Complete NEWBIE - help

[CoraxAurata]

OK so those of you who who have chooks know me, but I now finally have somewhere to grow veggies, 3 - 6mx6m (rough estimate) plots are what I expect to make of it, at the moment it is rough grass when do I start digging?/ weeding planting ? Need to work around a/ very short days til Feb, b/ not being here at least from late Mar to early May (hubbie can do light maintenance) have substantial supply of horse /duck/chicken manure, plots are in a sloping south facing walled garden..... please tell me what to do someone!

its taken ages to get this and now I don't know what to do!

[snuffer]

Wait until the weather improves and then start digging. If you are deviding the plot up into three seperate beds then concentrate on one at a time. You could cover the other two (most people recommend cardboard and manure) while you work on the first.

Remove as many weeds as you can whilst digging, especially the roots of perenial weeds like dandelion and dock. If you have plenty of well rotted manure you could incorporate some into the soil while digging.

Although you'll be keen to get started as soon as you can do wait for better weather. It's no good trying to dig soggy, sticky soil. Take your time with initial preperation and you will reap the rewards in years to come. Time spent getting the beds ready will save you hours of weeding in the months ahead.

Most of all, have fun with your plot.

[Jeanied]

What do you want to grow? That may determine how you start your preparations- but Snuffer's advice is spot on!

[northepaul]

You could start some seeds off ready to plant in the spring...maybe onions? Also chit potatoes soon. Although as has been said before by much wiser grapes than myself, it really depends what you want to grow?

[Flummery]

I'd get stuff going in pots ready to plant out when you have the plots dug. I started the garden veg beds from lawn, by double digging and burying the grass upside down in the trench then putting the second lot if soil on top. I planted them up as I went along. If you have no greenhouse then choose hardy stuff - cabbage family, peas, onion sets etc.

[matthew2riches]

Sit down and watch some of HFW's stuff and you'll soon be away. Also Jamie does some good stuff and our local Jimmy...

[CoraxAurata]

Well I'm a cook who wants to reduce the budget, improve the flavors and have stuff that i can't always get, veg I can freeze, pickle, bottle, dry etc. Onions that are so full of good flavor you cry at the first cut, potatoes that don't need to be drowned in butter to taste good, sweet carrots, tomaotes you can smell the flavor of, leeks, kale, cabbage and chilli's, herbs and acres of garlic, col rabi, turnip, celariac, more onions, spring onions, and marrows or corgettes and spinach or broccoli or both! LOL ok so basically I want to grow Onions and tatties and the rest while nice are bonus as long as I can grow some I'll be fairly happy!

I have no green house, so Whilst I should manage some sort of under-glass arrangement it is limited.....

So do I need to worry about acidity? I'm between peat hills and the river......

Also if I grow rosemary in a pot do I do it from seed or a cutting? where and how soon can I do either? - I want loads of rosemary in pots some for me some for round my chook houses as its supposed to help reduce the nasty crawlies...

Thanks for the advice so for - and no doubt the pages of appeals for knowledge forthcomming through the year!

[FionaH]

Rosemary will grow from a heel cutting in a pot, in Spring with a plastic bag over it There you go the sum total of my knowledge.