first time veggie grower

[claireg82]

Hi all

My name is Claire, I'm a keen gardener that has decided i want to teach my kids about growing veg. Unfortunately I don't know anything about veg. I basically went to the local homebase to get them some tomato plants and growbags. I left with 3 tomato plants, two pepper plants, a chilli plant, a blueberry bush and 5 trays of seedlings (2 sweetcorn, 2 purple sprouting broccoli and spring onions). In my defence the trays of seedlings were only a pound for them all and the blueberry bush was 3.50.

Now I've planted all the trays of seedling first forking in bonemeal to the soil, and protecting with slug pellets. I have the tomato plants in a growbag on my decking against a wall that gets sun until teatime(is this long enough?). There are flower buds appearing now, I've been pinching out the side shoots.

The peppers are in a growbag with some peas(hursts greenshaft), is this too much in one bag?( I bought the peas because I've got the bug now).

My other half(new to gardening but good at lifting heavy stuff), has also decided that he wants to grow veg too, so he's got some courgette seeds(zucchini hybrid). We have planted these and are ready to pot on so from reading other threads these seem to do well in pots, is 12" ok?

I have also got carrot seeds(Autumn King 2), the packet say's I can sow outdoors June and first half of July. Now can I sow these in pot's? How deep should the pot be? Would this protect them from carrot fly or would I still have to protect with netting/fleece? Or would the be better in a raised bed?

Also I have to many courgette seeds in the packets, Can I keep them until the use by date once the pack has been opened? Would just a cool dry place be ok? I keep the rest of my herb seeds that I grow, but to be honest use fairly regularly for fresh herbs?

I don't know if this will help?

I have just moved in to my new house(December) so the garden hasn't been done yet. It's south facing, good topsoil with clay underneath. Should I double dig it Mix through a lot of compost(need to get a new compost bin too). I basically have a blank canvas and with escalating food costs would love to use my garden to grow veg instead of my usual alpines that have been relagated to the front garden. Any good ideas that I can incorporate into my new garden would be greatly appreciated. I did buy a book RHS 'vegtables in a small garden', it's a really good read for people like me that don't have a clue. I don't have a green house but do have a 14sqm conservatory, I was thinking about next year, maybe some good funky shelving could make this a good substitute. But when do I start planting, I would rather raise from seed as it's cheaper and the kids like to help by planting the seeds they are only 4 and 2 so this is still fasinating to them. Does anyone have a planting plan that they use or seed catalogue suggestion that I could use for a bulk order for next year? Sorry to go on and on, but is there anything else that I can plant for the rest of the year?

If you haven't fell asleep well done! Sorry for the long post I will keep it short and sweet in the future!!!

thanks in advance for any help

claire

[terrier]

Hi Claireg82, welcome to insomniacs inibrious. Too many questions for this time of night but I'm sure we'll get you sorted in daylight hours. Hope you're enjoying the forum so far. I'm just doing some quick maths to see how big a 14sqm conservatory is. As long as it gets plenty of light, it'll make a good growing house for your tomatoes and peppers.

[Two_Sheds]

Seeds use by date

Also I have to [sic] many courgette seeds in the packets, Can I keep them until the use by date once the pack has been opened? Would just a cool dry place be ok?

I keep my seed from year to year. It nearly always is okay. Except parsnip, which is like totally fussy. Don't let moisture into the packet (from your fingers for example). Seal it back up with sellotape. I keep mine in a concertina file in the house (shed is a bit damp)

[Two_Sheds]

Should I double dig it NO, NOT UNLESS IT IS COMPACTED AND RUBBISH
Mix through a lot of compost(need to get a new compost bin too). you don't need to mix it in. Lay it on top as a mulch, or put in the planting holes of individual plants ~ and for goodness sake don't buy any, make your own. Buy a couple of daleks from your council for about £4, or get hubby to build a couple of bins

I don't have a green house but do have a 14sqm conservatory Don't run before you can walk. Don't mean to sound patronising, but try a few things this year from seed and see how you go. Next year, you might decide it's all too much bother (it IS a lot of hard work).
Does anyone have a planting plan that they use or seed catalogue suggestion that I could use for a bulk order for next year? Thompson & Morgan have a half price sale at the mo, Illustrated Index of : Bargain Seeds - Original Prices Greatly Reduced!, but don't go mad. Think about what you like to eat, and what is expensive in the shops, and what you think you have time/space for. Also, check out the Seed Swap on this site, people are always giving stuff away
is there anything else that I can plant for the rest of the year?
You can still buy small plants of cabbage, sweetcorn, squash etc: look at your market, boot sales etc, which are cheaper/better than DIY superstores.

[Two_Sheds]

I have ...carrot seeds(Autumn King 2)Now can I sow these in pot's? How deep should the pot be? Would this protect them from carrot fly or would I still have to protect with netting/fleece?

The pot needs to be a bit deeper than your eventual carrot. They do well in pots. There are lots of nicer ones than Autumn King, but it's a good start.
The carrot fly flies low to the ground, so raising your pots up to about 18" should help. As belt-and-braces, I would fleece them too (net is no good...the fly is small and will go through the holes)

I'm just cropping my Adelaide carrots, covered with net curtain (voile) - no root damage whatsoever, for the first time.

[Two_Sheds]

Claire, Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated, and usually grown in a square block (at least 4 x 4 plants). As you only have 2 plants, you will need to shake them to release the pollen.

[Two_Sheds]

The peppers are in a growbag with some peas(hursts greenshaft), is this too much in one bag?

Your peas will need something to twine up (twiggy sticks), and protecting from pea moth, or you will get maggots. Chuck some fleece over them.

[Two_Sheds]

Your peppers and chilli, I would grow in your conservatory. They like it warm. And you're in Scotland

[Tam]

I would advise you not to use the blue slug pellets. They don't only kill the slugs, they also kill birds, toads and frogs, when these creatures eat the poisoned slugs. A few years ago it was feared that we would lose the thrush and there was a suspicion that the agricultural use of slug pellets was the cause. You will find many other ways suggested on the Grapevine if you do a search, such as nematodes, beer traps, copper barriers and, the one I use, the nocturnal slug hunt. Good luck with your venture, you are lucky - Loch Lomond must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.l

[claireg82]

Right I've just picked up all the blue pellets, no more dead toads and frogs!!! I'll move the peppers, and try to walk before I can run.

[sdgtiger]

just a quick one regarding the courgettes
I've grown 3 plants and have a glut of the things. We love em but not every day!!
They do take up quite a bit of room but are great to grow as you can literally see em in a morning and pick em at dusk at times
Good luck