How does anyone plan what to grow?

[Birdie Wife]

My decision making process goes along these lines:
1. Late winter - look through seed catalogues, make a list of the things I want to buy.
2. Add up cost of seed packets - have minor heart attack.
3. Scale back number of seed packets, working out what I've not sown from last year, what worked (want to grow more ) or didn't work(think about if it's worth trying again, or not bothering).
4. Work out a plan of what goes where in the garden. Scale back some more...

That's about it really!

[kentvegplot]

I grow the things that I like to eat, plus those things that taste so much better if they are really fresh, like sweetcorn and peas.

I like to try something different every year, usually that means one or two unusual heritage seeds and a couple of different climbing beans.

I have it all planned, what goes in what bed, when I am going to need the space, where I can put the succession veggies etc. ... well, that's the theory

No doubt I will suddenly need space for something a friend gives me, then all the planning will go to the wall.

Start with the things you like to eat, then you can't go wrong!

Enjoy!

[Mrs Dobby]

Last year was our first growing year with an allotment, we grew enough of as many fruits and veg as we could to make us as self sufficient as possible with veg for the year, and although it was a bad growing year we did harvest about £800 worth of fruit and veg, some of which we are still eating from the plot (sprouts, cabbage, jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and leeks) and some from store / freezer (sweetcorn, chillies, broad beans, rhubarb, raspberries, cherries, peppers, dried beans, squashes). Although our goal of being able to last through the lean times for toms, carrots, spuds and onions didnt happen due to carrot fly, blight and the wet weather, we've only had to resort to buying carrots, toms, spuds and onions in the past 6 weeks, so we didnt do too badly (and will deffo do better next year!)

As regards some of the other crops, we grow for taste and quality as opposed to trying to save money, especially salad, sweetcorn, brassicas, peppers, aubergines, strawbs, rasps, peas, beans and a few more besides. Some of these crops are much tastier when grown yourself and absolutely fresh, whereas others are much cheaper to grow yourself than buy (esp strawbs and rasps) aswell as being much nicer!

As to choosing which specific varities of each veg we want ot grow, we usually plumb for at least 2 types of each veg, that way we've variety, can choose types that give us a longer harvesting period and also have a backup in case one particular type doesnt do well on our plots! This year we've also taken a much more intense look at our planning, and have decided to plant follow on crops wherever we can, freeing up beds that last year werent available as we'd set them aside for other types of veg that couldnt be planted until later on, this year we're not making that mistake, so instead of having 3 beds of sweetcorn that were idle until mid may, we're planting our first early spuds in them, to be followed by the sweetcorn and pumpkins once the spuds are harvested!

On top of all that is the fact that growing your own is much better for the environment, reduces our carbon footprint and provides us both with healthy exercise that is not only enjoyable, but also a calm haven of tranquility that de-stresses you completely from the pressures of modern day life, (especially true with my recent promotion and the fact that I've a lot of things to get sorted before my new branch is as good as I want it to be!)

[Farmer_Gyles]

i want to be as self-sufficient as possible too
last year (my first proper year after several "failed" attempts at home growing) was fairly successful - grew quite a lot of stuff i knew we'd eat plus various other stuff to see if we liked it etc
discovered we didn't need so many lettuces, celery was a waste of time, cucumbers were horrible, didn't want the red cabbage, i'm the only person i know who likes rocket, sweetcorn takes a lot of space for little return, didn't have anywhere near enough french beans, peas, carrots etc

this year i'm growing a lot more of the stuff we will definitely eat loads of - will grow as many cauliflowers / brocolli / beans / peas / peppers / tomatoes etc as i can, will pick and freeze all through the summer
will grow one or two of rocket / celery etc
will grow fewer lettuces and other things - surplus will be given away or composted
wont bother with sweetcorn / cabbage and stuff i wont eat

i'll be keeping a record of what i grow and how much i harvest and how much i use - will help with better planning next year

