where do i start???

[vonveg]

hi all. i am just about to start growing something just not sure what! i have a plot about 8 by 10 ft. it was overgrown and full of old roots and stones. i have removed what i can and added org compost. so think i'm good to go. but what are the easiest crops to start with. the soil was a bit alkaliney to begin with not tested it since added compost. what are good to combine together. i'm getting blinded by science!! thanks

[Sally]

Hi
Last year I was completly new to growing and was in exactly the same position! On my plot at the moment the ground is so wet I can't do anything and I'm still a bit worried about frost but during the next couple of weeks I'll be putting in onion sets, spring-onion seeds, lettuce, rocket and spinach. Good luck I hope you really enjoy your plot, is it ur garden or have you aquired an allotment?
Sally

[veg4681]

Easiest vegetables are usually lettuce, runner beans, French beans, courgette, swiss chard, spinach, watercress and Oriental leafy veg (e.g. Pak Choy). Tomato may be a little tricky for total beginner but you if you read up on them and do justice by them, they're worth it for summer salad. Potatoes are supposed to be easy to grow too. If you put your onion sets about now, they should need little attention, just leave them to it I think, unless someone can point me out.

Worth going for leeks as useful winter vegetable but don't know how easy they are once in the ground, it's my first time with them. Of all the Brassica, Kale is possibly one of the least demanding and hardy vegetable but it's a question of personal taste, I'm trying out the nicer variety that I've been told don't taste like fodder crop (tough as hell).

Chunky brassica like your cauli, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, you really do need to read up a fair bit to make it work. Of these, the cabbage is possibily the easiest to go for. I've read up on them and still feel insecure about my ability on them.

Sorry, BTW welcome to the vine.

[peanut]

Welcome to the vine Vonveg!

I'm not the most experienced at all this but my advice for what it's worth would be.....

To grow the things that you love to eat and that are more expensive.

I always grow French Climbing beans, Purple Sprouting Broc, Carrots- they just taste so much better! New Potatoes, Toms and Cucumbers and a few other bits n bobs.
I haven't got anything in the ground yet though but have started toms off in the house and PS Broc, Broad Beans, Carrots and Shallot seeds in an unheated greenhouse.

Hope this is of some use.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Alison C]

Im a noob too, only started growing last year. I think the easiest veg to grow as a noob are things like carrotts, potatoes, radishes, turnips and beetroots. They dont need propergating and can be sown directly in the ground. Beetroots can bolt but if you pick a variety like good old boltardy (think Ive spelt that right) you cant really go wrong. Again I would agree that leafy veg and salads are prettie easy to grow just watch out for the slugs!!
Good luck

[veg4681]

Im a noob too, only started growing last year. I think the easiest veg to grow as a noob are things like carrotts, potatoes, radishes, turnips and beetroots. They dont need propergating and can be sown directly in the ground.

Thanks I might try these root veggies direct sown just to see how it goes. I get too paranoid about slugs eating the seedlings but with leafy stuffs, I tend to use slug pellets as soon as they get planted to the ground. I start almost everything off in pots. Did you have to protect your root vegetables from root fly etc?

[vonveg]

thankyou! i have a small plot in my garden. it was once used for growing a few years ago. when we moved here in october it was just an overgrown heap really. it all may go terribly wrong but i'll give it a go!

[si'sraisedbed]

Try not to use slug pellets, especially ones with methaldehyde in them, birds and other wildlife eat the dead slugs and get poisoned themselves. I know it's a pain but there are other methods of slug control, eg create a small pond to attrace frogs/toads who will eat up the slugs. Alternatively try growing your salads off teh ground. I am tyring an old flower bulb box on top of some old greenhouse staging.

[Sally]

The slug enemy
I don't use slug killer in case one of my pets get poisoned, here are some other ideas that work quite well...

1. Crushed egg shells
   
   Animal hair yes it works - I've got three very hairy horses and I keep all thier hair to put around my runner bean baby plants (I know its a bit weird but it works) dog hair will prob work 2.
   
   Get a duck they love slugs and don't scrape up plants as they don't 'scrobble' like chickens.

If not leave some beer out in a ice cream tub and give them a good time!
Also I've just had a thought - you can plant things next to each other that repell each others pests... hmm... anyone know anymore about this method of pest control

[smallblueplanet]

Also I've just had a thought - you can plant things next to each other that repell each others pests... hmm... anyone know anymore about this method of pest control

Companion planting. Plant different flowers and veg next to each other to help each other grow. Search for threads on it. We grow french marigolds and put them near lots of crops. But everyone has their favourite 'combination'.

Hi to vonveg. I agree with peanut - grow what you like to eat. If you haven't time to grow all from seed many veggies can be bought as plants, it an easy way to start and see how you go.

Good luck.

[Newbie]

Hi Vonveg, last year was my 1st time with a veg plot and it was relativley successful despite the weather! My successes were potatoes, french beans, runner beans, sweetcorn, cucumbers (outdoors), broccolli, mixed salad leaves and leeks. But i say, like the others above, grow what you like - there's no point growing stuff that isn't going to get eaten! Also, take note of your soil type i.e. heavy clay etc as i found last year that this can limit your growing abilities.

[suee]

Hello Vonveg,
Like you we have alkaline soil (off the scale of soil testers!) - also, we have very many stones like all the farmers around here but no worries. We've had great success with produce from each of the crop rotation groups. Cauliflowers round here are especially fantastic and we're still eating French beans from the freezer. Potatoes also good. There are some things like courgettes, beetroot, radish, lettuce, melons, that you can stick in anywhere - where one crop has finished, or in and amongst. The main thing is to sort out what you want to grow from each group, each year, then move the rows round the next year. You can't go wrong if like Manda says above, you throw in as many nasturtiums and marigolds as possible to attract the pests - the flowers still look lovely. Good luck , Sue.

[vonveg]

thankyou. have got some spuds, broad beans, leeks, perpetual spinach, kale and onion sets. do i put spinach and kale in one section, leeks and onion in another, broad beans in another and potatoes in another? potatoes are now sitting in egg box in shed, have found a little plastic greenhouse in the shed too! thr weather for brum is set to turn cold on saturday shall i hang on til things get better?

[Paulottie]

Goodness me- what a lot of questions. First get a simple book like the classic 'Veg and Herb expert'..Second. think about the size of your bed 8x10 is not going to offer much room for crop rotation... but you've got the idea. 3 sections legumes, roots, and leafy stuff. (keep onions away from beans and don't let the spuds shade the onions) swap em about next year. Thirdly: don't panic! you've made a sensible selection of veg there.

Sow the leeks in a pot and put them in the greenhouse thingy. They go in when you've dug your spuds in July (i hope they are earlies?)

The rest can be sown or planted now. It won't matter about the weather. not much will be up by next week! and all are perfectly tough. Only proviso is: if it turns cold when the spuds are up.. cover them up again!!!-or at least keep the frost off with fleece or something)

I wouldn't bother with the nasturtiums they get everywhere and marigolds are planted under stuff to keep off the white fly ..possibly a problem with kale. but i'd leave that out till later anyway -it's usually a winter crop. Instead get a summer cabbage like 'Golden Acre'...small compact quick. Sow those in a seed tray. and put out in a few weeks. Brassicas do well in alkaline firm soil.

Finally , Spuds get quite big- given the space issue, you might consider growing them in buckets,bins, compost sacks or making a separate bed-they are good at breaking up new ground.

[vonveg]

thankyou for the advice. i will look at growing the potatoes elsewhere. i am panicking a bit! too much thinking not enough doing! you certainly sound like you know your stuff! really appreciate your advice.