first time grower doing well

[organic vic]

Hi I joined this forum over a year ago and pop in and out to read the great advice but have never posted myself until now!
This is my first year of growing but I read GYO for a year prior as was waiting to get a greenhouse and 2, 8 by 4 raised beds (as I am disabled and also have a heavy clay soil) before I started.
I am growing potatoes,sweet potatoes,peas,winter beans,tomatoes(indoor and out),cucumbers ( indoor and out),onions,shallots,carrots,parsnips,salsify,mini pop,sweetcorn,radish,spring onion,cauliflower,calabrese,purple sprouting brocolli,brussel sprouts,rainbow chard,lettuce,mizuna,herbs,chillies,melons,beetroot,turnip,runner beans,cape gooseberry,naranjilla,pepino melon,chickpeas,strawberries,blueberries,raspberries,rhubarb,figs,cherry,apples,pears,plums,garlic,lemongrass and comfrey! My garden has gone from tumbleweed to forest!
I have harvested some potatoes,radish,lettuce,strawberries and calabrese so far but my peas,winter beans, tomatoes,chickpeas will be ready soon!
I am a bit worried about my raspberries though as they have formed but there is no sign of them turning red yet? I only have 1 fig on my tree this year but it is the first year of fruiting and it is growing well and I can't wait to eat it!
I never realised how exciting gardening is,as every day I am surprised at just how much things have grown in 24 hours!
I would like to meet peopl that are as interested as I am in growing as I am boring all my non gardening friends! Although they have enjoyed eating what I have harvested so far!

[rustylady]

Well done Vic. The raspberries will turn colour when they are ready - then you'll have to be quick or the birds will beat you to it!

[organic vic]

Yes they have beat me to a few strawberries as has my dog but they are now covered with fleece as had them covered with netting but the dog got underneath and the birds pecked through!

[Lottieval]

Vic you sound to be doing fantastically, my raspberries are only ripening now, I've been picking over the last week or so, as you're much further N than me yours will probably come pretty soon. How are you growing the sweet pots? I fancied these a couple of years ago but got the slips too late to do anything with them, haven't tried since but must try again as I love them, where did you get yours from? I'm supposed to be going up my lottie to get peas and spuds for dinner but it's peeing it down, think I'm going to get WET!!.

[Two_Sheds]

welcome!
what are "winter beans" ?

[bluemoon]

Welcome to the vine, Organic Vic. My brother lived in Livingston for about 5 years and was defeated by the heavy clay..... but he's a wimp!

[deezyb]

welcome Organic Vic! Is there anything you aint growing? have fun on the vine!

just noticed your comment on boring non veg growers! yes you are completely right...I only ever speak to my cats and the Grapes about my stuff!

[LostGoddess]

Wow OrganicVic! It sounds like the year of GYO preparation really paid off! that is an impressive list of fruit and veg that you are growing, lots of things there that I'd like to grow such as the sweet pots and salsify. Are Cape Gooseberries the same as tomatillos, the ones that grow in their papery packet? taste like melon? we grew those last year and they were delicious!

[organic vic]

Hi

Hi to everyone who replied to me - didn't expect any replies
New to writing on forums so not quite sure of protocol! but here goes...
Lottieval - I bought my sweet potato slips from organiccatalogue online. I bought the mixture of 5 T65 and 5 beuregard to try both, 2 of them I am growing outside in compost bags and covered with cloches at night and the rest I am growing in large trugs in the greenhouse to see which worked best but they are all growing very well. I am training them up canes so they don't sprawl everywhere! Bob Flowerdew recommends growing them in bags as if grown in the ground they go a lot deeper than spuds and can be very difficult to find! I potted them up when I received them and put on windowsill for 3 weeks before planting as per instructions from organic catalogue and they perked up v. quickly after the postage. They are not bothered with pests and just like a bit of heat.

Two_Sheds -Winter beans are related to broad beans but are smaller beans that don't form the bitter skin around the bean. You just treat them as broad beans and they are sweeter than broads and the bees love the flowers but blackfly do as well! I bought them as young plants last year on ebay and am going to keep some to sow from this years crop but will need to look into how to dry them but if I am successful I could send some on for you to try if you like?

Bluemoon - the heavy clay is a nightmare but I have lived here for 3 years and although I never grew much in the first 2 years I worked in lots of grit,clay breaker,soil improver and compost into the soil but my borders are very skinny so I also increased the width of them for my companion planting and flowers but decided for the fruit and veg that I would be better with raised beds, one is
18" high and the other is 12" high which is also better for my back as I am disabled,but I also love carrots and wanted to grow a few varieties and through reading GYO realised that in the clay soil I would only be able to grow paris market!

Lostgoddess - yes cape gooseberries are like tomatillos but yellowy orange in colour instead of purple. Have you grown tomatillos? If so can you tell me what they taste like as was thinking about growing them next year?

And lastly... Does anyone know at what height I should harvest my rainbow chard as I am dyeing to taste it and it's stalks are coloured now?
Sorry about the long post but as previously mentioned I am new to writing in forums and was unsure whether to reply to everyone individually or not!

[organic vic]

Hi Sorry to write again but forgot to say that rasps are starting to turn red now!

[LostGoddess]

Hi OrganicVic,
In answer to your question, I had to google which ones we grew last year and it was cape gooseberries. They were awesome! so sweet, yum! We ate most of them raw and they were lethal in a bowl next to any visitors, more addictive than peanuts any day.

[organic vic]

Thats good to know lost goddess as I have got too many plants as got 100% germination! Have gave some away and sold some on ebay but still have 6 plants!! Someone told me that they can be overwintered and will give crops the following year also as long as they are protected from frost similar to peppers.

[bluemoon]

Forum protocol means you can talk to anyone individually, more than one person, lots of people all at once... or even mutter to yourself. As long as you aren't offensive and you try to post in the right area (though that's often a guessing game) you should be fine.
My brother went down the raised bed route too, though he doesn't grow veg and installed them mainly to keep his rabbit off his perennials. His was a new house, so he had to cope with building rubble amongst the clay. He even took a night-school course in 'building for dummies' so that he could make solid and good looking beds. Decorating the house took a year, then the course lasted a year, the raised beds took the next two summers, then he enjoyed the fruits of his labours for 6 months before his contract ended and he moved again.

[Two_Sheds]

Winter beans are related to broad beans but are smaller

OK. You don't have a latin name for them do you?

oh, I found them. They are field beans, mainly grown for animal fodder and also exported to the Middle East as a dried bean

[Two_Sheds]

Does anyone know at what height I should harvest my rainbow chard ?

Just pick off leaves as you want them. More will grow