Planning what to grow

[Ringo Grumio Nibbler]

Are you guys just using a bit of common sense, or do you have some kind of chart to help you work out what you want to eat and when to help you decide how much of what to plant and when?

Having always bought veg from supermarkets or suppliers as and when I wanted it, I'm not too sure when different veg is harvested and how long it can be stored for.

So much to learn.

[Two_Sheds]

Um.
You don't need a chart to tell you what you WANT to eat.
As to what I eat when: that depends what is ready. I eat whatever is ready, is what I mean.


Make a list of what you want to eat. Then work out what you can grow, realistically.
Then plant it (according to packet instructions).

Your first year is pretty hit and miss. You'll work out as you go, what works best, and all the rest of it. You learn as you go alojng.
(Actually, most of my years are hit and miss.)

[Ringo Grumio Nibbler]

Yeah, but can the planting not be staggered to aid this, or will the veg left growing stay just as fresh at the beginning of its availability to be harvested as it will at the end?

[Two_Sheds]

You can stagger (succession sow) quick growing things such as salads

Other stuff stays in the ground much longer. like 9 months (brassicas) so you just sow once

Hot weather crops like tomatoes, chillies, French beans and squashes can only grow May-Sept (ish)

[Ringo Grumio Nibbler]

You can stagger (succession sow) quick growing things such as salads

Other stuff stays in the ground much longer. like 9 months (brassicas) so you just sow once

Hot weather crops like tomatoes, chillies, French beans and squashes can only grow May-Sept (ish)

That's helpful cheers.

What about a chart that shows planting and harvesting dates?

[COMPOST CORNER]

Aah, now you are into the reealms of "successional sowing". Something I always aim to do but either never get round to or have enough space for.
Example Peas crop all at once(ish) say ovr a three week period, so in theory you should plant every three weeks to ensure a regular crop, but being organised enough to do it is a whole other story.

[Two_Sheds]

What about a chart that shows planting and harvesting dates?

don't want much do ya?

Vegetable Sowing and Harvesting Times Chart

there's one. You can Google for others, I'm off for an early bath

[Ringo Grumio Nibbler]

What about a chart that shows planting and harvesting dates?

don't want much do ya?

Vegetable Sowing and Harvesting Times Chart

there's one. You can Google for others, I'm off for an early bath

Perfect, thanks. I knew somebody would have such a link to save me googling it and ending up with one for a Spanish climate or something.

[Alison]

There are loads of charts but they're a bit hit and miss as it depends on the weather, your site and where you are geographically. Also, for example, peas sown a couple of weeks later may catch up the earlier ones as the weather is more perfect for them when they first germinate.

What you can control though is the types you buy. For example I don't grow summer caulis / cabbage as I know I'll have loads of beans, peas, courgettes etc etc. However, they're invaluable in winter and spring. My first plan was based round a list of veg I either like or wanted to try and then I tried to spread that out over the year. Back to not wanting too many things in the summer, I deliberately chose a late season brocolli to bridge the autumn gap and cabbages which are good in Feb etc etc. As already stated though, you'll never get it perfect

[FionaH]

Example Peas crop all at once(ish) say ovr a three week period, so in theory you should plant every three weeks to ensure a regular crop, but being organised enough to do it is a whole other story.

Oh aint that the truth

[Two_Sheds]

I knew somebody would have such a link to save me googling

Googling is what I did
use co.uk instead of .com and you won't get foreign info.

[Nicos]

Whatever you plan- you're still going to get a glut of crops of different types all ready to eat around the same time and there'll be no way you can eat them all at once, but you don't want them to go to waste.
This is where friends, family and freezers come in handy as well as learning the art of chutneys and jams etc.
It's strange how your tastes change too as you'll be more than happy to eat a huge bowl of say French beans rolled in butter with bacon bits sprinkled on top just to eat up a glut when previously you'd of had 12 or so as part of a plate of food. Maybe a whole bowl of lettuce sprinkled with chopped raddish when 3 leaves would have been the norm before. A plate of pak choi or khol rabi when at one time you'd of had to Google what they are.

Oh it's addictive all right, and with a bit of guidance you'll still get it 'wrong' !!...but who cares, you'll have lovingly sown them, watered them, transplanted them, weeded , fed and watered them and then...cropped them. BLISS!!!

oh no...I think Spring is in the air folks!!!!

[zazen999]

Aah, now you are into the reealms of "successional sowing". Something I always aim to do but either never get round to or have enough space for.
Example Peas crop all at once(ish) say ovr a three week period, so in theory you should plant every three weeks to ensure a regular crop, but being organised enough to do it is a whole other story.

SO easy.

Get a root trainer. Fill with peas.

When you empty it [by planting them into their final positions], refill with more. Keep going for 4-5 rounds.

Use it for broad beans and overwintering peas in the autumn, and plant them out. Leave it full of broadies in the greenhouse all winter until planting out time [about Feb]. Then fill back up with more broadies. Then once they are out, fill with peas and restart.

*When I say fill with - I mean fill the holes with compost and sow the seeds in that; by fill I mean use the whole roottrainer for one crop.