Veggie patch virgin!

[Estrella]

Hi Folks,
I have a small 3m x 5m plot that I can dedicate to a potential veggie garden.

Firstly, when should I start planting, and what exactly? I was thinking a few carrots, maybe some tomatoes, spring onions, etc etc

As you will no doubt be aware from what I have written already, I have never planted anything in my life. Other than turn the ground thoroughly and mix in a good amount of quality compost is there anything else I should be doing?

I was considering the mini poly tunnels as having a greenhouse is a no go.

All constructive advice gratefully received

 

[LeadFarmer]

You will soon be able to buy seed potatoes from garden centres, they are one of the easiest plants to grow. I plant mine about April but I buy them around now and chit them.

Potato Chitting
Put them into open egg boxes somewhere cool and light. Small shoots will start to appear over the next few weeks. Just before planting rub of the shoots, leaving just the four biggest.

Planting
Dig a trench about 12" deep, leaving the dug out soil at the side of the trench. Put the chitted seed potatoes in the trench (shoots upwards) and cover with some of the soil. As the leaves begin to appear from the soil, cover with more soil. Keep doing this until the trench has turned into a raised mound. Water well.


Onion sets (small bulbs) become available to buy around march/April. Plant these with the tips slightly above the soil and by the end of summer you will have onions.

 

[Estrella]

Thanks Farmer!

Regarding the chitting, when you say put them in open egg boxes, do you mean in earth or just put them in open egg boxes on their own ?

Feel a real n00b asking these questions, but i really fancy a go

 

[ellal]

In the egg box on their own. Best also not to let them touch each other (hence why egg boxes are ideal) because if you do get a rotten one it can spread otherwise...

We go for organic ones...not the cheapest, but we've got much better results/yields with some from the place below rather than garden centre/diy stores etc...

www.organiccatalogue.co.uk

 

[Thermo]

best advice at the moment is spend time getting the ground prepared as much as possible, nicely dug over extra compost, well rotted manure etc.

STart looking at seed catalogues such as marshalls, mr fothergills, dobies etc. See what you fancy growing and what you will eat. buy a packet and follow the instructions on them. Better to plant a few weeks late than too early and have the frost get them. Most of the stuff you will sow now, will be seeds, that can be quite easily grown on a windowsill etc to start them off.

Poly tunnels are a good way to go. get them on the ground now as they will help to warm the soil. You will be able to plant carrots, parsnips, broad beans and leeks soon directly into the soil.

As lead farmer says, many places are now selling seed potatoes so get some now (dont get them mail order as they are expensive with the postage) get some first earlies, second earlies and main crop. That way you will get some early new potatoes.

Dont be discouraged if some things fail. That happens to even the most experianced. Go for the simpler things to grow, such as potatoes, courgettes, radishes, salad, beans, beetroot, squashes, strawberries etc. That way you will be rewarded for your efforts. Its a very relaxing and fun hobby and you will eassily get hooked. My wife bought me an allotment as a joke for my birthday 10 years ago.......Ive got 3 allotments, some farmland, a large polytunnel and ive changed my career because of it. On top of that we are totally self sufficent on veg all year round and we even get a small income from selling veg and jars of produce as well..........Youve been warned!

 

[Estrella]

Excellent advice Guys, many many thanks.

As the man says, 'I'll be back!''

 

[ellal]

(dont get them mail order as they are expensive with the postage)

Got to disagree a bit there thermo, because a lot of good crop varieties aren't always available locally, and buying cheap is often a false economy IMO...

 

[Thermo]

agree with you about teh limited varities, but for a first timer, its better to try some out and go for the more popular crops. The amounts i grow i buy in 25kg bags so its cheaper, but for someone buying 1 or 2 bags the postage can be more than the potatoes.

 

[LeadFarmer]

Boxcleva, to start with buy your seed potatos from your local garden centre. Once experienced you can choose more specialist varieties online. Choose either ..

Earlies - ready after about 12 weeks from planting
Second earlies - ready a few weeks later
Main crop - not ready until Aug/Sept
Or plant a row of each

Chit the potatoes on a window cill that doesnt get too hot. Plant each potato about 18" - 24" apart.

Some folk dont bother chitting, its up to you.

Heres a couple of veg growing forums that are invaluable

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbgardening

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php

**Remember, In your first year of growing veg you will make some mistakes that you will learn from for the following year (which is how you become addicted). Sometimes you will do everything perfectly and the crop may still fail. Othertimes you will innocently neglect your plants and they will give a perfect crop. Im sure Thermo will agree that even experienced growers arent perfect, they will always encounter problems of some kind.

And finally, dont worry too much about looking after the plants. Nature wants them to grow.

And the best thing you can possibly do to help your veg, is start off your own compost. Buts that is another subject entirely.

 

[ellal]

**Remember, In your first year of growing veg you will make some mistakes that you will learn from for the following year (which is how you become addicted). Sometimes you will do everything perfectly and the crop may still fail. Othertimes you will innocently neglect your plants and they will give a perfect crop.

Ain't that the truth...!

And I'd just like to add, don't expect to grow those perfectly shaped/coloured veggies you get in the supermarkets...but the imperfect/odd shapped ones taste so much better!

 

[Thermo]

first year you will make mistakes! and the second and the third and so on! Totally agree, its a whole learning curve and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to it. First year i managed to grow basil till it was coming out of our ears, ive struggled ever since and i dont know why! Many crops are like that. I have no problem with growing marvellous carrots on my plot, but the old boy on the plot next to me struggles and does everything the same as me, but my cabbages are normally pants and his are great. Its all good fun

You cant beat that feeling when you see the first shoots coming up and ou definetly cant beat the feeling of tasting your own veg for the first time

 

[MugabesDeadCat]

If you're planning on growing carrots in there then I'd be inclined not to put manure in there as it encourages forking of the roots. As for when to start I'd probably start them next month sowing some every 3 weeks or so until July.

Kohl Rabi is worth checking out too. Looks like something from space (the purple Sputnik type thing in the pic below!)
But it's easy to grow and nice grated onto salads and is a delicious flavour carrier in soups and casseroles.

Have you considered growing spuds in containers?? We grow ours in containers every year as space isn't widely available in our raised beds for them and we always get bumper crops. We use anything from large patio containers to old compost bags. I tend to stay away from main crop potatoes now though, after blight wiped the entire crop out in our very first year. We grew mainly Arran Pilot's last year and they were delicious. So much so I'm going to grow them again this year. Wilkinson have a decent selection in, with a couple of each type in and they're very very reasonably priced.

As for tomatoes you'll have to look for an outdoor variety if you don't have a greenhouse or a conservatory. Gardener's Delight are a good starting point.

This was our very first harvest from early on in our very first season a couple of years ago. Was well chuffed with it. Those little Arcoat turnips are delicious too.