Jane thinks "Laundry pills". I think "Seed-container"!
I'm sure we all get through loads of containers like this, and most of them end up in the waste-bin, but with a few minute's work they can be made in to very useful seed-containers.
The blue top bit comes off very easily - you just unclip it:
Drill a few holes in the bottom to allow for drainage:
Then simply fill with soil / compost and sow your seeds!
Containers like this are eminently suitable for big seeds that produce big roots, such as Broad Beans or Runner Beans. It's too early to sow the tender Runner Beans, but February is a good time for sowing Broad Beans. This year I am going to grow a new type called "Robin Hood", kindly provided for me to review by Marshalls.
The packet says "Neat and compact plant growth makes these perfect for container gardening as well as in direct soil." Sounds perfect for my small veg-plot.
I have sowed 18 Broad Bean seeds, 6 in each of 3 of these containers. By the way, the seeds are shown on the surface here, just to give an idea of spacing, but after I had taken the photos I pushed the seeds down into the soil, with a thin edge uppermost in order to minimise the risk of rotting.
The containers are now in one of my plastic mini-greenhouses, on the top shelf. I just hope the mice don't find them!
We grew Robin Hood last year Mark. Produced well on compact plants and tasted good too.
ReplyDeleteI'm just writing a review which includes Robin Hood
ReplyDeleteI have 2 huge bins full of containers - I find it quite difficult to get rid of a perfectly good vessel, although I do have to put limits on it as otherwise my basement would be overflowing.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of starting my broad beans inside this year as well - how many weeks do you grow them indoors before transplanting them outside?
I normally keep BBs in the garage or inside one of the mini-greenhouses until they have at least 2 proper leaves and then plant them out. Having said that, I do also sometimes sow directly into the soil.
DeleteI was just reading your pesto post on Feedly but can't find it here. How do you overwinter your basil?
ReplyDeleteI grow my Basil in pots on an indoor windowsill. I feed them very so often with general-purpose plant food. They usually last until my new season's plants are ready, and I crop them several times during their lives.
DeleteAlso looks like a great container to hold and organize seed packets.
ReplyDelete