Newbie who knows nothing - help required!!!

[connieeccles]

hi everyone,

i have been reading it all but when i came to reply my laptop died, and have just got back online!

Thanks ever so much for all the advice.

I haev decided to have a bash at onions, pots (in bags) carrots (have mesh) lettuce, brocolli, herbs if i have room left i may do some strabs.

i am sure i will need more guidance along the way.

could strawbs grown in one of the bags i haev bought 4 pots?

thanks everyone, i am off 2 sort them all out into seed trays (probably late doing this!!!)

Connieeccles x

[HeyWayne]

You will probably find that you know more than you think.

It's easy to get worked up and lose yourself in planning, rotation and the myriad of technicalities surrounding growing, but my best advice would be to just get out there and have a go.

Don't make it into a chore or you'll not enjoy it. Enjoy it and you'll keep doing it - and as you do you'll learn along the way.

Acorns and oaks.

Good luck.

[ginger ninger]

Hi Connie, welcome to the vine, I think its already been said to grow what you like, but having said that I do like to try something different every season, that way if I'm not all that bothered about it I don't grow it again. Last season it was cape gooseberry, very easy to grow but took up far too much room in the green house. This year it's a marrow in my compost bin.

[HeyWayne]

You will probably find that you know more than you think.

It's easy to get worked up and lose yourself in planning, rotation and the myriad of technicalities surrounding growing, but my best advice would be to just get out there and have a go.

Don't make it into a chore or you'll not enjoy it. Enjoy it and you'll keep doing it - and as you do you'll learn along the way.

Acorns and oaks.

Good luck.

Edit: forgot to add - for me, easy to/must grow veg include; potatoes, beans of any variety, courgettes, beetroot, rhubarb.

[geoff]

Go to your library, they will have a selection of gardening books, and that is a way to get instant experience, ideas, and used to the jargon. Look for titles about veg or allotments as general gardening books tend to be mostly about flowers
Find a corner for a rosemary plant. They're fairly robust and produce small but nice blue flowers. When it's grown a bit, give it a shake on a summer evening for the smell

[Suky]

Hi, glad you are back with us I sent you a PM (that's why I knew you hadn't been back with us) have a read and get back to me if you are interested,
Sue

[connieeccles]

hiya everyone, all the previous notes are highly appreciated.

having been to the library and got out one or 2 books that although would appear to offer straight forward info, it still was confusing for someone like me!!!

so having not had success on that front, i decided i would just give it a go and see what happens!!!

Obviosuly i have read as much as i could from all the great advice on here, and will contnue to do so.

my progress so far (and please feel free to tell me if i am wrong!)
POTS - sprouting side up, in egg boxes on kitchen window cill, no compost or water (?!)
ONIONS - loose in a seed tray by themselves, on top of the fridge on a cool fairly dark place
CARROTS & BROCOLLI - in seed trays with compost, sat on window cill in spare bedroom

All the above tell me to plant out april/may time

the remainder of my purchases (herbs/lettuce) say they should be touched until march or may cant recall from memory but have wrote on calander!!

I hope it all works, i know i will enjoy eating!

Can i grom strawberries out of one of the potato bags i have bought? and if so should i b doing it now!?

thankyou thankyou thankyou

[nerdgas]

If I had to recommend one book (it's my first year growing this season) it would have to be this one.

Clear, concise and gives you a month by month list of stuff you should be thinking about doing on your lottie.

Allotment Month by Month: Amazon.co.uk: Alan Buckingham: Books

[nerdgas]

hiya everyone, all the previous notes are highly appreciated.

having been to the library and got out one or 2 books that although would appear to offer straight forward info, it still was confusing for someone like me!!!

so having not had success on that front, i decided i would just give it a go and see what happens!!!

Obviosuly i have read as much as i could from all the great advice on here, and will contnue to do so.

my progress so far (and please feel free to tell me if i am wrong!)
POTS - sprouting side up, in egg boxes on kitchen window cill, no compost or water (?!)
ONIONS - loose in a seed tray by themselves, on top of the fridge on a cool fairly dark place
CARROTS & BROCOLLI - in seed trays with compost, sat on window cill in spare bedroom

All the above tell me to plant out april/may time

the remainder of my purchases (herbs/lettuce) say they should be touched until march or may cant recall from memory but have wrote on calander!!

I hope it all works, i know i will enjoy eating!

Can i grom strawberries out of one of the potato bags i have bought? and if so should i b doing it now!?

thankyou thankyou thankyou

Didn't think it was a good idea to sow carrots in seed trays as the roots need minimal disturbance to prevent forking or stunted root growth.

I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong however.....

[Sanjo]

my progress so far (and please feel free to tell me if i am wrong!)
POTS - sprouting side up, in egg boxes on kitchen window cill, no compost or water (?!)
ONIONS - loose in a seed tray by themselves, on top of the fridge on a cool fairly dark place
CARROTS & BROCOLLI - in seed trays with compost, sat on window cill in spare bedroom


POTS - yes, that's correct. It allows them to start "chitting" which are the little shoots from which the spud grows. Plant with this shoot at the top.

ONIONS - I assume you are talking "sets" here ie mini onions. If so, yes, but not in the dark. These could also be planted out into a seed tray of compost so that they start shooting. Don't need heat

CARROTS - NO NO NO!! As has already been said. They will get stunted. Best sown straight into their growing place. Doesn't need to be the ground. A tub or pot will do as long as you allow enough depth for the length of the carrot.

BROCOLLI - Seed tray of compost is fine (I assume that you have followed the sowing time on the packet as I think they vary according to when they mature). When large enough to handle they can be pricked out (that is taken from the seed tray and placed into something larger with fresh compost or if big enough into their growing place.)

Hope that helps. I've no doubt there will be other hints once this gets picked up.
Sanjo

[connieeccles]

thanks again for the further advice.

So i can plant the carrots out now is what oyur saying?

I will swap the onions position

[Sanjo]

thanks again for the further advice.

So i can plant the carrots out now is what oyur saying?

I will swap the onions position

No Connie, it's too early to plant carrots out now (unless you are growing under cover of course?
What I meant was, you don't sow them into a seed tray, they really are not a crop for transplanting. Sorry for the confusion.

[JerseyJimbo]

As much as this site is a massive wealth of information and most of the time if you need to ask a question all you need to do is a bit of back searching and reading of previous posts, sometimes something like a book is quicker and easier to reference especially if you have a child, as i do...

Now i know there are hundreds of books available but this one Allotment Month by Month: Amazon.co.uk: Alan Buckingham: Books is the one that i have found to be absolutely priceless, it helped me through my first year last year really well and i was very impressed with my results...

[connieeccles]

thanks again, will look for that book

[Allotment Babe]

Hi! I've had 4 raised beds for 2 years and I have a 3yr old son.
Potatoes are great fun for digging up - I had one bed with about 5 tubers of the more specialist types in, like Myan Gold or you could try Pink fir apple. They obviously tie up the ground most of the season but they're great for rummaging in.
Also, mange tout are good. I grew 2 rows - only about 80cms long and you could pick a handful for dinner about every 2 days. Small french beans are also good for picking.
Lastly I'd recommend purple carrots! They look great, full of goodies and my boy loves them for novelty value and taste.
Good luck!