We gave up growing stuff in the polytunnel as between the wind and lack of sun it has proved fairly useless (so we've given it away!). Anyway we had a trial run last year and decided it looked growing on our windowsills seemed like a good alternative for tomatoes, cucumbers and continue with the chillies we've grown indoors for years.
We found some windowsill planters in Lidl which had sort of growing platform to keep the soil off the water reservoir in the bottom and a sort of measuring tube to add water and thought these would do the trick. I can't remember the price but they weren't prohibitively expensive. Plastic, unfortunately but you can't get much that isn't - certainly not in our price range. They fit three tomato plants (we're growing smaller varieties obviously so they fit on the windowsills) or five chillies.
I have to say they're fantastic. Even in the hot weather - SW facing windows, they've not needed more than our indoor 1.5l watering can per day per pot not plant (after an initial filling of two cans). Like using the ollas I talked about in another thread the soil surface is dry but the plants are lovely, lots of fruit and no blossom end rot from them drying out.
I'm not as disciplined as Odsox, so never get round to weighing anything we grow (and it has absolutely nothing to do with us grazing on them every time we pass by ) but we've had more tomatoes this year than at any time since we moved here, earlier too. We've also got our first successful cucumbers - I think the widely varying temperatures in the polytunnel was just not suitable. We're growing those tiny ones which just do us one meal. The chillies are hung in flowers, definitely more than we've ever had before, although that's probably more to do with the glorious weather, which unfortunately seems to have gone for now.
The one downside is the growing area isn't deep enough to hold a cane so we've got some barely supported plants. So the project for next year is to devise some sort of external frame.
Windowsill tomatoes and Lidl planters
- Green Aura
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Windowsill tomatoes and Lidl planters
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Re: Windowsill tomatoes and Lidl planters
Neither is Odsox
Nah, what you need is a lean-to greenhouse on the other side of that wall. 3mm glass will survive even your stormy weather, although corrugated plastic roof might creak a bit.Green Aura wrote: ↑Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:43 pm The one downside is the growing area isn't deep enough to hold a cane so we've got some barely supported plants. So the project for next year is to devise some sort of external frame.
.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
- Green Aura
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9313
- Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:16 pm
- latitude: 58.569279
- longitude: -4.762620
- Location: North West Highlands
Re: Windowsill tomatoes and Lidl planters
I'd love a greenhouse all the way along the front wall but finances don't allow as yet. It would be perfect but would cost an arm and probably both legs!
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
Re: Windowsill tomatoes and Lidl planters
Ah well ....
You will have to study the catalogues for small varieties.
Of course you are lucky as there are very many tomato varieties that have been bred for container growing, along with other tender veg, courtesy of modern UK homes with about a square metre patio for a garden.
Years ago there were probably none.
You will have to study the catalogues for small varieties.
Of course you are lucky as there are very many tomato varieties that have been bred for container growing, along with other tender veg, courtesy of modern UK homes with about a square metre patio for a garden.
Years ago there were probably none.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.