Container Gardening Gurus, show me your tips!

[Jessiebean]

Hrmm I don't think that came out right.
Hello all,I have been languishing away from Ish for a while, we were going to move then the whole deal fell over and then I had another baby so my attempts at courtyard gardening are not spectacular (to say the least) as I was distracted, pregnant and a bit despondent and unmotivated but now baby is 5 months and we aren't just about to move anywhere I am going to get serious about making the small space work... who has some great container gardening tips? Oh for those that don't know I am in Sunny (for now) Tasmania at the bottom of Australia so water retaining ideas and ways to prevent soil becoming water repellant would be great.

[oldjerry]

welcome Back,and congrats(if a bit late) on your new addition.
Even though I've got enough space to make it not a necessity,I really like growing in containers(means I can grab a bit of fresh salad stuff from out the back door without putting me wellies on.) Obviously stuff like carrots(fly) and tender stuff that can be brought inside in winter,is better in containers anyhow,but I like growing spuds in sacks,buckets etc,(top up with growing medium as they show growth) and best of all this bonkers idea I stole off the web for turning canvas shoe tidys,like you hang on a teenagers bedroom door,into horizontal growing pouches(drill holes obviously) for growing herbs,strawberries,or best of all(what I'm going to try this year) some sort of tumbling tomato.

[Jessiebean]

Thanks OJ! I have seen the shoe organiser for hernbs, I quite like that, better then planting in an old bra which I do consider a bit bonkers! I think that refreshing the soils and watering enough are going to be my biggest fail areas...trying to grow radishes again as of today. I have never succeeded!

[Green Aura]

I don't know how "green" they are but I've been quite impressed with those water-retaining gel granule thingies. I use them in hanging baskets in the polytunnel. As for feeding - the usual teas (comfrey, nettle, seaweed etc) does the trick for me. But I change the compost every year.

[Annemieke]

Help is at hand. Have you heard of Vertical Veg? It's a facebook page and website full of tips for containers and general small-area gardening. See http://www.facebook.com/verticalveg and http://www.verticalveg.org.uk.

[Jessiebean]

GA- Changing the compost EVERY year.. but I am so lazy! Ok I can do that...and watering them with healthy stuff, good. Better than not really remembering to water them at all!
Annemieke- that looks very interesting I will have a look through everything there.
Ah. It's good to be back!