29th March "Grow your own" newcomers welcome here

[TalkinPeece]

In light of lots of posts on lots of other threads I thought I'd start one for those who are looking at their gardens in a whole new light this spring.

Rule One of starting to grow your own
do not be over ambitious
A couple of growbags and pots at the start will give better results than trying to dig up the whole garden

Rule Two of starting to grow your own
grow stuff that will actually cope with your conditions
Look at where the sun shines on your garden at different times of day and what access to water you have

Rule three of starting to grow your own
grow what you will enjoy eating fresh from the garden
as the crops will be smaller but tastier

Rule Four of starting to grow your own
prepare to develop an obsession with the weather forecast

HOWEVER
Tomatoes against a wall of the house are easy in most of the UK
Herbs in small pots on windowsills are easy in most places
Lettuce / salad greens can work in pots, tubs or even hanging baskets
Spinach can be seeded soon and every few weeks from then on to keep you in greens for months
Baby carrots are quick fun and easy to grow in a tub
Beetroot ditto
Dwarf french beans later in the year are well worth growing even in a tiny garden

If we assume that the biggest newcomer plot is 2m by 1m (or 8 feet by 4 feet in old money)

How much yummy veg can Mumsnetters produce?

I spoke to my garden centre lady about slugs and she recommended that I grow veggies in pots on a bed of gravel. My front drive is full of gravel so I can give it a go (as long as we don’t knock the pots over with the car )

Are nemotodes organic?

Yes nemotodes are organic but I wouldn't recommend eating them! You keep the packet in the fridge until you want to use them, then mix with water in a watering can and water over the area. Just be sure to follow the instructions. They have been very effective on the occasions I've used them.

Tremolo - liquid comfrey stinks to high heaven so keep a lid on the pail if you're brewing any for fertiliser. It's very potent. The plant has a very interesting history as a 'cure all' and it's worth having a read in some ancient herbal type book (or even these days on the internet!) if you can. Just from the interest point of view, perhaps!

I'm going to give it a go this year. Last year was a bit of a disappointment.

And I think basil is quicker and easier on a window sill, as it hates cold .

At the end of last summer I saw some triangular 'raised bed' containers in Wilko that could sort of slot together. Has anybody tried these? We have a small space but like to grow a few vegetables, especially in containers. I'm all for digging up the lawn but DH wants to keep it.

Also, where can I get nematodes?

Good thread, will come back to read this properly in a bit.

But for now - we’ve just moved and our new garden has a section planted with rose bushes. I don’t like roses as a flower and the bushes themselves are sparse and ugly, I’d much rather plant some veg or something, but I am a complete newbie.

How should I approach the patch? It’s about 2m by 1m, and covered in woodchips apart from the bushes. If they’ve been growing roses is likely to be a good spot or not?

Also, where can I get nematodes?

Amazon is your friend

I just bought £80 of large plugs from rocket gardens - spinach, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot, courgette, tomatoes for hanging baskets, strawberries.

Plus loads of flowers from Sarah Raven.

VERY excited now

glamorous pallet collars as linked up thread are great.

Great thread. Really interesting to read what everyone is growing. I'm nosey!

I have 5 raised beds & a greenhouse so grow quite a lot on crop rotation. This year I have dug out all my strawberries as they had got too old so need to set up a new bed - variety recommendations welcome. The whole veg garden is full sun.

I'm going to try celeriac this year.

Other crops I do: Toms, cucumbers, peppers, aubergine, dwarfbeans (trying yellow this year), runner bean, lettuce, courgette, squash, corn. Also going to try a pumpkin this year. Potatoes in sacks.

Bring on spring!

I haven’t got room for those pallet collars - small sloping garden and DH wants to keep the small lawn. The triangular black plastic ones from wilko might fit into corners on the small patio.

Nematodes do not really work in pots as they need constant moisture to stay alive.
For pots, wool granules are better.

Glamorous
You could make your own funky shaped frame out of 6x1 planks and setting out pegs ..... veg beds so not have to be rectangles
one of mine is a distinctly odd shape

Ninenine
If its had roses, the soil may be a bit depleted, but nothing a bag or two of composted manure and some digging will not cure
and the nice thing is that roses will not have harboured diseases that hurt annual salad veg

Thanks Talkin, that’s good to hear. I have DH on board with trying spinach, carrots, and maybe starting raspberries, putting in something long term for our new house 😊

We actually have some rhubarb crowns that we have moved from our old garden because it was inherited from DH’s parents and grandparents, hope we haven’t killed it by not getting it in the ground yet...

TalkinPeece I could do that if I had the skill but sadly I don't. Also I really need container type things to sit on the patio. Digging up the garden to do proper raised beds would be a step too far with DH although I did sneak 6 inches off the sides of the lawn last year without him noticing.

glamorous
in that case, have a look at your local dump and see what big planters are up for sale - ours often has huge ones that are ready weathered ...

That's worth trying. Thanks.

Great thread, I am following and taking notes! The front of my house gets loads of sun and I have tried and failed to grow tomatoes. Every year without fail they get blight, is there anything I can do to.prevent that?

My back garden is slug heaven, so this year will be trying the nematodes.

I do have a question if anyone cares to help, my back garden is a slim longish (30ft) strip. The fence gets the morning til early afternoon sun but as the garden doesn't have much depth I am looking to grow something up the fence. Does anyone have any suggestions? We love most things except runner beans.

Can I.use the plastic trugs (will drill holes) to grow salad crops in? I can put them out the front as it gets so much more sun and isn't plagued by the kids and dog 😂.

I really want to grow something and am kicking myself for refusing to learn when my gran tried to teach me!

Just set away fennel and onions on my windowsill. We're not doing carrots this year as last year's weren't worth it plus cheaper at supermarket. Still got some brussels in the allotment on the go. Toms came up fantastic last year, hoping for bumper crop again. Also have pop up bags containers for gem lettuce in the garden again and will be doing; potatoes, corn, onions, beetroot as staples in the all9tmejt again.

*allotment 🙄 - we did our tomatoes in trugs and potatoes in a combo of bags/speed on to the soil.

trillion
I admit I grow my tomatoes in my polytunnel because blight is so depressing.

Yes, salad veg will go in big pots, just make sure you keep the soil evenly watered

Climbing plants - standard peas, squash, french beans
Tall plants - sweetcorn, more climbing beans

Tomorrow I need to get my act together, clear up my desk and get the heated propagator set up. And some compost warming.

Don't let me forget, need to order some print cartridges as well.

If anyone is interested in sprouting seeds etc for stir-fries, or salads if you're brave (foolhardy) like me & willing to ignore the risk of spoilage, these jars are very good. I've had a pair for absolutely years, they are best used in the dark to prevent bitterness which can develop in certain seeds - mung bean sprouts for example.

I used to sprouts chick peas and mung beans when I was younger in a cobbled together jar. But these are much better. I did broccoli sprouts - they were delicious in a winter salad.

Hi, following with interest, as have been planning to do some container gardening this year. Have also been looking at vertical gardening, for lettuce etc, using garden walls. Some great advice on here.

I've just bought two lots of sprouty jars off amazon - thanks for the tip about growing in the dark

I've never done this so am dead excited !