What to grow from the sun and water in South Wales?

[Malooq Tariq]

Hello,

I have a garden that is big enough to grow food. I am going to use plastic pots to grow the food with compost. As there is less sunlight here in South Wales, buying outdoor grow lights gives enough light for hours when the sky is clear and there is little sunlight. What do you think please about outdoor grow lights for growing food?

The seasons are in correct order, Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. With winter there is rain most of the time from December to 1st February the 28th, that is three months. Spring is when the heat is hotter, the days are longer and there is more sun than rain at March the 1st till May 31st, that is three months.. Summer is when the sun shines all the time staring in June 1st going to August, 31st, the length is three months. Autumn is when less sun comes, still sunny for all the days and more wet weather, this begins on September the 1st and ends on November 30th, to be three months.

What food can I grow please with the amount of sun and rain in South Wales? I am trying to find a website that tells the amount of sun, rain and growing conditions you need to grow all types of food.

Thanks for your help, enjoy your day and have a good future.

[veggiechicken]

Hello and welcome to the Forum. I live in South Wales too and the climate is great for growing most crops. There is no need to use outdoor growlights!
It really depends on what you would like to grow. If you tell us, we may be able to advise you.

[Baldy]

Welcome along Malooq - there is a lot of good advice available here and I know one of the moderators here is based in South Wales so may be able to supply some very specific advice. They seem to think that South Wales is sunny - though in my experience I think you are right that there is quite a lot of rain most of the time.
I think outdoor grow lights are probably not a good ide - even in South Wales - as they will cost a lot to run and most likely not make too much difference.
Most people, even in South Wales, can grow things like potatoes and carrot, onions, leeks etc - things that don't need too much sunshine or warmth.
If you have space then an unheated greenhouse makes a lot of difference about what you can grow. I'm in North Devon which is only 20 or 30 miles south of South Wales (but a bit wamer, drier and sunshinier I admit) and in that I can grow chillies and tomatoes pretty well - even managed a few melons last year
Good luck - I'm sure some South Wales folk will be along soon to add their advice bout the specific problems you might face in South Wales
Strangely, if you grow in pots, even in South Wales, you may need to water the crops quite a lot.

[Malooq Tariq]

More information

Also, I have a bit of space in the garage to do indoor lightning. All the articles I read on the internet talk about different lighting fluorescent, light emitting diodes, T-5 lights. What food can you grow with indoor lighting please? I have got to grow in a lane with soil that have flowers growing, a potato that gives out over twelve months, six or eight potatoes, one or two potatoes have a little light green skin. Does anyone know why my one or two potatoes have a little light green skin?

[Baldy]

- oh they beat me too it ...

[Malooq Tariq]

Information on How to grow food

I am trying to find a website that tells the amount of sun, and water you need along with the diseases that come to the food and how to grow the food properly. Does anyone know a site like this?

I know food needs water water and sun daily to grow. How much sun and water do you need for food to grow?

Thanks for your help

[Bigmallly]

Potatoes need to be under the soil, if they are above, light will turn them green & contain a natural toxin called solanine..

[Bigmallly]

I am trying to find a website that tells the amount of sun, and water you need along with the diseases that come to the food and how to grow the food properly. Does anyone know a site like this?

I know food needs water water and sun daily to grow. How much sun and water do you need for food to grow?

Thanks for your help

Different crops need different amounts of light, water, food, sun & types of growing medium. You need to be a bit more specific on what it is you are wanting to grow.

[Baldy]

Have you been in South Wales long? It takes a bit of getting used to...

[Malooq Tariq]

Vertical farming

With vertical farming you grow the food in shelves on top of one another that allows you to grow a lot more food in much less space. The food grows on the bottom shelf, then another food grows on top with another shelf higher than the last shelf. I ask because the sun is able to come to the left and right side to the bottom where you see the food to the top, that is the place that another shelf is on top. Just that the thing I need to work out is crops usually get sun from the top as well as the sides left and right. Without sun on the top of the food, will have two shelves on top of one another with food growing get enough sunlight or would you need outdoor grow lights to give enough light to grow?

Thanks for your help

[Scarlet]

What vegetables are you wanting to grow?

[Baldy]

Yeah - tell us what you are hoping to grow in South Wales and we can probably give you some advice.

[Malooq Tariq]

Growing wheat, potatoes

I want to grow wheat because you can make bread for breakfast, pizza for lunch, naan bread with curry for afternoon food, nice cakes for birthdays, biscuits to share to eat for snacks, wheat makes pasta too etc.

I want to grow potatoes because you can have potatoes with cheese, beans, and vegetables with chicken as a meal or make potatoes as part of dinner with chicken, you can make chips or fries to go with burgers, fried chicken, fish and you are able to make mash for dinner.

Now, I need to know these things to grow potatoes and wheat, that is the amount of sunlight with the amount of water. I need to know the amount of times in a day you need to water potatoes, wheat and the amount of hours of sunlight potatoes and wheat need to grow. Note: To save you time and effort, I am able to look up the type of diseases for wheat and potatoes when growing. I need to know what diseases potatoes, wheat are able to have because I want my potatoes, wheat to be healthy and grow well. By finding out the diseases potato and wheat have with checking for the right skin colour, the correct way the potato,different shapes or plants growing , I then make sure the potato, wheat is good enough to eat.

[Baldy]

I know nothing, nothing about wheat - but I think you will struggle to grow it in rainy South Wales - jut buy bread from the shops.
Potatoes - well - you should be ok with potatoes because South Wales has a lot of rain and potatoes need a lot of water.
Don't worry too much about the amount of light - potatoes will be fine in South Wales. You might need to look into the problem of 'Blight' as it a disease that can kill off your potato crop - good luck

[mothhawk]

Hi Malooq, welcome to the forum

Unless you have a farm or smallholding, you won't be able to grow enough wheat to be worth while. It takes 3lb flour to make a family sized loaf, and to achieve 3lb flour you need to grow 9 square feet of wheat, so for every loaf you want, you need about a square metre of growing space. Not economical. Buy your flour, and grow food that is more expensive to buy