To much information?

[waynebeddall]

Hi just a question I would like peoples views on.
Do you feel that sometimes there is to much information tips and other ways of helping your veg grow.
I just feel that surely back in the day all people done was stuck the seeds in the ground and waited for nature to take its course.
I am not having a go about all the help as I am a new grower I have asked for a lot of help on this forum.
I just would like your views on this.
Cheers

[Hazel at the Hill]

The more the merrier for me, WB - if there was just one view of 'stick it in the ground and wait for the harvest' and mine didn't I'd feel a right failure, so to be able to come to the Vine and ask for the views of others is extremely helpful.

There's no one 'right way', I guess, but it may well be that one of those tips out of the many views out there fits my location/soil/circumstance/climate perfectly, so I say, bring em on!

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, Wayne, it sometimes seems like TOO much info and conflicting advice.
That's because there's more than one way to skin a cat, as it were. Also, people will grow things differently according to their soil, climate, beliefs (organic/companion/old school/whatever)
Thing is, listen to the advice, then do your own thing. Seeds and plants WANT to grow, you just have to help them along a bit. You really only learn by doing it. And you'll still be learning in 20 yrs time

[Flummery]

I have sometimes felt that a complete newcomer could be frightened to death by all the advice we give, although it is well meant. You can see this in the fact that people think their plants are dying of something dreadful when they've got a water splash on a greenhouse plant and it's developed a brown patch. It's very easy to scare yourself, a bit like reading a medical dictionary!

However, I think that the grapevine helps more than a textbook because someone will always recognise the picture and reassure you. If it really is a problem, someone will have faced it before.

You can't have too much info, but sometimes you need a certain level of experience to handle it all. Hope that doesn't sound patronising, it isn't meant to. I hope people keep asking but if they don't understand it or it seems to conflict - ASK AGAIN.

Flum

[Cutecumber]

Everyone gathers information in different ways - I think you'd be surprised about how much our ancestors learnt and knew, and passed on about how to grow things. We have made things more complex, and we have more information instantly available, but it's all relative to the pace of life and change in general.

Personally, my desire for information just increases - once I realise how little I really know, I am compelled to discover more!

[zazen999]

Hi
I like to do loads of research and try different things - so if someone says one thing and someone else says another - I will try both and see what happens for myself. Then I will tend to go with what worked for me and pass it on if anyone asks. It also depends on what the priorities are, eg largest or tastiest or prettiest or brightest - and we all will decide what our particular needs are and take the advice from out there to match.

The good thing is that this sort of forum - people don't seem to be in competition with each other and want to help - in the 'real' world people aren't always so charitable and you can't always trust the advice you get.

[Snadger]

Try sticking the seeds in the ground and let nature take it's course BUT experiment with another acclaimed method and see if there's any difference?

I enjoy experimenting in the garden. I always try to grow a few oddities
each year and usually experiment with different sowing times, watering regimes, companion plantings etc. This year I've tried heavy mulching of the beds and it's worked a treat.
I like to tell people about my successes and failures and I'm interested in other peoples views!

I can't get enough of my allotment and can't get enough of the knowledge and trials and tribulations of the grapes on the forum!

[Alice]

I know what you're saying WayneBeddal. Sometimes I think I can't take everything in. But really, at the end of the day, you can just stick things in the ground and see how you get on, or you can look for information and advice to give them their best chance. I think the trick is to pick the bits of info that are relevant to you. I've had some great help on here. Hope you find some too.

[SimonCole]

I think that we need a lot of help to grow certain things and deal with disease problems. Take the humble potato for instance, you could have planted it too early and killed the tubers with frost or too late to contract to the dreaded blight. If you choose the wrong variety you may also lower your crop. It is useful to know that bordeux mixture is available to prevent blight and nematodes to remove slugs. All this discussion is necessary and given the famines in the past, most advisable.

[waynebeddall]

Cheers for all your views I justed wanted to know what your thoughts were. I have been given alot of information from this site and am very greatfull due to being a newbie myself. I think my main concern is really all of the shop brought stuff ie: plant feed etc. So I suppose when I get a bit more experience I can try the organic way but I dont want to run before I can walk.
Cheers once again

[Farmer_Gyles]

yep - too much info, too much "conflicting" info
i've got a couple of old books for growing fruit and veg - brilliant - they stick to the basics - but they do kinda lack finer detail that could be useful
mother bought me a new fruit and veg book (her way of saying "please can i have tons of veggies next year") - its a big book but not as good as the old ones

what i've found is i've learnt a lot more through giving it a go, sticking to the basics and some trial and error, than i will from books - it's not difficult, it works, stuff has grown, made plans for next year and will do so much better next year!
and the help and advice from other members here is brilliant!

[moggssue]

Agree that there's lots of conflicting advice out there - which is one of the reasons I love to come on here and get the advice of those with 'hands on' experience, the best kind IMO. Then, armed with their knowledge and experience I can give it a go myself, if one thing doesnt work then I'll try something else, experimenting is all part of the fun for me.

[heebiejeebie]

Reading lots of different advice gives me the confidence to try things out myself that I wouldn't have before - knowing that lots of different strategies have been successful makes me a bit happier about not knowing the "right" way to do something.

[Sue]

Hi Wayne
I find reading books, is too much information at once, although I do keep some basic ones down the allotment for instant reference. But coming on here, looking at how people deal with problems etc, makes it easier to digest AND remember as it's one thing at a time.
And you do learn from your mistakes, I saw how much I did wrong in my first year, but some things worked and I was growing veg for the first time which was exciting in itself. Have put some things right this year and made a whole new raft of mistakes, but then I got lots more crops, so next year....
and the year after...

Sue

[NSB]

I agree Wayne. I like to know about what was used in the old days before modern fertilisers etc. Otherwise trying all these thing can cost a fortune as well.