OK - tips on what to grow?

[Jonners]

My son is 3, almost 4. Last year we decided to try our hands at growing some food. We had some success with tomatoes and strawberries, that were bought in pots. We tried to grow carrots in a large pot from seeds and that failed completely. Maybe carrots were too adventurous, although I would not have guess it. We did get a massive weed, that is still there - it survived all winter.

So, apart from buying more plants, what would be good this year? Already May so I am guessing I left it a bit late again....

Strawberries are alive I think. Toms dead. I assume that they are supposed to last year after year?

[nannyphizz]

Hi. radishes are dead easy to grow,help your son to grow runner beans,one or two in pot or ground he can help water them,nows the time to start growing a pumpkin,not too late for strawberries or tomatoes,get a couple of plants to put in,the list is endless.Have fun growing..

[Jonners]

Thanks Nanny, I had better find out where those tomato pots are. I am guessing I would need a lot of space for pumpkins? Like the sound of runners beans - we often eat them too.

[nannyphizz]

Going to put my pumpkin roots in the compost heap and let it trail out and round the back of it so it's got a supply of food.

[Newton]

What a great idea. I will try that too!

[Jonners]

Do you need lots of space for a pumkin? We have borders, but they are very busy. Then a biggish lawn. Thinking about it, growing our own pumpkin/s would be fun as we often have one for halloween.

[chris]

You can train the vine in a circle, so you don't really need that much space, but they can grow very long (I had 2, that were 18m long each last year.. I ended up wrapping them (training) numerous times around a 10' bed). Welcome, by the way

Courgettes - dead easy, not too late for them. Direct into a pot of compost/the borders - stand back! The more you pick, the more you get! Raddish again, are easy, mixed salad leaves too (great for pots), French beans I found were very easy, just banged them in the ground, and watched them grow up canes, again the more I picked the more I got!

Toms you want to grow new plants each year, same with most veg really (if not all, bar a few that eventually need replacing). Herbs, dead easy too.. Hmm what else did I sow and forget about... erm beetroot- I found them easy (bar a leaf miner problem - still had really tastey roots mind!).

[perkin]

Definitely lettuce - regular ones (i.e. 'whole' lettuces) or 'cut and come again' mixed leaf varieties. Really easy and quick to grow from seed.

[Jonners]

I like the sounds of these beans - the more you pick the more you get.
Has anyone had similar success with chocolate plants?

What about rocket and watercress? I like those in salads. Watercress -I bet I need water for that! Maybe I will stick to beans. Cannot say I am all that fond of courgettes.

[endymion]

Rocket's really quick and easy to grow, it will probably germinate in two or three days. We grew some last year in the flower bed, same with salad leaves and herbs - but if you did that you'd have to be sure he knows what to pick and what not to pick, he might even learn to read a few words by checking the labels.

Does he have a favourite vegetable?

[Jonners]

Hmmm, he changes his mind a lot. At the moment, I think carrots are mostly back in fashion, peas, potatoes. The rocket/watercress idea was for me really!

[SarzWix]

Hi Jonners

It's possible that your carrots were eaten off as soon as they popped their leaves above the soil? Snails and slugs are notorious for doing that Give it another go, it's not too late. And sit the pot/tub on a stone in the middle of a tray of water - the slimeys can't swim

Tomato plants are grown from seed every year, they only survive for more than one year in hot countries, or with a lot of mollycoddling indoors here.

If you're still finding your feet with growing things, why not just have a trip to a garden centre or B&Q and pick up some plants? There's no shame in it, lots of us buy plants for one reason or another. You can have the enthusiasm generated by something already growing, and also try your hand at a few seeds

For little ones, I'd say to go for peas, either as plants, or sow some, or both. They're like little green sweets fresh from the pod, and they're not too demanding to grow.

[Jonners]

Pot in a tray of water? Surely you mean plant the carrots in a castle surrounded by a moat! That sounds like fun!

Makes sense about the toms. My wife made the toms on the window sill (sorry, sowed) and then transfered to long pots. We bought the strawberries already grown.

Actually was at a friends house at the weekend and they had a hanging strawberry (or was it tomato?). Whatever it was, it was upside down. I guess so slugs cannot get to it.

Like the sounds of peas. We need super simple and easy. Especially as Beni likes peas so will be good for him to know where they come from.

[Two_Sheds]

Already May so I am guessing I left it a bit late again....

...Toms dead. I assume that they are supposed to last year after year?

No, tomatoes are annual plants in the UK.

It's not too late for beans, salads, carrots, pumpkins, sweetcorn

Like the sound of runners beans - we often eat them

One per Morrisons pot with a 6ft cane. Arrange 3 pots together and tie the canes at the top, teepee style

Do you need lots of space for a pumkin? We have borders, but they are very busy.

Pumpkins are very thirsty, they need about a metre of space each. If they are battling with other plants for food and water they won't do well. But, they are one of the easiest veg to grow, and great fun

Has anyone had similar success with chocolate plants?

That's humour isn't it? lol
You can grow chocolate mint, and chocolate scented flowers though

carrots are mostly back in fashion, peas, potatoes.

Carrots aren't hard, but you need to keep the slugs off them. Sow again, in a pot that's deeper than a full grown carrot, each seed about an inch apart from its neighbours. Get an Early Nantes variety, not an Autumn King

Peas are very easy, but they need some chicken wire to climb up (not canes, they can't twine like beans do).

Spuds: most go in the ground March/April, so you aren't very late to try. You might get seed potatoes still (our Poundland still has them). One spud per Morrisons pot

hanging strawberry (or was it tomato?). Whatever it was, it was upside down.

We've just bought those upside down planters for school: they're more of a novelty than anything, and a bit tricky to keep watered

[Two_Sheds]

Jonners, pop your location into your profile, it will then show up in all your posts

I can thoroughly recommend this book: Vegetables in a Small Garden: Simple steps to success RHS Simple Steps to Success: Amazon.co.uk: Dorling Kindersley: Books
for inspiration as well as practical info