Big Plans - 2013!

[GrimChili]

Hello folks, I'm gonna be growing an absolute shed load of veg this year, I've grown the odd bits and pieces (mainly container growing) for the last two years.

This year I'm going all out using my rental property garden! I've got big plans to make a 3ft-ish wide bed the majority of the length of the garden. There's gonna be carrots, sweetcorn, chillies (loadsa chillies), pepper, pumpkin, winter and summer squash (loadsa squash), spring onions, courgette, cucumber, tomatoes, beetroot, radish, tomatillo, herbs (dill, thyme, rosemary, parsley, coriander, basil, chives, loadsa other stuff), various salad leaves, swiss chard and i'm sure there's more.

I love veg and for this year I plan to grow mainly stuff that is £££ in the shops, although I could perhaps plant the odd, onion or a potato plant! The reason I've joined this forum and made this thread is i'm sure ill need some help and advice along the way... Probably alot of advice!!

Cheers!
Grim~Chili

[ladylottie]

Welcome to the vine,GrimChili. There's lots of us on here who will be happy to help - in fact we all help one another and we're a friendly bunch. Sounds as if you've thought out what you want to plant this year though. Sounds good.

[veggiechicken]

Hi GrimChili and welcome. I hope you're not really Grim - because I do like a good larf
Grow the expensive stuff or unusual veggies - although its hard to beat a freshly dug new potato. Roll on summer

[Likac66]

Hi! You sound a bit like me. I've been container growing for the last 2-3 years and now I've got my first allotment. I'm planning on growing loads on it although the chillis, peppers etc will be staying firmly in the greenhouse.

I'm planning on growing potatoes, onions, carrots (got a mixture of varieties including different colours), chard, spinach, romenesco cauliflowers, cauliflowers, different types of kale, calabrese, purple sprouting broccoli, parsnips, french beans, runner beans, broad beans, beetroot, sweetcorn, garlic, courgettes, squash, peas, mange tout, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, chillis... the list seems to grow on a weekly basis!!

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine GrimChili

[Two_Sheds]

I've got big plans to make a 3ft-ish wide bed the majority of the length of the garden.

You don't want to step on the soil, so make sure you have stepping stones every few metres, so you can get to the other side

There's gonna be ...chillies (loadsa chillies), pepper

Pray for a long hot summer then. They don't generally do well outside in English summers. (I have some in my Flickr, link under this post, but that was a few years ago).

[Bigmallly]

Hello & welcome to the vine GC.

[GrimChili]

Thanks for the kind welcome guys!

So I'm slowly but surely preparing the garden for this years growing. I've got about 40 varieties of peppers and chillies sown, a few are up (Including Habanero Hot Paper Lantern, Goats Horn, ). Two Sheds - Your not wrong mate, I managed to keep a lemon drop chilli in the ground outside last year, although that is a baccatum type = more used to the colder weather I think (its overwintering as we speak). I think with my soon to be purchased greenhouse (see below) I will have better success overall with both peppers and chillies.

Looking to move the garden about (move shed (freeing up patio space) and make shift compost bin, erect fence with gate, buy small lean to greenhouse, move various patio slabs, create new raised bed... just a few things haha...) and extend my bed's abit perhaps four foot deep (although said beds will be against a fence so only access and sun from one side - Good suggestion on the stepping stones Two Shed's).

Anyway, after a random and rambling post, a couple things...

Has anyone grown any of the following winter squash and have any advice or information on how big I can expect them to get (vine-wise). I've done a fair bit of reading and for some reason, am quite obsessed with them. (I'm sure this will fade when pumpkin and squash vines swallow the rest of my garden...) I have seeds for the following: baby bear, invincible, mammoth, festival, snowman, boston, honey bear, butternut, hunter, uchiki kuri and musque de provence. Did i mention my garden isn't that big... Any advice on any of these varieties would be great (Some of them I plan to grow up trellis, some up trees and some on the ground)!

Second question - What have you guys started so far if anything?

Cheers

Grim~Chili

[Samurailord]

Hi GrimChili and welcome to the Vine

I grew a Mammoth pumpkin last year, planted it direct into a pile of cow manure on my plot and the vine trailed about 10 -12 feet, but I was late planting it out (didn't go in until early Aug) so it is possible that it might go further given a longer growing season.

This one was a disappointment as both fruits got damaged somnehow and rotted on the vine, but I am still going to try it again this year.

All I have started so far this year are some potatoes (still chitting) and some broad beans which have just started to show today.

Andy

[Likac66]

I have tomatoes, chillis, broad beans, peas and onion seeds all sown. Some tomatoes have come through but that's it so far.

[Two_Sheds]

I grew a Mammoth pumpkin ... both fruits got damaged somnehow and rotted on the vine,

That often happens in cool wet springs. It's not damage, it's poor pollination. The fruit starts rotting from one end.
Pick the rotten ones off and allow others to grow on.

Manure would be high in nitrogen, which is good for green growth (foliage). It'd then need potash feed for flower and fruit production.

Comfrey is high in potash.

[MartinRSharpe]

Big plans here also with the new garden when the snow finally melts. If I get 10% of what I would like to do done I will be pretty pleased.

Lots of tomatoes, chillies, peppers, squash, peas and greens to start with.

[Samurailord]

[QUOTE=Two_Sheds;1091597]That often happens in cool wet springs. It's not damage, it's poor pollination. The fruit starts rotting from one end.[QUOTE]

Not quite what happened, Two Sheds.

The fruit grew to guite a good size, but when I came to harvest them both had patches underneath where the outer skin had gone bad - the best description I can think of is 'scaly' - and the flesh inside had rotted.

Both had been lifted up on bricks to keep them clear of the ground - I don't think the bricks were a problem as the one remaining pumpkin (Jack 'o' Lantern) was treated exactly the same and was fine.

Andy

[GrimChili]

Come On! I know more of you must have tried growing squash!! ; ) Jus' kiddin'

As i said previously I've got chillies started already, I'm gonna put them under the T5 soon as I've found it keeps them nice and squat and they get some good growth before end of May / beginning of June. What about Tomatoes? I've done a fair bit of reading online / in books but am interested to know when people are starting them & what varieties? I've got garden pearl, gardeners delight, san marzano, roma, mixed dels (from Simpson Seeds, great flavour), yellow stuffer, and some sweet 'n' neat (yellow & red). I'm looking foward to trying with my Tom's this year as previously they've always been second to my chilli and pepper plants.

Also, companion planting and flowers for the garden to get insects in - A lot of my packs of flowers say start February-ish? What do you guys think (bare in mind until I get greenhouse all seedlings will be on the windowsills)? Any winning combos anyone could suggest for veg / flower companions apart from the well known ones?

Good Day
Grim~Chili

[GrimChili]

Hello folks!

Will a 2 x 2ft x 1 - 1 1/2 foot deep container contain a winter squash/pumpkin? I know its a broad question but roughly?

Many Thanks
Grim~Chili