Vegetable patch for beginners?

[FattyMcChubster]

Any ideas where to start?!
Am getting a vegetable patch and I am very excited
However, I have brown fingers (opposite of green) and have killed all plant life I've ever had. Literally.
So, any websites, magazines etc that you can recommend?
I'd love to grow things like potatoes carrots peas beans tomatoes etc.

Also, if anyone knows anything about raised beds I love some advice. I think they look great but that's from a totally aesthetic viewpoint. What are they for? Do I need them? Can I make them?

Tia

Hello!

I used to allotmenteer (is that a word) so have a wee bit of background.

The best tip I got was to look after your soil. Feed the soil first to make sure it is full of nutrients then worry about planting.

We always got good harvests of Dwarf green beans and Courgettes.

It is huge amount of work initially so try to grow things you can't just buy cheaply in the shops. Pick potato breeds like pink fir apple or similar like a heritage type. Get some lovely yellow courgettes. You will need lots of tall support for peas unless you get dwarf ones and a greenhouse for tomatoes.

Raised beds keep the soil warmer so seeds germinate faster.

And yes you can make them. If you can get your hands on some cheap wood you will need some supports for the corners then build up the sides.

Beetroot is another lovely one.

Remember that you will need to take account of your soil type. For example carrots grow best in very sandy soil while beetroot will be better with clay.

This is another benefit of raised beds - different soil types just where you want them!

Ooh that's great advice- thank you! Still a while away from starting so lots of planning to do and lists to write.

When do you get it? The more planning you do the better. That was our failing - we failed to plan!

Ooo, it's exciting!

In about 2 months. Is that too close to winter to start doing anything? I'm beyond novice by the way! No idea what I'm doing but enthusiasm counts right?
It's strange, I've never been bothered by anything 'outdoorsy' but now I'm itching to get going!

I got an allotment a few months ago. I have planted small amounts of many things.

The courgettes and spaghetti squash are growing really well. One type of potato hasn't done well while another has.

Plant some raspberries if you have the space as thye are very easy to grow, perhaps a gooseberry bush too.

You can plant broad beans in October for a spring harvest.

Perfect timing to get some horse manure on the soil and get the soil well fed. Winter is when you should be doing your building and prep work if the ground is workable. It is pretty tough going but well worth the effort when the sun starts to shine.

Start collecting bits and pieces. Toilet roll innards make great seed pots as they can go straight in the ground without needing to be tapped out; old CDs or DVDs on a string makes a good bird scarer; plastic bottles are great popped over mini-lettuces as they act like a cold frame.

I agree with orange about fruit bushes if you can spare the growing room. Personally I wouldn't go for raspberry as they send out runners which will need tended. I would go for red gooseberry, black and redcurrant. Birds leave blackcurrants alone but will eat every single last redcurrant you have so you will need to cover very carefully with a net.

Yes I think I'd like to attempt berries too. Should have the room. Will attempt to reign myself in a little and plan to prepare! Getting everything ready is half the fun, right?

Watches with interest :)

Absolutely fatty !

Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail

You could start some Kale now ready to plant in when you get your patch. It will keep going all over winter no matter what the weather and provide some fresh greens for you. I chop it finely and fry it in butter with ginger, it's very good.

Agree re the soil - you don't even necessarily have to dig! Just bung on some horse manure or any other kind you can get and let the worms take it down into the soil over the winter.

If I start from seed, can I start them off in pots then transfer to the patch?

Yep fatty. If you don't have the patch yet you could start in the next few weeks. Don't start too soon though as you won't have anywhere to put them.

Ideally you want to have your patch planned so you have something all year round. Things like turnips, beetroot, radishes, kohl Rabi, kale, leeks and sprouts will see you into winter.

My advice would still be to hang fire with planting and spend the season preparing. The problem with popping things in immediately is that soil never gets proper treatment or you end up trying to plan everything else round a solitary patch of veg.

If you have the space also get some autumn planting rhubarb. I had some on my plot when I got it and haven't had to tend to it other than collecting the stalks for eating!

Is there anything already on the plot?

Thanks for the advice so far!

Yes there's a shed on it at the moment
Basically doing a huge overhaul of garden (which luckily is big) and tearing down the shed will give us a plot to create a veg patch.

Ooh, can I come and join your thread please?! I have just got a house with a garden for the first time in almost 40 years, and want a raised veg bed to grow a few veg in, and some berries!

If Fatty and I make raised beds, presumably we'll need extra soil, not just manure...? What sort of quantities/volume of soil do you need to fill a square metre, and where do you get it from? Presumably sacks from the garden centre are impractical and too expensive...?

Flow, what do we actually new raised beds for?

Need not new

Potatoes are the easiest thing in ths world to grow but they will spread. Raised beds or containers will keep them in 1 place.

Seriously i forgot about some unused potatoes and they sprouted in the cupboard. Chucked em in a pot. Foxes dug them up had a chew and left them on the top of the pot. I got distracted for a bit and didnt move them and they have started to grow again. They are THAT easy!

Raised beds are helpful for reducing bending down and for having fabulous soil. Yes, you will need to buy lots of soil to fill them. How much depends on how big your beds are!

Things which need lots of depth such as potatoes are maybe not so suited but I am sure others will disagree.

Buckets, barrels or bags are perfect for potatoes. Start with a small amount of soil/compost and keep heaping soil on top as the leaves grow. The more soil you have on top, the deeper the more potatoes you will grow!

That's a toughy really as it depends on how much you want to grow. You would need a couple of metres square or thereabouts I think if you wanted a few of each plant. Potatoes can go in a barrel so don't need to actually take up room on your plot. Things like gooseberries and currants can grow quite wide but can be trimmed back.

If you want to be very posh you can put blueberries in pots with ericacoeus (look for rhododendron soil) soil. Feed and water them well and you will get lots of lovely fruit without taking up bedding room.

Thinking more. Potatoes take a lot of room so if you were short on space I would avoid or pop in a barrel.