How difficult is it to grow vegetables really?

[newgardengirl]

Hello everyone

I'm new to this forum, and new to gardening too!

I appreciate that this is going to seem like an awfully generalised question, but: how easy or difficult is it exactly to grow your own vegetables? The reason I ask is because when people put up posts on internet forums, it's often to ask for help with problems and I can't always tell how many success stories there are in relation to this, if you see what I mean.

How well can I reasonably expect to do, as a beginner, if that's not yet another silly question? What percentage of success can a beginner reasonably expect to achieve?

I have cleared a patch in my back garden and I've prepared the soil and dug everything up as necessary. I live in London. A green-fingered friend helped me to plan it all out and this is what I'm planning to do:

Section 1: Carrots, parsnips, garlic (already planted), chives
Section 2: Runner beans, peas
Section 3: Cauliflower, broccoli/calabrese
Section 4: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines
In containers: potatoes, butternut squash, strawberries, various herbs
Also I've just received some raspberry canes which I'm about to dig in.

Any comments would be most gratefully received. I do realise I'm asking a ridiculously open-ended question, but like I said it's hard to tell how much will work because people tend to go on forums with problems rather than successes.

[Hazel at the Hill]

........ but like I said it's hard to tell how much will work because people tend to go on forums with problems rather than successes.

Fine question, NGG - and welcome to the vine! All us other newbies are being prepared to be uplifted, because now, venerable grapes, new and old, this is your cue to brag.........

I'll set you off with....

...pea shoots - earth in a pot on kitchen windowsill, scatter on pea seeds, cover, water, eat pea shoots approx 3 wks later. They have been yummy! Easy Peasy factor - 10/10

[TPeers]

Hi, growing veg is easy, it's stopping that's hard - once you have the bug there is no way back.

Looking at your list sections 1 and 2 should look after themselves pretty much, rememer that parsnip can take a long time to germinate so don't worry if nothing comes up for a while, a catch crop of radish sown along the line of planting will give you a quick extra and help mark the line so you don't forget where you sowed the seed and dig it up!

Consistant watering is the only other thing - but that applies to all crops, to get the best results you need to make sure that they have sufficient water - it is almost imposible to over water or over feed runner beans! A quick method to check if you need to water is stick you hand into the soil to about 2 o 3 inches, if the soil at that depth is reasonably damp you can leave it a day or so. Also, when you water, water well - too little encourages shallow roots that can't cope with drought. Last summer even watering morning and evening the soil at 3 inches hardly got damp - I live in the Sutton and East Surrey water area, so we had a drought order for most of the summer - made watering a pig!

Section 3 - never tried them, the family prefers cabbage and spinach!

Section 4 - Toms, no hassle, consistant watering or you will get poor fruit set and spliting. Support with canes if the plants are that type - you might like a bush type as you don't have to pinch out side shoots. Never had any sucess with peppers and aubergines but I thought they needed the extra protection of a greenhouse - I'm sure someone with more knowledge will set me straight!

Pots and containers - water, water, water - even if it has rained that day, twice a day if it is hot, water, water, water!!!!! (I hate pots - too much watering!)

Good luck, enjoy the taste of really fresh veg - totally addicting.
Terry

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine newgardengirl.

I would just like to say that your first year of veg gardening should be seen as fun and a steep learning curve. If you expect everything to be great and it isn't you will get disappointed, if you see it as an experiment this year, to give you good information to build on, then you will not be stressed about anything that doesn't work.

I started growing veg last year, had some successes - tomatoes, cucumber, potatoes in buckets, dwarf beans, some calabrese and caulis, and some not so great results - sweetcorn (it grew well but I didn't spot the flowers until it was too late!) peas (don't know where they got to) onions (disappeared) and carrots (finally got some for Christmas dinner though). I know for this year that if I want more of the brassicas than the creepy crawlies get, I need to cover them with something

Make loads of notes so you can refer back to what worked, didn't work etc next year and above all else, enjoy it - every spud you eat that you grew yourself is a major bonus. HAVE FUN

[deb of the wych]

Hi and welcome newgardengirl

I only started last year and as other grapes will tell you, some will be successful and others a complete disaster.

I found carrots wouldnt grow in the ground but did great with parmex in tubs,
beans great peas not so great.

tumbeling toms wonderful so were my toms and peppers in the greenhouse

brassicas were eaten alive by catipillers so must remember to cover

salad crops v.easy

strawberrys were eaten not by me but im going to do them in a growbag this year.

so as you can see its a case of learn from mistakes.

deb

[Waffler]

A big hello and welcome from me.

I would say it is easy to grow 'vegetables', but it depends on what you grow, and where you live, e.g. how affected you are by certain weather conditions and weather you suffer particularly from certain pesties. And how much time you have to devote. It also depends on the ground you have; some veggies will grow fine in most soils, others prefer set conditions.
As a beginner a few years back, (not that I'm a pro now! it's just that I have a veg patch and I'm expanding - not literally Nick, or Pigletwillie or any other cheeky chappies) I began by container-growing veg; I grew toms, courgettes and the obligatory runner beans - oh, and new potatoes. I would say most of the time any of those are fairly fail-safe given a bit of love an attention.
My own experience is that brassicas are more tricky to grow; I grew brussels last year and didn't have any worth harvesting, and I grew Kale the year before which the flea beetles devoured. However, it hasn't put me off and my experience doesn't mean that you won't be fantastic at growing them. And I have heard that peas aren't always easy to grow, but others might contest that; I grew sugarsnaps last year, and lovely though they were, I didn't exactly get a bumper crop, but will still grow them again this year.

