Veg to grow

[Saxophonedelight]

First time gardener. I have a small roof terrace and would love to start growing some veg. Could I have some help and advice please?

*what are easy veg to start growing for a complete beginner?
*is there any veg I could start planting now?
*if not, what stuff should I start buying and preparing for when I can?

I'd love to grow potatoes and onions and garlic as I think I would eat them lots! But I'd also love my little terrace to look quite pretty.

*Are there any pretty type containers you could recommend for growing veg, especially potatoes in?

Thank you!

Carrots, tomatoes and strawberries and all pretty easy to do and grow well in tubs. Great idea good luck!

Cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket.
Pots of herbs, rosemary and chives for example.
Pot of strawberries.
Radishes.
Nasturtiums for the petals scattered on salads.
Borage to float the flowers in sparkling wine.

Could I start growing these now?

Just noticed that you mention growing potatoes, you could try a tub of potatoes which you would harvest as new potatoes early in the season.

Why not have a wander around a couple of local garden centres and see what they have available, you might pick up some nice pots in the sale too.

Thank you! That's good advice! Would you recommend any online places to buy the seeds from?

spring onions are really easy and very satisfying!

also pak choi

Oh yes I agree about spring onions, but I grow them in a vase in water on the window sill, and just snip off what I need for salads, they quickly regrow.

Broad beans & courgettes both very easy to grow.

How small is the terrace?

Top crops for maximum yield:
Runner and/or French Beans. Pick green and any left at the end of the season, let them dry and use them in stews.
Salad bar, keep sowing a pinch of lettuce/radish/spring onions each week and you should have salads most of the year. I have two trays of lettuce leaves, mustard in the greenhouse now, have had all winter. You can have 2-3 trays and once the first one is exhausted, refil with fresh compost and start again.
Tomatoes, but grow bush not vines and let them do what they do, one stake in the middle if needed but they generally go on for ages if you get them out at the right time, give them sun and feed and don't let them dry out.
Some crops need to be sown after midsummer's day, eg spinach, rocket, pak choi so have a few of these up your sleeve for autumn harvests.
Apple tree in espalier, may take a couple of years but the amount of apples you can get from a square metre on a sunyn wall is astonishing.
Herbs, particularly ones you use.
Cucumbers, in a sunny spot and climbing up a trellis.

OK thank you! Have just spent the last hour or so reading. It all feels a bit overwhelming and I'm not sure where to start.

Can I ask are there any potato seeds in particular you would recommend planting? Same for tomatoes and other veg? I would really like to grow spring onions and garlic and tomatoes and spinach and courgettes.

I've decided to order rudolph seed potatoes and a smaller salad type potato seed from marshalls seeds. Do you think that would be ok?

The trouble with Rudolph is that it's a main crop potato, so it will be taking up space on your small terrace until the autumn when it can be harvested. You would be better sticking to salad/early cropping, e.g. Charlotte or Anya.
Remember too that potatoes take up a lot of space, you will only fit 3 or 4 plants in a large tub.

Carrots are not easy and are rarely worth the effort IMO when you can buy them so cheaply. They need a very sandy light soil.

Go for big value for your money - herbs and berries. Spinach will come again and again and is really easy. Well worth growing.

I think the easiest things to grow are broccoli and potatoes but they take up lots of space.

I think tomatoes are really hard to grow unless you have a poly tunnel or greenhouse.

New potatoes are worth it because the flavour is so much better when they are freshly dug, but i wouldn't bother with main crops. The best varieties are Pink Fir Apple and Ratte.

I agree carrots can be tricky. Cut & come again salad leaves are easy & quite satisfying though.

oh thank you! this is great!

So for potatoes, I'm going to look at:
-charlotte, pink fir apple and ratte

Where would you recommend buying the seeds from?

Also I'm going to try spinach and broccoli. Where would you recommend that I buy those from? And what berries do you think I should attempt to grow - strawberries maybe?

I buy lots of seeds from Thompson and Morgan.

Spinach bolts if you sow it this time of year, as soon as it gets a warm spell it tried to flower.

Broccoli, needs to be in very firm soil and takes a year to harvest. And it gets every bug going.

I'd never suggest Broccoli to a newbie. Stick to easy wins in the first year.

Strawberries, yes just get a few good plants, one or two of each variety for a longer harvest as in a year you will have loads and in 3 years you will be giving them away. We rip out ours every few years and start again.

Ok thank you. Might give broccoli a miss in that case.

Will check out Thompson and Morgan!

What does bolt mean? When would be best to plant spinach?

To clarify, with strawberries are these plants I should get? Do I just get them, water and leave? Sorry for the questions!

You could start some chilli plants off indoors now (I will be this coming week) - there's a huge variety to choose from. The first thing I plant outdoors is radishes - they grow very quickly and you can reuse the space after harvesting them. I agree with a PP about not going for broccoli (or any other brassica) as a beginner - they may start off well, but you'll be cursing the cabbage white caterpillars later in the year!

furry when do you plant your radishes? And with chilli plants - are you planting them from seed this coming week or will you be getting plants and just growing those? sorry, I feel like I keep asking very basic questions!

Bolt means the plant grows too quickly & tries to flower - it makes it tough & spoils the flavour.

I am an experienced veg grower & never grow brassicas because of the cabbage whites & pigeons - you have to net them.

If you grow strawberries you will also need to net those or the birds will get them.

Thank you! I've just ordered a whole bunch of books on first time veg-growers so I'm excited to read them! I think it's probably best to do a lot of reading and hopefully I'll still have time before I need to plant or grow anything - it seems like late feb/march is the time to start growing stuff?

I plant my radishes once there's no more danger of frost - so that depends on where in the world you are! I've just ordered this year's chilli seeds (jalapeno, poblano, a small bush-type and something I forget!) from Thompson & Morgan, and will be planting them as soon as they arrive. I'm going to try spring onions on the windowsill for the first time this year, too :)

You have loads of time OP.

I usually start Easter weekend (although you can sow under cover earlier if you want).