newbie!

[starbright]

hi

well i jumped right in with two feet at the start of may planting seeds of carrots tomatoes and cucubers. the tomatoes plants are only 2 inches tall and the cucumbers didnt grow at all. The carrots are aboyt 3 inches tall.

I also planted runner beans which are around 10 inches tall with quite big leaves.

a few weeks after i planted them i put seeds of beetroot baby sweetcorn and onions in little seed trays they all have just started growing.

i didnt do any research before i planted anything and feel a little silly now as "growing your own" is more complicated than i thought.

everything is outside without protection.

do you think any of it will grow and produce veg?? or should i give up and try something else?? im in scotland so its not the hottest but my garden does get alot of sun during the day.

all advice very very welcome as i would love to learn how to grow properly.

lisa

[rustylady]

Please don't give up Starbright - you just need to do a little research. Grow your own magazine is good for information. When you say everything is outside, what do you mean? Carrots, beetroot, runner beans, sweetcorn can all be planted direct into the ground. Tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies should be started in pots in a greenhouse or kitchen window sill, then planted out when the weather warms up. Think what you like to eat, then find out if you can grow it. I still use Dr Hessayon's "The Vegetable Expert" as a reference book - you can get it from any good bookshop and it's really informative without being dull and boring. GOOD LUCK

[Scruffy Duffy]

Hi Starbright,

welcome to the 'club', I'm a newbie too, and although we did quite a bit of research, it doesn't seem to necessarily make too much difference. We planted mostly seeds straight in to the ground based on when the packets said things could be planted out. That was on the 20th, and we now seem to have a profusion of somethings, but others aren't showing yet. Namely the parsnips. Everything is just a seedling so far, but it's so exciting I don;t care how big they are, just that they're growing.

You'll get some fantastic advice from people on this site, I have so far, and it's so good to know there are many others out there around the country trying to do exactly the same as you, but all at very different stages.

Keep it up and enjoy the thrill of eating your first veggie.

Scruffy

[sewer rat]

Hi Starbright
Where abouts in Scotland are you ?
Do you have a greenhouse or a conservatory ?
Most of what you have planted will grow and produce veg for you no bother at all.
Your runner beans should be grown up a bamboo cane wigwam or wigwams as they will reach up to between 6-8 ft high, but they will be okay outside. You may need to help them grip the canes to start with but don't try to twist them round the canes against the direstion they wanna go.
Your tomatoes may or may not succeed outside - do you remember what variety they were ?
Your sweetcorn should be planted in a block as opposed to a row as this aids pollination.
Your carrots and beetroot will be fine.
Cucumbers can be tricky, but it's not too late to try again - or visit your local Garden centre for some young plants. If you sow the seed again, plant it about half inch deep on it's edge in a 3" pot. It should germinate fairly quickly if kept somewhere warm. Do not overwater as this can be detrimental to seed germinating.
And don't worry about anything - there are plenty of people here who will be able to advise. Good luck and let us know how your veggies are getting on

[kernowyon]

I still use Dr Hessayon's "The Vegetable Expert" as a reference book - you can get it from any good bookshop and it's really informative without being dull and boring.

Asda currently selling this book for about half price (£4)

[noidea]

I love that book! I am total newbie too.

We seem to be a bit behind in Scotland but hopefully that's the weather turned now and we can play catch up!

I started off with a couple of tomatoe plants this year but have ended up with cucumber, aubergine, sweetcorn, chillie peppers, broad beans, dwarf french beans (thankyou Alice!!!), pea shoots (thank you Alice), lettuce, rocket, mint, sage, oregano, basil, tarragon, nasturtiums, sweet peppers, tatties, climbing french beans, radish, beetroot, spring onions, pak choi, spinach, courgettes, pumpkin... I should stop now!

It's very much me and the 3 year old and we are really enjoying ourselves. He even wondered today if we could grow some black olives to make a pizza as that's my fav!

It does all sound complicated sometimes but I have faith that mother nature will just grow some stuff to make it worth while!

C

[starbright]

I am so glad i found this forum, i feel bad that all i can do is ask questions and not offer any advice though.
My garden is tiny! and i mean tiny! around 5meters by 9meters and most of it is slabed so my husband built me a trough (as i call it) its about the size and height of a bath and i have my carrots runner beans and tomatoe plants in it, the sweetcorn betroots and onions are still in tiny seed trays untill my husband builds me another trough. I have loads of little places around the garden where i can sit pots so everything wil be scattered about. I would love to have a bigger space for everything but just cant.
I dont have a greenhouse and like my garden my house is tiny so there is limited windowsils.
I have canes beside my runner beans and they seem to be growing round it which is great.
I am also going to grow a few herbs as i use them alot in cooking but havent started yet as will have to wait a few weeks untill hubby can make another large container.
i forgot to say in my first post but i also have lettus growing in pots and they are doing great!!! i have started eating the leaves and they are very tasty. james (my son) loves picking and eating them straight from the ground.
I bought most of my seed packets from poundstrecher and asda and didnt think to look at the names of them.

noidea -thats so fab you are growing so much and you are very near me so the weather will be the same. my (three in august) son loves it too and talks to everybody about "mummy seeds" .

I bought the book by carol klien of amazon as it was her program that made me think to start growing, of course i didnt record the program and forgot most of her advice. it will be here by monday so will have a read, may also consider getting the other book.

thanks again

the other thing i wanted to ask was........ my runner bean plants are around 10 inches just now, i know they are suppossed to grow to over 6 foot! i just cant beleive mine will?! how long will it take?? thanks

[witch-1]

Hello Starbright
Your not alone in just 'going for it'... we did the same! Brought several packets of veg seeds and as soon as the beds were dug, just sprinkled in the whole packets - then did the research!!

We were held back with time - it was beginning of April and by most seed packets all should have been in the ground around March time! Since then I have learnt that you don't need to use the whole packet of seeds up! And there is alot of lee-way with times.

Its a trial and error year! Things are growing so lets hope its more trial than error for both of us.

Happy reaping
Jan

[starbright]

lol witch, i did exactly that put every single seed into the ground where as now i know that they can be kept haa haa feel a little like a silly person will learn in time.

[Alice]

To all the newbies who have posted here - you're only a newbie the first year. After that you've done it all before. Whatever you've done, some of it will grow and you will learn along the way. We are all still learning and every year some things are new to us. And we have all our fellow grapes to help us. Good luck and hope your grow goes well.

[nick the grief]

Hi Starbright,

Don't worry about aking questions I still asjk and ave been growing veg & flowers for a few years now. The day you stop learning is the day they box you up!!

As to your runners, once you plant them out they will romp away and make 6ft in no time!!

[Scruffy Duffy]

I bought the book by carol klien of amazon as it was her program that made me think to start growing, of course i didnt record the program and forgot most of her advice. it will be here by monday so will have a read, may also consider getting the other book.

We have the programmes all recorded, even though I haven't watched them yet. I really should as it's what got me interested too.
I can ask my husband if we can make a copy onto DVD and I can send it to you if you have a player.

Guess I know what I'm doing tonight then...

Scruffy

[JennieAtkinson]

The whole purpose of the New Shoots Board is for those new to gardening to be able to ask the questions they really want the answers too. There are also alot of well established veg growers with alot of experience on the Vine just waiting to help.

So PLEASE don't be shy of asking ANY question! We are all learning!

[pigletwillie]

Welcome to the vine, do post your questions, they are not as daft as you first suppose.

Above all............enjoy