Plans for 2013??

[kentishgal]

First - get the drainage problem with the bottom half of my plot sorted out.

I expect this sort of thing is top of alot of peoples lists this year!
(I also lost alot of growing space last year to courgettes. People tell you how big they get but you kinda have to see it to believe it!!LOL Im going for tubs and climbers this year for my courgettes!).

[legume]

The lighting by my back door isnt great for most herbs though..and I quite fancy filling up a bed with tons of herbs, maybe with a posh bay tree in the middle!!LOL

Sounds lovely to me.

Last year was my very first try at growing fruit and veggies too, so bearing in mind lessons learned, my plans for this year are:

1) Draw up a proper planting plan in advance so I know what to put where, rather than just shoving stuff in wherever there seems to be a gap and then watching the crop gasp for space. That's actually pretty much done now (one advantage of the constant rain is being able to legitimately spend hours indoors fannying around with seed catalogues and elaborately pencilled plot plans!).

2) Absolutely, properly, completely getting rid of the perennial weeds before trying to plant up the beds again so I don't constantly fight weed-battles all year (got pretty much the full range: nettles, docks, thistles, bindweed and ground elder, so a lot of work to do).

3) Making proper bean and pea supports with battens and chickenwire (last year the 'canes and plastic netting' constructions all collapsed, and mice ate the crop.

4) Trying a melon plant in the greenhouse

5) Trying celeriac

6) Being ruthless about only growing crops we like to eat and being sensible about how many I grow (seriously, who needs 100 beetroots but only 5 potato plants?!)

Good luck with your own plans for 2013.

[lettucegrow!]

I know it was a dog coz I own the culprit!!LOL
Hmmm, seems like Im the only person who likes the idea of a herb bed. What would you put in a 6ft x 3ft bed in a sunny spot?? (did have brassicas in but they got eaten and netting everything would look horrible).

I love the idea of a herb bed, especially with the bay in the middle. My sister planted the borders in front of her house with herbs and it look wonderful . Lots of colour and interest. Go for it!

[lettucegrow!]

I'm going to get rid of the brambles once and for all that insist in climbing over the greenhouse. Be more successful with salad stuff as that is what I live on in the summer and they are always decimated and just be a lot more organised. Bit of a hapdash gardener, with a butterfly brain!
Ooh , and had a thought yesterday about attempting a chicken wire sculpture of some sort. Maybe an apple that will double as a leaf mould container like the one at Harlow Carr.

[Paulieb]

6) Being ruthless about only growing crops we like to eat and being sensible about how many I grow (seriously, who needs 100 beetroots but only 5 potato plants?!)

It is time to be ruthless. However much I tried last year 100 tomato plants won't fit into my 2 greenhouses, and I just ended up with them being cluttered and probably limiting the production of everything.

This time its gonna be 30, all other tom plants will be given away or composted.

Apart from this my main goal is to try to keep things ticking over with our second child due on 4th April!! :/

[Tomato Head]

My plan for 2013 is to beat the squirrels. They wreck everything I put out in pots so this year everything is going to have to be covered. If I get the better of them, I will turn my attention to the slugs

[woody21]

I know it was a dog coz I own the culprit!!LOL
Hmmm, seems like Im the only person who likes the idea of a herb bed. What would you put in a 6ft x 3ft bed in a sunny spot?? (did have brassicas in but they got eaten and netting everything would look horrible).

I have the same dog issues including stinky presents in the borders of the polytunnel when others in the house let the dog out unsupervised. Fence at the top of the garden this year.

Growing fresh herbs is a great idea, a 6x3 bed does probide all the basic herbs a 20 table restaurant uses for half the year so much more than you might need, a hotel i worked at had a lovely bed of a similar size and provided a large constant supply and looked very decorative too.
Maybe add some low height flowering plants or something else with some colour round the outside of the herb bed too.

[bramble]

Plan to grow as much veg as possible in my long narrow bed. I have taken out all the flowers and have a south facing wall which I am going to give over to fruit rather than the cotoneaster that has been growing there for years.
The only problem now is getting the cotoneaster out of the ground. \they have grown huge roots over the years.

[kentishgal]

Growing fresh herbs is a great idea, a 6x3 bed does probide all the basic herbs a 20 table restaurant uses for half the year so much more than you might need, a hotel i worked at had a lovely bed of a similar size and provided a large constant supply and looked very decorative too.
Maybe add some low height flowering plants or something else with some colour round the outside of the herb bed too.

I was thinking of putting a load of alpine strawberries in with the herbs as well and maybe some nice low flowering plants. Having a very small garden makes you more creative at mixing your edibles and flowers IMO!! (my long thin beds last year contained wildflowers, strawberries, kale, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, fuschias and dwarf buddleias! and there only about 1ft wide!!)
Last year was all about planting and potting up and arranging for me so Im just quite excited this year to see how well everything does in its first 'proper' year.

[frogga]

Plan for 2013 is to become self sufficient, buy a chest freezer to freeze everything not eaten, so nothing goes to waste.

[CookYouVillain]

My Gardening plans for 2013 is basically to gardens nice and tidy, my Dad has offered me help in all aspects of gardening from pulling weeds to building raised beds plus giving me tonnes upon tonnes of advice for me to grow, I'm very lucky to have my dad who is very passionate about gardening!

I'm going to atempt potatoes, carrots this year and try to construct a "wig wam" cane construction in a pot to grow drawf green beans up!

Going to involve my children in helping me in the garden so they learn how to plant and look after crops, plus learn about nature

[Stonewaller]

My plan is to continue to

1. reduce the area of blackthorn and brambles and get as much of it as possible cleared and converted to raised beds.

2. Attempt to grow squash up a frame to save space.

3. Construct a cold frame and see if we can grow a melon, although I'm wondering if polythene over hoops would have the same effect.

4. Remember to check the gooseberries and currants so the sawfly don't get them!

[Sssam84]

I'm going to atempt potatoes, carrots this year and try to construct a "wig wam" cane construction in a pot to grow drawf green beans up!

Do dwarf beans need that? I thought being so small you wouldn't need to construct anything or use long canes..?

[Nicos]

Do dwarf beans need that? I thought being so small you wouldn't need to construct anything or use long canes..?

I just plant my French dwarf beans close together - and they self support.

[rabbit]

This is my first year growing veg!

This will be my first year

I went a bit mad seed buying (2x chillies, 1x sweet pepper, betroot, parsley root, french beans, peas, summer squash, winter squash, spinach, chard, mini cucumber, salads and radishes)

I've also bought seeds for companion planting, nastursiums, calendula, marigolds, geranium, sunflower, borage, and garlic chives.

Seem to have all manner of hungry pests in my garden, squirrel, wood pidgeon, deer and all the slugs in surrey.

Anyway the plan is, -

-to try good record keeping
-plant sensibly (yeah, sure)
-keep up with the weeding
-sort the mulch pile/leaf mould properly
-compost