Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

New to veg growing

• Message 1. 

  Posted by girlie (U14704575) on Sunday, 28th November 2010

  Please could I have thoughts on what & when to begin planting with my two plots 5' x 4' each - potatoes being one item, thankyou

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 28th November 2010

  Try goggling 'The Gardener's Almanac' you'll find a callender on the site which tells you when to sow, plant out and harvest most fruit and veg.
  
  

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by john ralph (U14340545) on Monday, 29th November 2010

  Well you have quite a choice other than potatoes.
  It all depends what you like best!
  Remember that you have to wait for spring 2011 when the soil has warmed up for seed germination. I like eating runner beans also carrots and beetroot and there are strawberries buying the plants also in the spring I could go on, Are you new to gardening? if you are a good gardening book would be a good idea perhaps it could be a Christmas present?
  Yet us know what you decide to grow good soil is the answer.
  Regards John.

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by DiggerSean (U14704361) on Monday, 29th November 2010

  Being new I'd get yourself a good grow your own book and have a read through the winter months before the growing season starts in the new year.
  Tips I would give though, grow what you like to eat, varieties which are difficult to get in the supermarkets and also veg which are best when eaten really fresh (peas, beans (french and runner), sweetcorn and new potatoes to name a few.
  With you plots being quite small I wouldn't grow too many potatoes ( they are relatively cheap to buy these days) forget about maincrops and try early varieties which grow quicker and you can then use the space to grow more veg later.
  Use the space you have well and you can save yourself a fortune, how much does a packet of salad leaves cost these days? Cut and come salad are another good option.
  There are also plenty of grow your own magazines out there now to read up on which give you plent of advice which is normally current to the time of printing.
  
  Good luck and enjoy!

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Bemean (U14387244) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010

  I've only been growing my own veg for a year; I found the Grow Your Own magazine very useful. Also my wife brought me copies of "Allotment Gardening for Dummies" by Sven Wombwell, "New Urban Farmer" by Celia Brooks Brown and "Vegetable Growing month by month" by John Harrison. All are which are good but cheap books you can get from eBay or book shops, if you don’t want to buy most libraries stock them.

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010

  I think there is a prior question before the answer-what does "girlie"and family like?
  Pointless growing stacks of stuff you do not like or even want to try even considering fresh picked will be tastier and with better choice than what you can buy either fresh or frozen in the shops/supermarkets.
  I am reading your plot size as 5 feet by 4 feet twice?
  That's not all that big for bulk vegetable planting or growing for best use.
  in my experience I would not touch potatoes which take up so much space and with little gain over the commercial source.
  Get into lettuces, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, soft fruit etc etc which cost the earth in the shops then you will not only save money but get taste as well.
  Best of luck
  

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 7th December 2010

  I would agree with welshcol about spuds, they do take up alot of room and if this is at a premium why not grow them in bags.
  
  When I first started I was advised to grow alittle of a lot of different veg which you are likely to eat and iIf you aren't going to walk on the beds veg can be planted closer together than in an allotment. Salad veg often takes up little room, lettuce, radish, spring onions etc..and can be grown in troughs.
  
  With limited space think of the size the veg will grow too. Onions, leeks and garlic for instance take up less room than cabbages which can grow to the size of footballs. You could plant 40 onions in the space taken by 8 cabbage.
  
  Having said that lots of veg can be grown up wigwams like peas, beans, courgettes and mount everest strawberries. Brussells although take up alot of room grow tall and even two plants will produce a good crop.
  
  Then there'll be stuff you want to grow regardless of anyone else's sensible advise, I grew sweet corn last year and was really pleased with the resulting crop, New this year I thinking of trying oriental radish, dragon radish and kohl.
  
  A good veg growing book will help you decide on the veg you want to grow and give lots of useful tips about things like sowing times, planting out and crop rotation.
  
  
  

  Link to this forum: New to veg growing

  Report message7

Back to top