Am I just excited or wasting my money?

[Alex_Parrott]

Hi, I am lets say fairly new to gardening, im 18 and love to grow anything that I can eat!!

I have done a bit myself in the past but this year my Gran has given me her part of the garden where she normally grows her veg and Im relishing the oppurtunity HOWEVER.... blame it on my age, male genes or just being silly im desperate to start growing.

I already have some onions, leeks, cabbage and carrotts growing and I want to carry on but everyone is telling me its way to early. So my question is do I carry on and hope to get something out of it or do I give up and wait like the rest of people???

Advice would be greatly appreciated...

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine.

If you would like to share your location with us it will be easier to advise what you should be sowing when - it is easy to put location in your user bit.

[FionaH]

Patience is a virtue mate, but it is one I dont have
If you are further North than Jersey it would be wise to wait a little bit.
Welcome to the Vine btw

[selfraising]

Hi Alex
Welcome to the vine and good for you at growing your own veg!! My daughters a couple of years older than you, has just got into growing veg and she's just as impatient so it's not a male thing!! I think all gardeners get itchy fingers this time of year and just want to get stuck in but if you can hang on a bit, the veg plants will be better for it. If you want to start sowing something you could try chillis indoors on a windowsill and perhaps some herbs

[Alex_Parrott]

Thanks for your replies everyone, well I have built a log cabin in the garden in the garden as like a retreat although at the moment it looks like a greenhouse so the things im growing are fairly warm and the seeds are grown in a small heated propogator.

Iv got to say though i did try some money maker tomatoes and had no luck but reading around everyone else seems to eb doing well so dont know what im doing wrong any ideas?

[selfraising]

Have you got enough light in your log cabin?

[Alex_Parrott]

ye it gets light in all day long its actually quite well placed for that (done on purpose of course :s) the plants are on a plastic green house shelf although i took the cover off. right next to the window.

[selfraising]

Hmmm well that can't be the problem then! Perhaps they got damping off. Either way, don't be disheartened, try again. I haven't even started my toms yet. Last year I didn't start them til March (I'm a bit sad like that you see, I keep a note of what I've planted when!!!) What else are you thinking of having a go at?

[Alex_Parrott]

Ye I do that to on my labels thought that i would be able to use it for reference for following years. Well I want to have a go at everything really although i may be getting ahead of myself. I have seeds and am planning to have tomatoes, leeks, onions, cabbage, parsnips, green beans, brocolli...cant remember what other seeds we have. Im trying to follow packet instructions although people say to go by the weather. do you know whether i would be better to grow one thing at a time whenusing a propogator or can i grow multiple veg at a time in rows? thanks for all your help btw

[shirlthegirl43]

Ye I do that to on my labels thought that i would be able to use it for reference for following years. Well I want to have a go at everything really although i may be getting ahead of myself. I have seeds and am planning to have tomatoes, leeks, onions, cabbage, parsnips, green beans, brocolli...cant remember what other seeds we have. Im trying to follow packet instructions although people say to go by the weather. do you know whether i would be better to grow one thing at a time whenusing a propogator or can i grow multiple veg at a time in rows? thanks for all your help btw

I keep a notebook and record what I sow and when it comes through etc - easier to refer back to next year.

As to the propogator, instead of seed trays, try sowing a pinch of things in small flowerpots then you can fit lots in together and easily remove them when they have germinated.

[selfraising]

Hi
It all depends, I guess on the temperature needs of the different seeds. You could group those together that have similar temps to germinate. Are you growing in individual modules or trays? You probably want to get parsnips going soon as they need a long growing season. Unfortunately I have given up on cabbage, broccoli etc cos last year damned caterpillars ate the lot!! Onions, I think, you would have to get going now as well. I've only been growing for 3 years so others might beg to differ. I started with potatoes which were quite easy and then worked my way up. So last year I grew sweetcorn and melon and this year I'm gonna try celeriac and kohlrabi and some different tom varieties.

[Alex_Parrott]

Cool well that all sounds very promising, tomorrow is supposed to be poor weather and I ahev the day off from uni so I think I will take the time to do organise and write down what I plan to do. How do you do your potatoes? just put them straight into the ground? Wow you can grow melons in the uk? am i being silly, just thought it would be to cold, do you have to grow them indoors? my gran has a greenhouse could i grow them in there?

[selfraising]

[QUOTE=shirlthegirl43;373556]I keep a notebook and record what I sow and when it comes through etc - easier to refer back to next year.

I'm worse, I've moved from a notebook to creating a database to record it all on, sure I've got OCD!!!
But it does help if you have it written down. I also write what worked well on what didn't so I know which seeds to leave alone and which to re-order.

[Alex_Parrott]

haha well i think i will stay with the notebook although that does deal with my problem of losing it... hmm....

[selfraising]

Well I buy the seed potatoes and then chit them in egg boxes. This should be done about six weeks before planting so they can produce small shoots. Then I dig down about at least six inches and just pop them in. I have also grown them in containers and potato grow bags. The melons were an experiment, cos I do like experimenting!!
Thought as we were in the South, I would give them a go. I only have raised beds in my garden so I made a cloche out of alkathene piping (cold water piping you can get from builders merchants) for the hoops and bought some plastic sheeting to cover. I did get two melons from one plant but the weather wasn't hot enough last year for them to fully mature. I don't see why you couldn't have a go in your Gran's greenhouse. I used Melon Sweetheart which is more tolerant of our climate.