Veg for containers

When space is limited, you need ingenuity to get the most from your plot. Growing veg in containers is a lifeline for patio gardeners, and helps beef up the harvest from handkerchief-sized gardens, too. Follow our five rules for bumper container harvests every year:

Go large: bigger pots are definitely better, as the more your veg can spread their roots out, the happier they'll be. There's a range of roomy pots in our garden centre.

Mix and match: don't be afraid to grow several types of veg in the same pot. Plant quick-growing carrots around tall spinach, for example, to double your harvest.

Water, water, water: never let containers go dry: it's a recipe for bolting lettuces, drooping spinach and poor fruiting. Water daily in summer, adding liquid feed once a week.

Use your walls: troughs alongside fences and walls hold climbing beans and give you twice the space to play with. Nail trellis to the wall for support.

Choose the right varieties: veg with shallower roots, like beetroot, do best; or try varieties bred specially for pots. Look for 'patio', 'dwarf' or 'container' on seed packets in our garden centre.

Please ask the staff in our garden centre in Henley on Thames for more information and advice about growing vegetables in containers.