[Hans Mum]

welcome from me too, if you like it try & grow it...it will taste so much better, and then try and grow something youve never had before to see if you like it and lots of rasps & strawbs cause homegrown taste far superior to shop stuff

[rustylady]

I think there's no point in growing veg that you can buy really cheaply unless you want a particular variety. However, with things like peas and beans the ones you buy from the supermarket are days/weeks from picking so if you grow your own you will really appreciate the difference in taste. I always grow new potatoes, runner and french beans, salad crops, courgettes, and anything else I think will work. Also onions, rhubarb, fruit bushes such as raspberries (not many of them make it home, I eat them as I pick them). This year I am planting an asparagus bed.

[Woofster]

I grow all the usual stuff - there is somebody in the family that will eat most things and I love all veggies. I also like a bit of a challenge and like to grow less usual stuff like chayote (failed miserably), tomatillos, and stuff from Peru where I am from. Last summer I grew a melon pear which fruited quite well as well as aji peppers which are essential in peruvian cooking. This year I am going to grow yacon which is a tuber which is supposed to be good for diabetics (it lowers the blood sugar).

[bobbin]

OK, first off Hello everyone as this is my first post (I was going to post an intro on the introductions forum, but I can't find it. Oh, well, it may well be me being very dim.)

I thought I would ask this as it's something I'm in the middle of doing right now, how do people decide what it is they are going to grow? I'm going vegging as I'm trying to be as self-seffcient as possible so I'm growing veg that I eat often. But what do others do?

Hello there, I am afraid you are not alone as I am dim too.I have had no luck locating the introductions forum.I too have just taken on an allotment and I am at that tricky stage as well. I guess it's sensible to grow all one's favourites plus maybe one or two experimental crops.I am also going for planting companion plants that help ward off pests.ie french marigolds with tomatoes.Some flowers are a must to attract insects too. I have also tried to put a rough plan down on paper.I have been fortunate to have inherited some fruit bushes on my allotment but raspberries and gooseberries are an easy starting point.Exciting is'nt it!!!!!!!! Good luck.

[SarzWix]

Welcome to the 'Vine Bobbin
We don't have a specific 'Introductions' place at the moment (although I think the Mod's might be planning one), so just dive staright in! Lucky you to inherit fruit bushes, my lottie was like a bare field (except for the weeds!) when I got it last February. Good luck for your first year

[gardenmummy]

Hello, its my first posting too and I was looking for the introductions Forum. I can't grow much at present as I have to clear my garden and terrace it etc. I used to have a veg plot at my old house which was much bigger and smarter than where I now live. Last summer when I moved here I spent most of the summer digging out bamboo which took up most of my tiny garden. Also nettles and brambles, and loads of turn of the century rubble including bomb shelter remains. I am still clearing when I am not working.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hello gardenmummy and welcome to the Vine! Enjoy ..........

[SarzWix]

Welcome, GardenMummy Sounds like a lot of hard work you're doing! I've found foundations for a wall and a brick building on my lottie while double-digging, makes you feel a bit Time-Team-ish doesn't it?!

[A Life Less Simple]

Thanks for the replies anyone, it seems this forum is really busy, great! (dead forums are so boring)

At home we have a smallholding, and we try to produce as much possible, so as well as growing veg for the people in the house I'm trying to plan it the veg patch so as once crops have been harvested the plants can then be used for the goats/cows/sheep/etc.

So far I've been keeping a diary of what I've been eating and picked out what veg has been used. Now I just have to plan out the beds.

[canaryjam]

Hi There

Sorry I could not find the Introductions page also!
I would like to say hello to everyone and give a brief bio of myself,
I live in cambridgeshire and have a large allotment that I started on at the beginning of this year, I am a complete novice at gardening but have a lot of good friends who are a lot more in the know than myself. I am looking forward to growing veggies to eat and for my family!! So any tips would be great!!
Cheers
Canaryjam

[smallblueplanet]

Lol! hi canaryjam, welcome - don't worry you couldn't find what we haven't got!

Hope you enjoy the Vine.