How many plants should I get ?

[sarraceniac]

I get most of my seed on eBay. As long as you look at the right time of year (i.e. mostly early spring for veg seed) and just do a search on the right thing e.g. 'cream tomato' then it is amazing what you find. A simple search in February on 'tomato' would take longer to look through but would show you loads of weird ones. I spend many happy hours deciding what strange veg I have room for.

[tweety]

I get most of my seed on eBay. As long as you look at the right time of year (i.e. mostly early spring for veg seed) and just do a search on the right thing e.g. 'cream tomato' then it is amazing what you find. A simple search in February on 'tomato' would take longer to look through but would show you loads of weird ones. I spend many happy hours deciding what strange veg I have room for.

I'll keep ebay in mind when I want to buy some seeds...
I use it for so many things but I never looked for veg seeds...
thanks again !

[Rabidbun]

Just spotted this thread and thought I would add that dwarf french beans and spring onions do very well in containers also, and are straightforward to grow. I am also trying squashes in large ish containers too this year (small ish varieties) trailing up trellis, though I will be fertilizing them a fair bit just to be sure!

To be honest, barring the watering (which has gone Much better since I put a running hose in the watering can as I carry it around) most things that I have tried in pots have worked out well (as others have also said) - just some things have needed a little more fertilizer and staking/tying than others.

Just watch out for a probably inevitable pot and compost addiction - I usually end up coming back from the shops each week or two with more and more throughout planting season!

[Rocketron]

Just spotted this thread and thought I would add that dwarf french beans and spring onions do very well in containers also, and are straightforward to grow. I am also trying squashes in large ish containers too this year (small ish varieties) trailing up trellis, though I will be fertilizing them a fair bit just to be sure!

To be honest, barring the watering (which has gone Much better since I put a running hose in the watering can as I carry it around) most things that I have tried in pots have worked out well (as others have also said) - just some things have needed a little more fertilizer and staking/tying than others.

Just watch out for a probably inevitable pot and compost addiction - I usually end up coming back from the shops each week or two with more and more throughout planting season!

[tweety]

Just spotted this thread and thought I would add that dwarf french beans and spring onions do very well in containers also, and are straightforward to grow. I am also trying squashes in large ish containers too this year (small ish varieties) trailing up trellis, though I will be fertilizing them a fair bit just to be sure!

Just watch out for a probably inevitable pot and compost addiction - I usually end up coming back from the shops each week or two with more and more throughout planting season!

Hi Rabidbun,
I am thinking about dwarf beans as well... I have received a seed catalogue and there is something tempting on each page ! I can really see the pot and compost addiction starting soon... as well as the thousands trip to the garden center to see what's new ! ;-)

Thanks !

Stephanie

[Rabidbun]

...barring the watering (which has gone Much better since I put a running hose in the watering can as I carry it around)

I don't have any hose attachments so by popping the hose in the watering can it cuts down on power jets from the hose uprooting my plants and doesn't waste water (my aim is not so good with a hose and the plants really hated that when I resorted to it last year on occasion!). Kinda like a bag of holding full of water, effectively self refilling.

...I have received a seed catalogue and there is something tempting on each page !

I think the OH would just start to cry if I got seed catalogues - I am bad enough on the websites!

[indigox]

moreveg.co.uk is a good site if you want to experiment with a few new varieties, they have lots of unusual shapes and colours, most of their seeds are 50p a packet and come in small quantities, so great for a trial.
Also postage is free on purchases over £5.

(PS.I have no affiliation with them apart from being a happy customer!)

[Farmer_Gyles]

look out for seed offers in garden centres in autumn - wyevale sold off old stock at 50p a pack last year so i got loads of everything i could, lots of different varieties of things etc

multiple varities can extend the growing season - early peas, late peas, i can have fresh broccoli 10 months of the year etc etc etc - this is something you learn as you go along

and you can never have too much - anything you can't use, store or freeze can be given away or chucked on the compost - and you'll always lose some to birds, bugs, slugs, drought, blight and so on

we're still slowly getting through last year's runner beans and french beans - had nowhere near enough peas last year so growing loads more this year

you'll learn more about your needs and what you can grow as you get more experience etc - all takes time to learn ..

[Rabidbun]

Just remembered Tweety - the pods of the peas are nice too if you snap each one once you've gotten the peas out and peel off and discard the outer layer. Not as nice as the peas, but still yummy!