Any novice veggie patch people want to share the anticipation and hope of growing our first edible things from the garden?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

Hi, I've made a raised bed for a veggie patch, spent silly money on soil and compost, and finally planted some seeds in it a few days ago. I'm totally new to this so I've no idea how it will go but I'm quite excited about the possibility of it working. it better anyway after the money I've spent on it

I've only got a 1x2m bed at the bottom of the garden but I've planted:
-strawberries
-spring onions
-spinach
-carrots
-courgette
-leaf salad
All of the above are direct sown (cos I didn't know how to propagate and all that) apart from the strawberries which I bought as plants.

And I've got two separate trough planters for peas plus three bags to grow potatoes. Oh and two blueberry plants I bought last autumn.

I have dreams of nibbling through delicious fruit and veg all summer. Anyone want to join me in the veggie adventures? Or give me any advice?

:)

[SweetestThing]

This is just what I need! Very novice gardener here. I have wanted a veg plot for years and DH ( who is a very experienced gardener!) has built me a raised plot at the foot of the garden. So far we have planted lettuce, rocket, spinach, leeks, onions, garlic and beans. We have tomatoes in little plastic mini greenhouses in the conservatory and some potatoes chitting (I think that's the right word!) there as well, which will be planted in potato bags once they have started sprouting tubers. I am beyond excited at the prospect of eating something I've grown, but with marauding cats and greedy birds, I'm not sure how successful I will be!

Good luck, everyone!

[TwllBach]

Can I join too? I moved into a house with a "proper" garden last year and tried sowing loads of seeds but only one lot worked

I did, however, get really excited when I chucked some sprouting potatoes I found in the back of the fridge into the soil bed, left them and then months later remembered! Went and had a dig and there were so many that I accused dp of buying a bag of potatoes and burying them to humour me it was so exciting.

This year I've got loads of seeds again but am a bit nervous about planting them. I have planted a few lemon pips in a jam jar on my window sill though, and I have shoots

[rhihaf]

Wow TwllBach - lemon pips? THat IS a good idea From the name, I'm assuming you're Welsh?

If anyone wants a bargain, Poundland do a veggie pack of seeds including plum toms, beef toms, aubergine, courgette, oregano and rocket for £1!

Lidl (and other supermarkets now) sell 'Living Salads' that are grown in the UK. It's a small box of cut and come again lettuce leaves, but if you separate them out and pot them on, you've got 100s of lettuce plants!

Have just planted my first lot after hardening them off for a couple of days in the lean to greenhouse.

Lovely to hear everyone's veggie-related hopes and dreams!

[TwllBach]

Dwin ddim yn Cymreig ond dwin byw yn Cymru ti hefyd?
(I'm not welsh but I live in Wales you too?)

From what I read, they probably won't grow to give fruit, but the leaves smell nice and I love citrus smells, so that's my primary aim. One person said that they had theirs for eight years in te house and then all of a sudden she started getting fruit!

I have one of those salad seed packs from homebase - do you think I could start them off inside?

[SilverSixpence]

It was Colint976, he has 100% positive feedback so it must be me! I have been quite impatient and started poking the soil to see if there were any seedlings hiding in there so probably killed off anything that had tried to grow. I think I will sow some more seeds and see if anything grows, and if i don't get anything in 2-3 weeks I will give up and buy them instead.

Just noticed 3 Black Russian tomato seedlings, so exciting. I had given up on those. I want to plant up my potatoes today, the potato harvest videos on youtube have inspired me. They've been sprouting for about 10 days so far.

[orangepudding]

I got my seeds from a different seller, they didn't arrive today. I also got black Russian tomato seeds.

Have planted a few things on my patch but am going to put some seeds in my mini greenhouse. I have far more seeds that I need!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

silversixpence I've put bits of a smashed pot at the bottom of the troughs that my peas are growing in. I laid them over drilled holes on the base. My raised bed is on top of our old gravel driveway so I'm hoping the stones will help drainage! You said you're growing marrows, are these courgettes? I found a random thick shoot growing near my carrot row, but only one of them. It doesnt look like a weed. I planted three courgette seeds in the one hole about 20cm away so I'm wondering if a seed has blown over a bit? Although I've labelled my rows I think the wind or birds might have jumbled it up a bit! Btw if you google 'germination times' you can see roughly how long things take to sprout, mine are only just appearing after 12 days so far.

sweetestthing hello! How big is your veg patch? Re cats and birds, I've draped some netting over my patch, supported by bamboo canes. Seems to have stopped the next door cat shitting in it anyway!

twllbach hello too! How cool about about your potatoes, I tried to grow some in bags last year, planted 5 seeds and got ZERO in return boooo, I blamed the weather! I've directly sown all my seeds outside, not sure if they will all work but if they don't ill just put some plants in and cheat

News flash from here- I have some peas sprouting wooo hoo! My strawberry plants are getting bigger too :) does anyone know if we are meant to keep feeding the soil? I put loads of compost in plus some of that bogging blood fish bone stuff about a month ago, should I sprinkle any more on? Can you over feed?

[rhihaf]

Ooh exciting stuff ilikeyoursleeves! I think you can burn the leaves of things if you give them too much food, but if it's well rotted manure, strawberries and potatoes will grow in just that without even any soil!

Twllbach: yes, I am Welsh and I live in Wales; which bit are you in? I am defo going to try the lemon thing, we have a covered terrace which is very warm and south facing, so if it grows it should love it there. We shall see!

