Growing veg in containers - what soil to choose?

Hi,

I have recently moved to a new property with a back garden that is sadly paved with concrete so have to opt for growing veg in containers (I''ll be making some about 12" x 12" x 60" / 30cm x 30cm x 150cm). Being a complete beginner, I found choosing the right growing medium for this type of gardening a bit difficult. Depending on what website I look at, there is talk of either using just compost or mix of compost & soil. This is further complicated by online garden suppliers who advertise different products as seemingly equally good for growing vegetables. Looking at websites such as Dandy's or Earth Cycle and based on the size of my containers, could someone tell me which of the products advertised there would make for a good all-round choice? Also, any idea as to how many and what size drainage holes should I drill in the bottom of my containers? Any help will be much appreciated!

Cheers,
Jacob

Hey Kleftiwallah,

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry, I don't think I worded myself right - it's the compost/soil advice I'm looking for rather than container advice! I'm just confused by what I've seen online so far, with many places talking about different things. I'm just looking to be pointed towards a specific product from the websites presented in my first post and if I should use a couple of different products then - given the size of my future containers - in what ratio? Just to confirm, the pots will be out in the back garden.

Cheers!

A mixture of multi-purpose compost and topsoil would be ideal - you could just use multipurpose on its own, but as Kleftiwallah has already said, it would dry out much more quickly than a mixture including soil.

I'd go for just 2 1/2" drainage holes per 5' container - the soil won't fall through if it's kept moist, and is enough to ensure excess water drains out without making it too easy for it to do so when watering.

I'd just take all the info from chums here, then just think about what you are able to buy.

We're short of compost this year owing to lockdown, so we just take what there is and make it work, there's no rocket science involved, so lucky you, you don't have to dig anywhere, and can use whatever is available!

Let's face it, no company is going to go to the trouble of producing a bad product, because gardeners just wouldn't buy the stuff!

Good luck, and best wishes to you for a decent harvest!