Novice veg grower - tips please

[minniecat2406]

Hello all. I have a fairly large raised bed to plant up. I'm new to gardening last year but successfully grew a load on onions and garlic this year so I want to expand my veg horizons!

Any tips? Reasonable soil with good drainage, east facing garden but this is right at the back so gets a fair bit of sun.

Thank you very much

Not sure when they should go in but tromboncinos are amazing! We grew ours up a (strong) trellis. The more you pick the more you grow! You can get up to 50 in a season. If you have them small they are just like zucchinis, but if you let them grow big the flesh turns orange and you use them like pumpkins. They will last absolutely months in their pumpkin form. Incredibly easy to grow and I just love them! Maybe something for next year.

What about some peas for the shoots? V nice slightly and in a salad! Or leaves/lettuce? Maybe radishes.

Or just enjoy the sunshine and plan for next year!

Look at Sarah raven website, there’s a really good section on what to plant now. Beetroot, turnip, kale, chard, purple sprouting broccoli, herbs....baby beetroot is fab. There may still be veg plants in garden centres.

What do you like eating? Plan for growing that.

Check out the garden centres for plug plants - there are still lots of brassicas about including purple sprouting broccoli, one of my favourites.

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate you're suggestions; I'll get googling!

i have just ordered seed of kohl rabi, basil, coriander and bunching onions. I also will be sowing lettuces, spinach, dwarf beans, spinach, pak choi, fennel, swede, beetroot all for autumn crops. you might find veg plants in garden centres that can still go in.

Nothing like lovely fresh basil on the garden. And it saves me a fortune!

Coriander reseeds very easily so it’s definitely worth the investment.

Salad leaf or beetroot would be good.

I'm still sowing the later successions of sugar snap peas, runner beans and dwarf French beans. You could also still sow things like salad leaves, parsley, roacket, coriander and beetroot. Depending where you are in the country you might be able to get a few courgettes if you get plants now. It really depends what you like to eat!