what to grow 1st?

[scrummy5]

going to grow in a raised bed, would like to grow carrots,pots,cauli,onion's,pea's maybe am i running before i can walk???

[Tori]

No go for it! Potatoes are very easy to grow, and peas too! Onions I have always found a bit more tricky - unless grown from sets. Carrots are quite easy as long as you plant them at the right time - and I've not grown cauli's yet.
GOOD LUCK

[RedThorn]

Where's the adventure in taking it slow!
I Started in 08 so still very new to this....
Peas were hard for me as I planted about 5 or 6 times before I discovered that the squirrels kept nicking the seeds!
Potatoes never got big enough as the daughter kept wanting to dig them up and would run around the garden screaming "Potato Potato" every time she found one. I had more joy in watching her that growing the spuds!
My caulies all failed - 'cause I never folded over the leaves (I think)
Beans were a roaring success though, Gem squash in loads and Courgettes were the three things that grew the best for me of an perpetual spinach! All in all it was a good 1st year.

Good luck and watch out! the bug's bitten me bad

[Two_Sheds]

Just the one bed?
I would divide it up into sections, rather than have everything competing. Cauli is quite difficult, and it's a big old plant.
Spuds ... as it's your first go, choose an early not a maincrop (or you might get blight). also the earlies will be out and eaten by summer, so you can use the ground for French beans or squash?

Onions from sets are fairly foolproof.
Carrots are tricky ... you need sandyish soil and must protect them from carrot fly (use fleece or mesh)
Peas: tend to get pea maggot if you don't use fleece or mesh.


Sorry to highlight all the problems, but you can't just throw seeds in the ground and get a crop. Unless you're super-lucky.

Best of luck. Start small. Grow things you really like, and grow a few really well, not loads of things badly.

[Lazgaot]

Also don't forget to try radishes, lettuce and chard. All very easy to grow.
If you have about 10 lettuce plants and crop the leaves rather than harvest the whole plant you should have salad throughout the summer. Each plant can withstand this cropping for about 3-4 months before bolting. So half way through this you plant some more for a continuous supply. Make sure you harvest the leaves before they are too big and get tough and leave about 4-6 on the plat so it stays alive.
Same with chard. We are still harvesting leaves from plants grown last April.

[scrummy5]

Thanks guy's!