NOT FOR POTS
There really are few vegies that can’t be grown in a container, but there are some. Sweet corn is one that doesn’t do well in a pot. This isn’t just down to its size and water needs, sweet corn also needs lots of friends for successful pollination so one or even two pots of sweet corn plants may grow but probably won’t form cobs.
Large vines such as rockmelons, watermelons and zucchinis are also tricky to grow in pots. For those who want to grow pumpkins but don’t have much space there are bushy varieties for pots. Varieties that have small pumpkins are also a good choice to grow in cold areas where the summer season is short.
Look for varieties such as ‘Delicata Mini Sweet’, ‘Gem’, ‘Gold Nugget’ and ‘Jack Be Little’ to grow in containers this summer. Plants that have a long period between planting and harvest such as onions, broad beans and large cauliflower and cabbages are also unsuited to pots. Opt for faster-growing alternatives such spring onions or onion chives, dwarf beans and sprouting broccoli or Chinese cabbage.
Large fruit trees can also be hard to manage in containers but there are now many fruit trees – including avocados, apples, peaches and many citrus – that are available as natural dwarfs or kept small on dwarf rootstock.
Quiz answers: 1. Eight 2. Stephen R. Donaldson 3. 1999 4. Carlton Blues 5. Kevin Spacey 6. Russia 7. Ricky Ponting 8. Iggy Azalea 9. True 10. Keira Knightley 11. Mars 12. Will Power 13. 1988 Seoul 14. London 15. 9-1-1 16. 2000 17. C. S. Lewis 18. Ellice 19. Norah Jones 20. Midnight Express 21. False 22. Brazil 23. Volleyroos 24. Mexico 25. House Rules 26. Red, blue 27. Collingwood Magpies 28. 1902 29. Trumpet 30. Fourteen Target word answers: amender, ardent, arete, armed, aster, astern, dare, darn, dart, dater, dear, dearest, deer, denar, denser, derma, desert, deter, dram, dream, dreamt, dree, eared, earn, earned, earnest, easer, eastern, eater, endear, enter, erase, erased, erne, ester, mare, mart, marten, master, mastered, mater, meander, meaner, mender, mere, merest, meter, metre, namer, nard, near, neared, nearest, neater, nerd, nester, ramen, rand, rant, ranted, rate, rated, read, ream, reed, remade, remand, rename, renamed, rend, rent, rented, resat, reseat, reseda, resent, reset, rest, rested, rete, sander, saner, sard, sear, seared, seer, sender, sera, sere, smart, smarten, SMARTENED, smear, smeared, snare, snared, sneer, star, stare, stared, steamer, steer, stern, sterna, strand, stream, streamed, tamer, tare, tared, tarn, tear, teaser, tender, tenser, term, termed, tern, terse, trad, trade, TRADESMEN, tram, tread, tree, treed, treen, trend, tsar.