New veg grower

[ajt125]

Hello all

I'd like to say how much I'm enjoying this forum and it's helped me a lot
This year I'm planning on really giving a good go at growing my own veg !

I have made a 2m x 1m 5inch raised bed that I plan to grow peas one end (early onward
Kelvedon wonder) and broad beans ( dwarf Sutton) the other end then mixed lettuce, beetroot (boltardy, cylindra) and radishes (icicle, mixed pack) in the middle. My question is how do I space the sowings so I have a constant supply ? Should I make small sowings weekly or fortnightly ?

I then plan to grow potatoes (Nicola, cara) in large pots/grow bags
Carrots (rainbow mix, chantenay red cored 2, nantaise 2, james scarlet intermediate) grown in a trough.

Perpetual spinach can that be grown in pots?

I would also like to try :
Spring onions
Onions
Swede
Sprouts
Could I just squeeze it all in my raised bed or should I keep to my original plan and grow those in containers?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks
Ant

[muddled]

Hello Ant and welcome,

That lot are definitely not going to fit in your raised bed all at once so, yeah, pots, pots and more pots!
I think you would do well to check the threads on square foot gardening.....loads of info on there about spacings and so on...

Happy reading!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Can I ask if your 5" high raised bed is set on soil.

As to quantity's I have two beds 1 mtr x 800mm just for my peas.

Spring onions due well in containers but main crop onions, swedes and sprouts would/do need large containers. Especially the sprouts.

My advice would be to make a list of what you like to eat and then seek advice on the individual plants.

[Bigmallly]

Hello Ant & welcome to the jungle. I too was going to suggest you read through the http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_44388.html thread if only to appreciate the spacings required for certain crops. It does sound an awful lot for one bed.

[Guest]

Hi and Welcome to the vine.

As has been said. Also how many are you trying to feed? small frequent sowing with plants waiting to go in is great but not an easy one to master. Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Lumpy]

Hello Ant - Welcome to the vine and good for you in having a go at growing some veg.

Like you I grow some stuff in a very small area at home so I was wondering if you could grow your broad beans (as they are dwarf) and peas in pots or planters? That way you would have more space on your raised bed for salad crops, including your spring onions.
Swede and sprouts are going to be tough for you at the moment as they take up so much room so how about quick growing turnips like snowball, they are really tasty both raw and cooked.
Perpetual spinach can be grown in pots but don't let it dry out too much and try and give it a bit of light shade otherwise it may bolt.

I agree with the others who have said to have a look at the Square Foot Gardening thread - its a big thread so just mooch through it at your leisure.

[cariann88]

Hello and welcome

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Ant

[ajt125]

Thank you for all the comments it seems this forum is full of friendly people

I think I need to be realistic of what I can achive this year so I've taken all the advice and narrowed it down to the crops I really want to grow and concentrate on those.

Today I worked on my raised bed, I dug up the grass it was on and then worked the soil underneath to a spades depth I've added a cup full of bone meal into the soil and I now plan to fill it to the brim with multi purpose compost would that be ok?

I then potted up my raspberry canes 3 to a 40cm pot autumn bliss and polka 6 canes in total should I keep watering them until they start producing shoots?

So far I'm really enjoying this and I can't wait for spring to arrive, I plan to concentrate on:

Potatoes in pots
Spinach in pots
Tomatoes in pots
And then beans and peas in the bed along with radish, beetroot and lettuces

Does that sound more realistic?

Thanks for all the advice
Ant.

[Lumpy]

Well Done Ant - Good plan but if you could squeeze your Hestia beans into a flower bed as they are very pretty plants you would have yet more room.
Either way enjoy!

[ajt125]

Thanks lumpy

Tbh the way the sun lands on my garden really restricts where i can grow
It hits the raised bed and the paved area of my garden so maybe I should grow the broad beans in pots? How long does potted soil last for quick growing veg like radish? Can I harvest and sow in the same pot?

Ant.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Ant, Afraid I can't help with the spinach as I don't grow it.

Potatoes in pots are fairly easy if you follow a few basic rules. Do you intend to grow earlies or main crop?

As you are short of space have you thought of tomatoes in hanging baskets Tumbler do really well and are IMO a tasty tomato.

I grow radish in pots to save room in my two small beds, they only need about 6 inch deep compost and you can get a good supply from as little as 4 pots.

Beetroot also do well in containers, anything about 5 to 6 inches deep will do.

Again I grow my lettuce in containers using successional sowing, after all nobody wants 30 lettuce all mature at the same time. Another thought might be to grow something like mesclun, a green leaf mix, you just cut what you need for the salad bowl and it grows again up to 4 times.

I have put up a few pic's which may help.

Compost will last about 6-8 weeks plenty long enough for the likes of radish, but you will have to feed other long term crops after this time.

[Potstubsdustbins]

One more thought can you add your location to your profile that way we can give more targeted advice.

[Lumpy]

If you use a sprinkle of blood, fish and bone or a good feed every couple of months the compost will last you 2 years ish (depending on how much it dries out, what you have grown etc) Every year I just half empty my pots etc and refil with new compost and then occaisionally (when I remember) feed it.
Keep an eye out for quick growing crops - alot of seed places have started doing specialised 'container' varieties but they then hike the price up. Just have a mooch on here or on the interweb for info on particular varieties you have spotted.

[ajt125]

Potstubsdustbins I live in birmingham, the way you grow your radishes is brilliant ! I think I'll have to copy do you make weekly or fortnightly sowings ? I plan to grow Nicola and cara potatoes ones a 2nd early and ones a main crop (can't remember which).

I'm only going to eat say 1 or 2 lettuces a week so how many should I sow and how frequent?

If most of the veg I want to grow is easier in pots what should I keep the raised bed for ?
More perminant veg like the beans and peas?