Potted produce

The greatest advantage of growing potted produce is the ability to control the growing conditions. When it gets too hot, cold, windy or wet, you can simply pick up the pot and move it to a more favourable position. In winter, when the sun is low in the sky and the trees and buildings cast shade over your vegie patch, pots can be placed in sunny pockets near the house to keep your production ticking over.

Big pots are best for growing potted produce; you need something at least 30–40cm wide to grow most winter veg. The potting mix needs to be rich in organic matter and nutrients, just like the soil in your vegie patch. You can find special vegie blends available at your local garden centre, or you can use a regular potting mix and boost it yourself – for every 2 parts of potting mix, add 1 part compost. Add some controlled-release fertiliser to your pots and give them an additional feed of liquid fertiliser once a fortnight. When it comes to watering, you need to keep the mix moist so check the pots daily to see if they need a little top-up. Don’t leave the pots sitting in a saucer of water as this will rot the roots.

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