Growing vegetables in window boxes

Growing vegetables in window boxes is as easy as growing them in the ground- provided you remember that you will need to choose vegetables with compact growing habits, and that you will need to water the window boxes frequently. The window boxes or containers will need to be placed in a sunny position and must be well secured to prevent them falling on someone’s head!

If you have a large number of window boxes or plant pots on a patio, the watering can be taken care of by an automatic watering system. These are simple battery operated valves with timers that fit on to an outdoor tap. Connected to the timer valve is a 15mm diameter hose and from that hose, smaller diameter feeder tubes allow each container to be individually watered.

You can even adjust the amount of water given to each pot if some are larger than others. If you don’t have too many pots to water and don’t like the idea of the large diameter pipe being placed around the patio, you can attach the 6mm diameter pipes directly to the timer and tee off where necessary.

If you don’t want to install a watering system or don’t have a tap nearby then you can place a self watering unit in the planter or window box. This is a water reservoir that allows the plants to take the water they need. This way you don’t need to water every day.

Vegetables such as cucumbers, egg plants, green beans, onions, lettuce, peppers, radishes and tomatoes all have a small growing variety that will be suitable for smaller containers and window boxes. Carrots are easy. Larger varieties of vegetables can be planted in large plant containers as can quite a number of fruit trees and bushes.

The dedicated horticulturists can sow vegetables from seeds if you have a propagator or suitable container that you can cover with a plastic bag to help them germinate. It is often easier to buy small plants from nurseries and grow them on if you don’t mind having a more limited selection.

It’s a wonderful experience to eat vegetables grown in your own back yard. It’s funny to think that it is something that most families have never experienced.