I think the trick is to remember, or better still keep notes, of what you've done (e.g. planted broad bean seed variety X, on the 8th March), how you've done it (e.g. in 3" pots in a coldframe and planted out on whatever date...) and what happened (e.g. got devoured by rabbits, slugs, flea-beetles etc, or hopefully: produced a bumper crop 'well worth growing again'.) Also quite useful is to keep a diary with basic weather details in; that way, you can see whether adverse whether conditions have helped or hindered your crops.

[WiZeR]

I disagree... Growing veg is extremely difficult!

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Just kidding! Its easy peasy AND enjoyable. You'll love it!

[WiZeR]

do you like courgettes? If so, grow one plant in a big pot. This will be the single most rewarding plant in terms of yield. Easy to grow and look after, it will give you a least one new courgette EVERY DAY!

[Waffler]

Yep! You'll be dreaming about the damn things! Prolific is not the word!

[nick the grief]

Hello everyone

I'm new to this forum, and new to gardening too!

I appreciate that this is going to seem like an awfully generalised question, but: how easy or difficult is it exactly to grow your own vegetables? The reason I ask is because when people put up posts on internet forums, it's often to ask for help with problems and I can't always tell how many success stories there are in relation to this, if you see what I mean.

How well can I reasonably expect to do, as a beginner, if that's not yet another silly question? What percentage of success can a beginner reasonably expect to achieve?

I have cleared a patch in my back garden and I've prepared the soil and dug everything up as necessary. I live in London. A green-fingered friend helped me to plan it all out and this is what I'm planning to do:

Section 1: Carrots, parsnips, garlic (already planted), chives
Section 2: Runner beans, peas
Section 3: Cauliflower, broccoli/calabrese
Section 4: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines
In containers: potatoes, butternut squash, strawberries, various herbs
Also I've just received some raspberry canes which I'm about to dig in.

Any comments would be most gratefully received. I do realise I'm asking a ridiculously open-ended question, but like I said it's hard to tell how much will work because people tend to go on forums with problems rather than successes.

Hi NGG ,

Welcome to the Vine. Growing can be as hard as you want to make it - may sound a daft answer ... OK it is a daft answer but if you just want to grow for the plate no probs, if you're one of these masochistic gits that try's to show them well it's not so easy. I fall somewhere between the two I like to grow them well but don't show them.

I think GYO'ing is like any hobby some people get hooked up on the technicalities & forget to keep it simple & enjoy it.

Right rant over to your list ....

Section 1: These are all easy apart from the Parsnips which are more frustrating than hard. They take an age to germinate put grow well onece they are through. Try and warm the soil up first - it may help

Section 2: Doddle - even if you had no fingers let alone green fingers you could grow these. Start your beans off in loo roll tubes orr newspaper pots ( see other threads on how to make these) & Peas you can eother sow straight in the ground or in lengths of guttering like Geoff Hamilton used to and then just slide them into a shallow trench

Section 3: Easy as well but later sowing may suffer from the heat as they don't germinate well at higher temperatures - Just remember that Cabbage White butterfly caterpillars will enjoy them as much as you

Section 4: All of these are easy especially if you have a greenhouse or Poly tunnel as your not at the mercy of the British weather then

In containers: potatoes, (So have I ) butternut squash - don't really like them but they will grow easily enough, strawberries - You'll enjoy these no end as you can grow the really flavoursome ones rather than the ones that will stand the bashing they get in transporting to t the Shops, various herbs

Also I've just received some raspberry canes which I'm about to dig in. - See the answer to the Strawberries!!

Hope that helps you

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi NGG! Cant really add much to what all the other grapes have said, but lots of good advice, freely given is something that is quite normal around here, along with a bit of leg pulling and a darn good laugh too!

Good luck with the growing, hope you have bumper crops, and that you enjoy the vine as much as the rest of us do!

[madderbat]

Hi NGG Growing veg - well, it's easy.

First you plant the seed, then you fight the weed.
After that you water the crop, then you fight the bugs.
Just when you think you might get to eat some, they all fall over and die of lack of water, or drown of root rot because you've watered them too much....

Seriously though, it's not hard. The best crop I ever had was runner beans when I dug a hole in the lawn one year, planted some seeds, put in some canes and left them to it. They were lovely.

It's not really hard at all. All you need to remember is that seeds are MEANT to grow. Give them some light, some water and some soil, and they will do their best.

Try to relax a bit and enjoy yourself.

[newgardengirl]

Wow, many thanks for your answers everyone!

I have already started a little notebook and written down everything I've planted so far (all in pots indoors so far, apart from the garlic).

I think I will buy a net to cover the broccoli and cauliflower.

And from the sound of it, I must remember to be patient with the parsnips!

I did think of courgettes, but I'm not a huge fan of them so I thought it best to leave them out.

Thanks again everyone - I will remember it's the first year I'm doing this so I'll do my best and hopefully report back

[emmalowtherwright]

Hello

Will courgettes grow in a big pot inddors if I give it plenty of light?
Is it all unruly like a cucumber plant?

Thanks
Emma

[roitelet]

Hello

Will courgettes grow in a big pot inddors if I give it plenty of light?
Is it all unruly like a cucumber plant?

Thanks
Emma

VERY UNRULY ! !

Welcome to the vine emma------ and newgardengirl as well, hope you both enjoy it. Lots of good advice and fun so don't be afraid to ask anything.