Another Novice Joins In

[allyspark]

Firstly a big hello to everyone on this forum.

I have been popping in for a few weeks now since I found this very friendly site and have been enjoying reading through some of the threads.

I am a total beginner to any kind of gardening really. At my last house my wife carried out most of the gardening while I just help pull the odd weed

Now i have a very small garden that I now have to look after so have decided to see what wonderful veg I can get to grow.

As I said my site is small , I will have probably 5 raised beds of only 1m square each which are going into the front garden as the 2nd hand greenhouse that I have purchased will be taking up the only viable spot in the back. Would have loved to have put this out in my parking space at the sunny front of my house but dont think that would go down too well

The greenhouse frame is up and just needs leveled off before starting the glasss. Quite a bit of the glass got broken taking it out as it had been siliconed into place.. Does anyone know what sort of price I will be looking at per pane of glass?

I have just planted 2 small fruit trees one a victoria plum and one a Laxtons Superb apple tree . Both are about 3ft hight and I was wondering what care I need to do to both trees now while the weather is still very cold and was aso wondering if I will get any fruit this year or if need to take all the flowers from the tree as they develop.. Hope this makes sense and hopefully one day I will be able to give some advice as I am sure at the moment I will be asking for plenty.

I am looking forward to lots of help and would like to say a big thank you in advance

Cheers
Alan

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi there, and a very warm Welcome to the vine Alan! Hope you find it as much fun as the rest of us do!

Good luck with your first year growing veg, well done for taking the plunge! 5 x 1m square beds can actually be very productive, especially if you are careful on choosing what you grow, Carole Klein's Grow Your Own TV series had a set of 3 x 1m square beds, and they reconned they could get fresh veg from it every day from May to October!

I'm sure some of the other more experienced grapes will be along shortly to offer you expert advice on your questions, so as a fellow new grower I'll shut up now and just wish you all the best!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Welcome to the Vine, Allyspark - we have a lot of scottish grapes here who will advise on what's good for your neck of the woods, lots of very knowledgeable grapes who we are all in awe of, and lots of us newbies who give it a bash - and we all have a giggle whilst were here!

[Hazel at the Hill]

...you beat me to it, Mrs D!

[Mrs Dobby]

Lol Hazel! Think we must both of been at it at the same time!

[madderbat]

Hi and welcome Allyspark
As you know, the vine has a whole bunch of grapes on it and we always welcome another.
Look forward to hearing your exploits, but can't help you with the fruit trees as we planted our first (cox's orange pippin) last year and did not get any fruit yet!
See you around.

[shirlthegirl43]

welcome to the vine allyspark. Can't help with your fruit trees either - I have mature apple trees in my garden and have yet to eat an apple from any of them - something else always gets to them before we do! I am planting a couple of golden gage trees this year and hope to get some crab apples too with the hope of all becoming a fedge. It is my second year of veg growing and my recommendations are grow stuff you like to eat and don't forget to protect it from critters - they got most of what I grew last year! most of all - have fun and enjoy whatever you do - view this first year as a learning year and you will have a much better idea what will grow in your garden for next year.

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

Hi ally and welcome think i remember my cooking apple fruiting in the first year but apples weren't very big, have started to wright these sorts of things down now lol I do remember reading that after planting give them a top dressing of ashes.

[Alice]

Hello Allyspark, and welcome to the Vine. Your raised beds should provide you with lots of the veg you want. Come back and tell us what you like and want to grow and see if you can get some specific advise. This year I'm going to try some mini veg in raised beds as there are only 2 of us in the house and small veg would be great - baby cabbage, cauliflower, sweet corn, mini leeks etc. Maybe you would like to think about something like that.
As for your fruit trees, I would think they would still be dormant and not in need of any special attention at the moment. If they are only 3 feet high I don't think they will fruit this year - but wonderful things happen! And if they flower, no I wouldn't pick them off - that'e where your fruit comes from. Maybe some of the fruit tree experts will be along with specialist advice.
All I know is my daughter ( in Alyth) has apple trees which do cwts of apples and she does nothing to them (the trees I mean). My father in law (Carnoustie) had a plum tree which made so many plums he had to put clothes props under the branches to stop them breaking, I had a plum tree which only ever made 1 plum - and it blew away in a storm.
Sure this helps not at all - but it might put things in perspective.
Good luck with whatever you grow and happy gardening.

[nick the grief]

Hi Allyspark,

Welcome to the Vine, If you look on the Square foot gardening website they have loads of info for you ( there's even a book & DVD to help you) As to your Greenhouse, shop around and you should get standard G/house glas for aroun £2.50 to £3 a sheet but if there is another greenhouse on Freebay/freecycle you could always get that and use the glass if it's cheaper.

[rustylady]

Hi Alan, try Freecycle for your glass. I just got rid of a load that the previous tenant of my allotment had stacked up in the shed. I've also got rid of an old bike, and I suspect that there is an old push mower lurking at the back of the shed which I haven't been able to get to yet.

[allyspark]

Thank you toeveryone for the warm welcome and all the advice.

I looking forward to learning lots from the forum and the growing season ahead

Cheers

Alan

[HeyWayne]

Welcome fellow newcomer.

I too am taking the first steps toward home grown veg. Acquired my firstest ever plot only weeks ago having only ever grown grass before now (the lawn variety not the Dutch stuff!).

All I seem to be doing at the moment is going to the plot, raking rubbish (weedy looking stuff) off and digging over areas. No real purpose to what I;m doing at the moment, but I'm sure inspiration will hit me soon....

Good luck with yours, maybe swap notes as we go along.

A friendly - and helpful bunch on here as I'm sure you've already discovered.

[Hans Mum]

another welcome from me too ..... there's nothing you can't ask on here and receive advice from the other grapes

[bramble]

Hi Alice,
Jusr been reading your thread about growing mini veg this year as ther are only the two of you. Well its the same with me and hubby.
Last year i grew a white turnip variety, Snowball and had a great crop from it with little or no care. I also grew Parsnip Arrow, and carrot Early Scarlet Horn. I found these great as none of them grew too big.
Good luck this year Alice.