hello, new to growing anything other than weeds

[lynda66]

i have lived in my house for 3 years, the first year i spent digging up the lawns, making it level, and making flower beds(without flowers in), the second year i installed a pond for my tank goldfish, that promptly got eaten by a heron :-( (the heron problem is sorted now and the pond looks beautiful, and the fish are very happy.

so this year i decided it was about time i grew something other than weeds

i cleared 2 large flower beds and planted loads of flowers which are all shooting up, and i got my first 2 flowers yesterday :-)

I went shopping the other day, and was gobsmacked by my food bill, so when i found that veg seed were all half price, i thought blow it i'll try growing my own

so i came home armed with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spring onions, lettuce, tomatoes, sweetcorn, parsnips, peas,2 types of squashes, onions, aubergines, leeks, peppers, cucumber, melons, and pumpkins for halloween

so i planted them over the last couple of days, and hopefully it won't be too late for all of them, i figured, if they grow they grow and if they don't they don't ...... i dug over the bed, and added the compost i've been making for the last few years, planted the seeds, then covered them all with posh compost from the shop, cos it's finer than mine and less clumpy, i also planted some in seed trays, as there is still a lot of digging to do in the garden so i can plant everything out, i thought i'd better get them started, i have put all the trays in the airing cupboard. the garden has had a good watering, so i guess i've just got to wait and see what happens

is there anything else i need to do in preparation for them germinating, or to help them to grow? what about fertiliser, i'd like to have them organic, they are in the sun till mid afternoon, how often should i water them? do you think i've planted things too late and won't get anything growing, most of them say may as a last planting date? oh i have soooooo many questions, but i've probably bored you all to death by now lol

next year i'll be more organised now i've decided to grow my own, any help would be appreciated

Lynda xx

[Demeter]

Hi Lyndsay and welcome - sometimes it helps to ask questions in different threads if you have lots - or use the search button once you get the hang of the forum as many of the questions we newbies ask have already been answered before in other threads. Another good idea is to get a book. I like the Hessayon "Expert guide" that you get in most garden centres, also I've got another book which is quite good - I've put linkes to both below as suggestions. Or read gardening mags like GYO - there are a few that most supermarkets seem to stock and they tell you what sort of things you could or should be doing now in your garden, which is quite handy!

Amazon.co.uk: Vegetable and Herb Expert: D.G. Hessayon: Books
Amazon.co.uk: Allotment Gardening: An Organic Guide for Beginners: Susan Berger: Books

Anyway, I'll have a go at your actual questions now

(1) Is there anything else i need to do in preparation for them germinating, or to help them to grow?

It looks like you have everything covered for now. What you need next is patience - possibly the hardest bit! You might want to watch out for slugs - nothing worse than having babies growing and then the slimies devour them! Use the search button on here and there are 10001 organic ways to deal with slugs - going hunting after dark when they some out to feed is probably the best. If you don't fancy that there are slug traps, organic pellets, crushed eggshells and, I was told the other day, a ring of human hair spread around your plants will keep them out as they don't like to cross it!! Don't know if that one works though

(2) what about fertiliser, i'd like to have them organic

You won't need fertiliser yet, but you might want to consider it once your seedlings start to get in their stride - unless your soil is pretty rich already, I would think some fert will do it good in due course. There are plenty of organic fertilisers, my favourite is well-rotted manure, so it might be worth finding out if there is a farm or some stables or the like somewhere near you that might let you take some away. Chicken poo pellets are also good, I'm told.

(3) how often should i water them?

Depends on the soil, how much it rains and which plants. Heavy clay soil retains water much better than light chalky or sandy soil. Some plants like courgettes need much more water than others. Generally, the advice seems to be to give the soil a really good soaking when it needs it rather than an little bit every day. Remember that even if it is dry on top, the roots will be underneath where it may still be wet.

(4) do you think i've planted things too late and won't get anything growing, most of them say may as a last planting date?

Some things might not have enough time to grow / mature before the end of the summer, and you might not get anything e.g. pumpkins might be a bit dodgy - still worth a shot though! Other things will grow but maybe you well get less than if you had sown a bit earlier. Others will be just fine.

[lynda66]

thanks for that, i definitely need some books, the ones i've already got were mostly about ponds, as that was what i was concentrating on ......... the beds had chicken poo for the last 2 years, trying to get the soil something like soil, its got a fair amount of clay and bits of brick in it, but i've removed as much as i could be bothered to, its had a good digging each year ....... and i'm not too bothered about the pumpkins, i don't want to eat them, but my 18 year old and his g/f make a pumpkin every year, and his g/f was dead excited that she could plant one lol, so as long as it's big enough for a tea light she'll be happy :-)

i have no patience at all, but at least i have the flowers growing ...... so i can concentrate on checking them every 5 mins instead of worrying about the veg :-)

regarding slugs, i've been working on them for ages, we have blackbirds and robins in the garden, so as i've dug them up or found them, i put them in a tray and they come down within a few minutes to eat them, i always get rid of them when i see them, and snails get chucked into the waste ground beyond the hedge ........ i went out with my torch last night, after reading about that on here yesterday and only found 2, so i guess it's working :-)

Lynda xx

[Demeter]

Sounds like you've got it just about cracked then
Good luck and happy gardening!