being ornamental and edible. Viola flowers can be tossed in a salad, while the flowers of lavender and calendula have a range of uses.

In the above pots we grew a mix of edible and ornamental plants. Some can be simply planted with kale, mustard and sorrel. Red sorrel is as good for you as it is gorgeous. Add the leaves to salad for a bit of a tang and some beautiful contrast.

The painted egg design pots are a modern update of the classic terracotta pot. In these, we planted a mix of traditional edible plants, edible flowers and plants that are purely ornamental.

In the elegant bowl design pots we planted a useful and attractive mix. This included mint, Japanese giant red Mustard, purple mizuna, bok choi, Vietnamese coriander, lavender and dianthus. We also planted some pots with a mix baby spinach, statice, osteospermums, Lavandula stoechas, brachyscome, salvia, bidens and viola for a balanced, beautiful look.

A good base

The key to potting success is a growing medium that can fulfil a plant’s nutritional needs.

Whenever we’re getting ready to plant up containers we start by mixing up a big batch of potting medium.

To do this we mix:

  • 4 parts good-quality potting soil,
  • 1 part palm peat (soaked in water beforehand),
  • 1 big handful of pelletised organic plant food (like Atlantic Bio Ganic).

Prepare the medium in a big bucket so that you’ve got enough for all the pots you’ll be planting up.

When planting, place a handful of gravel or stones in the bottom of the pot, to ensure good drainage and prevent the drainage holes from becoming blocked.

Then fill the pot with potting medium to about 2/3 full, place the plants in the pots and fill up the pots to a few cm below the rim.

Keep them hydrated!

Plants will put up with a lot, but you can’t expect them to survive without water. Containers have a limited water-holding capacity, which is why we add water-retentive materials such as palm peat to our mix. Check if the soil is dry by pushing a finger into the first inch or so. If if it is dry, water. In hot weather you’ll need to water your containers daily, in the morning before it gets too hot.

Check again in the afternoon and water again if necessary. In cooler weather, you can get away with watering pots about 2 – 3 times a week. This is especially relevant in seasons when plants aren’t growing as fast,

Remember that overwatering can be as bad as under watering, so always do the finger test before watering.

Also try to be responsible in watering, by using harvested rain water or grey water when you can.

Care

Container-grown plants need regular care including feeding, as the nutrients in the limited quantity of soil get depleted.

Feed leafy greens with a water-soluble plant food that is high in nitrogen, such as Nutrifeed. Or, use a slow-release organic fertiliser that can be scattered around the base of the plants without burning them as chemical fertilisers can.

Plants that produce fruits need a fertiliser higher in phosphorus, such as EcoBuz Multigro or Atlantic Fruit and Flower.

Potted veggies can be affected by pests. Use an organic pesticide like Makhro Organicide or Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide, which are harmless to children, birds, wildlife and pets.

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The Gardener