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Ideas on what veg i can grown in a dust bin

AHRAHR Posts: 361
in Fruit & veg

Hello

I have a spare old style black dust bin. That I am thinking about growing some veg in. But I am unsure what veg can be grown in this kind of container other than potatoes.

I have also thought of doing carrots or parsnips.

Has anyone had any experience with growing veg in bins?

I am a complete novice when it comes to veg.

thanks

Posts

  • AHRAHR Posts: 361

    I'm guessing that it's mainly root veg that would be ok to use.  

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,766

    I seem to remember someone on here once growing horeseradish in a dustbin ... It stopped if taking over the garden ... But maybe you don't like horseradish ... It's an acquired taste ...

    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • SparklesJDSparklesJD Posts: 344

    Sweetcorn!

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,448

    Courgettes, cucumbers, tumbling tomatoes (down the sides) strawberries (also hanging down the sides) beetroot (and relatives), any sort of beans or peas. 

    Most veg will grow in pots - and it is just a big pot (do remember to put some drainage holes in) - except the brassicas. You might persuade a small kale - one of the 'dwarf curly kale types - but they take such a long time to grow, you're probably better with spinach and chard for green leafies in pots.

    A dustbin being quite large, you could get probably three types in - so some sweetcorn, with dwarf borlotti beans and little 'nantes' type carrots in between. Or runner beans on wigwams, with a bush courgette and beetroot. Or tumbling tomatoes, some climbing french beans and a few lettuce.

    image

    Last edited: 04 April 2017 08:12:45

    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first” 
  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Giddy,   Question,   Why, it needs a lot of infill either drainage, space saving broken pot, plastic, Pebbles, then a lot of soil to top it up. it will be heavy and with a narrow top not grow much. I have an old type bin and keep my potting compost in it as it has a lid, I use normal size pots and trays for growing Veg  and some fruit, my Tomato's go into pots and that way I am using the correct amount of growing medium. I know people use all kinds of containers but an old bin? Sorry, I had to ask as I do wonder why.

    Frank.

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,941

    What are you composting in at the moment?  Have you considered using it for that?  I use two rubberized garbage cans for my composting needs.  I've drilled lots of holes into the bottom and along the sides.  I fill it with kitchen scraps, the newspaper that lines my kitchen counter compost bucket, torn egg cartons, etc.  I have it sitting over bare dirt, and every so often put in a shovel of garden soil (to introduce microbes and worms - which can leave and enter through the holes if need be).  As it's fairly secure against rodents, I even add some cooked food scraps.  Every fourth of the way full I secure the lid with a bungee and roll the entire bin around the yard on it's side to turn the compost. It really speeds up the process, and doesn't involve much effort.  Bins work really good for small compost needs.  All my leaves, clippings, weeds, etc. get either put directly onto my raised beds, or stacked in a long pile along my back chainlink fence for little critters to live in.  The other great bonus of the garbage can composer is you can drag it right outside your back door in winter, and fill it without even getting your slippers wet.  Then in the spring just drag it back out of sight again.  

    This blog gives you all the details: http://thehappyhousewife.com/frugal-living/diy-compost-bin/ 

    I have a fair number more holes in mine than that one though, and slightly larger to allow fat worms in or out.  

    Utah, USA.
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361

    Thank you all for you replies. 

    I have three of these bins. thay were left by the previous owner of the property. 

    I use two of these to store compost. 1 from the hot compost bin and the other to keep my open bags dry. 

    I currently don't use the third one. I was wondering what I could use it for. i have seen lots on the web saying they make good potato planters. So I was wondering about other veg and wheather I could grow something in there all year round. 

    I wouldn't want to do this if it wasn't going to be successful or if it's just as good or worse than using a pot. 

    I was also thinking that If I was to drill lots of large holes could I use it to make leaf mould. 

    Many thanks 

    Last edited: 04 April 2017 18:06:08

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    Giddy, there is nothing to stop you trying, my point being it would take a lot more of everything to fill it when normal pots do the job. We never have too much compost so why not use the third bin for the overflow from your other compost maker. We have long lanes of trees of all kinds so leaf gathering in Autumn is a local sport. I fill black bags punch holes in them then hide them behind the bushes or put them in a quiet corner for a year or more. If you keep it going year on year you have continuous and lovely planting medium. You could use your bin and would get leaf mould but it would have to stand for at least a year, black bags can be hidden more easily, compost more needed.

    If you have a Green House why not have new potato's for Christmas from your bin. The usual way is to put some good compost in the bottom then three potato's that you have chitted then cover with more compost and leave a while. As the green tops grow keep adding soil up to near the top of the green growth until it has grown out of the top of the bin, if it is in the greenhouse you will need to water but not over water. I had new potato's at Christmas yearly until my wife passed away now I do not bother.

    Frank.

    Last edited: 04 April 2017 22:08:34

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