I am so excited about stuff starting to sprout!

[rhihaf]

Has anyone grown curly parsley? Ive grown the flat leaf stuff, which dies off a bit over winter and is just getting going again. But my gran has a HUGE patch of curly parsley in her garden which just seems invincible! Wondering what other people's experiences are?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I've never done curly parsley but come to think of it I'm sure I've got parsley seeds somewhere from last year, maybe I should plant them too?

[nooka]

I've got a load of mad beans now, they seem to grow an inch a day! Trouble is that I can't put them out yet, so I'll have to pot them on into much deeper pots. Plus all my seedlings are growing at sharp angles toward the window, especially today which was very sunny.

The tomatoes are still tiny though :(

[lolalotta]

I have a radish sprout in my greenhouse!!! I only planted it Tuesday!!! :-o

[SilverSixpence]

One of my marrow seedlings has nearly outgrown the seed tray - should i be transplanting to a pot or outside? I have a prepared gro bag style planter ready for it but not sure if it's still a bit cold.

We now have 5 aubergine seedlings! Our garden is tiny so I might have to give some away at this rate!

[TwllBach]

Does it matter if its cold, as long as it is above freezing? I thought that it was the freezing part that matters... But then maybe you should wait till someone who has a clue comes along

I've got ten daffodils in my garden that I planted from bulbs in August and they look about ready to burst into bloom, so I'm sitting outside with the dog, determined to wait until I see at least one petal

My lemon shoots are growing by the day, but some seem to be splitting into stem ad a leaf - do you think I should cut the leaf off? In sure I read something about doing that if you want the main stem to grow big and healthy.

I've got a swede in my kitchen that is growing something out of the top of it, and something from the bottom too. I'm tempted to throw tar in some soil an see what happens!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I thought you could plant things after the last frost so to speak? I have directly sown everything bar my strawberry plants but who knows how it will all turn out. That's 13 days since I sowed everything and not much showing yet, only shoots in my leaf salad and peas really. Buying plants is my back up plan :)

I planted literally hundreds of bulbs in autumn and I've got about 50 daffodils now and loads of tulips are about to bloom!

[TwllBach]

Oh I love tulips! I heard that they were difficult to grow, though? I'm so jealous!!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I just bought around 200-300 bulbs of various plants inc daffodils, tulips alliums and can't remember what else and now they are appearing its so exciting. I can't remember what colour the tulips are so it will be a surprise. All I did was dig holes and pop the bulbs in!

[rhihaf]

Silver Sixpence: I think marrow plants will be ok outside, but you'll need to harden them off first. Put them outside in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame for about a week before planting them. Or just put them outside during the day and bring them into a shed/garage at night for a week or so, then plant.

Lolalotta: congratulations on your radish sprout! Yey!

Twllbach: I have no idea about lemon sproutings sorry. Have a read here

My lettuce on top of the potato bags is growing nicely now, although I have slug pelleted everywhere! What is everyone doing to control slugs?

[SweetestThing]

Great excitement here as we have signs of growth from the tomato plants, broccoli, pal choi, lettuce and cauliflower!

[DewDr0p]

OP whereabouts (roughly) are you? After the last frost normally means mid-end May unless you live somewhere esp sheltered.

It might be an idea to plant a few courgette seeds in pots indoors as a backup. (Also worth bearing in mind that courgettes crop much better with 2+ plants) The salad and spinach will be fine.

[DewDr0p]

I've been busy today. Have planted peas, spinach, rocket, mixed salad leaves and ruby chard outside. Plus got new thyme and mint plants in (mint in its own pot, so invasive) and ready to sort out runner beans in little pots inside tomorrow. Getting there!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I'm in ummm Scotland so I may have been a tad premature planting seeds then?!!! I have been looking at a bare bed for so many months I just wanted to sow something!

How do I grow inside then? Do I use a propagator or just put some compost in a pot? (This is why I directly sowed everything cos I don't have a clue!)

[lolalotta]

My watercress is sprouting too, eeeeek!

[DewDr0p]

Does it not say on the side of the packet? I usually get my courgettes from my Dad lol.

With runner beans I put them in individual pots (usually do a couple more than I want in case some don't work) and then put a plastic bag over the pot to encourage germination. I keep them in the dining room until they are big enough/it's warm enough to plant them out.

Oh here you go, the Thompson and Morgan website says:

Sow courgette seed indoors from April to May for transplanting later on, or direct sow outdoors from late May to June. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted farmyard manure to improve its structure and fertility.


Indoors, sow seed at a depth of 2cm (¾") in 7.5cm (3") pots of free-draining, seed sowing compost. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a plastic bag at a temperature of 20-25C (68-77F) until germination which takes 5-7 days. Do not exclude light, as this helps germination. Once germinated, grow courgettes on in cooler conditions until all risk of frost has passed and courgette plants are large enough to be transplanted. Gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting courgettes outdoors in rich fertile, well drained soil in full sun at a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects. When growing courgettes, a thick mulch of organic matter spread around the plants will help to conserve moisture at the roots.


Alternatively direct sow courgettes outdoors at a depth of 2cm (¾") and a distance of 90cm (36") apart. Sow 2 seeds per hole and thin out the weakest seedling per station after germination.

HTH! Although you could sow outside in a few weeks, I'd start them off in pots now to get a head start, I think.

[ilikeyoursleeves]

Thanks! Hmmm will need to get some sowing compost and pots. What happens if you sow them in bigger pots?