Beginner tips please! What to grow and when to start?

[chubbachub]

Hello! I'm after some real beginner tips please.

We have a decent size garden but a big patio and a smaller section of grass so not much actual ground to plant in. We had a Sainsbury's food delivery while we had Covid in January and they left 6 of the big crates that they deliver online shopping in here with us because they wouldn't take them back. I've since attempted to return them to 2 different stores 3 times and they won't take them back for some reason. So I think i could use them for planting as they are just cluttering up the shed.

My questions are - what would I use to line the crates? What is the best soil/compost to use? What easy things can I grow from seed and how do i do this? Ideally edible but flowers and plants are ok too. We have a south facing garden so sunny all day but we're in the west of Scotland.

I've grown strawberries and spinach before but wasn't sure when was best to harvest, and the strawberries were from a starter plant.

Also while Im here, my 4yo wants to grow a sunflower. When should we plant this and how do I support it as it gets taller? We have only ever managed a very tall stem in the past but it has never actually bloomed into a flower.

Thank you if anyone replies.

Sunflowers you can sow now, I would suggest in pots, in peat free potting compost. Put the pots ideally outdoors but sheltered, like a porch (I assume you have no greenhouse or cold-water!)

The thing with sunflowers is that slugs and snails like to eat them, so sowing seeds in the garden will likely not work.

Plant them out in May or June, hopefully by then they will be big enough to withstand the critters. Support by tying to canes with twine.

Sunflowers need lots of sun, so position them accordingly!

This sounds a fun project. For your crates, make sure they have drainage holes, if they’re plastic they don’t need lining unless they have holes in the side. If so a garden centre will have fleece type lining fabric on a roll. If you ask they will help you buy the right sort. Fill them with a mixture of compost, horticultural grit and treated manure, all available in bags from the garden centre. Place your crates on something like bricks to lift them off the ground and put them in a sunny position.
Buy seeds that will indicate on the back of the packet when to sow them outside.
Small varieties of carrots do well in crates, Nantes is one variety, sow directly and thinly into the soil and don’t disturb them. Courgettes are easy, as are small French beans, peas and annual flowers such as Nasturtiums and Candytuft. They can all be started indoors on a sunny windowsill and put in the soil after the last frost, usually mid May.
Have fun!

Thank you both!
The crates are plastic but do have large gaps in them so i think they will need to be lined.

Great tips and suggestions 👍🏻 think I might actually successfully grow something this year.

Weed suppressant membrane would make a good liner and is black so it won't show.

Those supermarket crates are quite shallow so I wouldn't attempt to grow root crops like potato or carrot. However most leafy things will grow well. I would go for some beautiful mixed salad and interplant it with marigolds and nigella. Strawberries would be great (though they won't fruit at their best till next year). I think squash/courgettes and pumpkin are worth a shot - two courgettes to a box or one pumpkin. You could also try a dwarf broad bean eg The Sutton.

For sunflowers start them indoors and gradually get the seedlings used to outside. You could stand to wait a week or two yet before starting. If you are planting in the crates, don't pick a tall variety because there won't be enough soil depth to support it. If you want to grow giant sunflowers pick the sunniest spot possible against a wall and grow in the ground. But if you choose a dwarf sunflower you could grow them in the crates probably.

If you want more soil depth you can grow potatoes and carrots nicely in builders trugs or big IKEA bags with holes punched in them.

Get peat free compost and mix in a small amount of manure to feed. Anything with fruit or flowers will appreciate a bit of tomato feed every so often but leafy crops don't want that.

I would do one crate of dwarf French beans, Safari is a brilliant, easy to grow and a great cropper, doesn't need canes to support either.
Cucumber, such as Mini Munch, is fabulous, perfect lunch box size fabulously crunchy and thin skinned fruit in abundance. Keep it in a sunny spot and water well and it'll do fine out. You'll only need 2 plants max and they could live in one crate.
I never have had luck with carrots, cheap to buy organic and a lot of fuss getting the soil right, primadonnas they are🙄.

I agree about carrots. Potatoes are only worth it IMO if you're growing an unusual variety or new potatoes for Christmas day. Dwarf french beans and cucumbers are a great shout. My sister is in Scotland and grows cucumbers very successfully - they like the long summer days.

You could also grow spring onions round the edge of the boxes and pull as you want them.

If you can't find "Safari" variety dwarf french beans then try amethyst.

Radishes are very quick growing if your kids want instant results

I’m north of Scotland and daren't put anything outside for a while… we had hail last night following sun all day! I’ve also had all my pots in the kitchen at whitsun due to snow!

I start a lot of stuff in a heated propagator because despite the ridiculously long days it never gets warm enough to germinate a lot of stuff.

For seeds I’d recommend buying from “real seeds” as all their stuff is tested in the Wild West of Wales and a lot of stuff is geared towards a short growing season.

Ne’er cast a cloot until may is oot - aka don’t trust Scottish weather!

Edgeofseventeen, OP is in the west of Scotland so warmed by the Gulf Stream. They grow palm trees over there, it’s a much milder climate than yours in the north (or me in east Perthshire!). OP, you do need to be wary of frosts until late April, but they’re less likely in your location.

I grow coriander, parsley and lettuce successfully in a similar set up. Somewhere a bit shady not in bright hot sun is good. Keep up with the watering - not too much water - and a bit of feed everytime you water.

Also got a more permanent planter with rosemary and thyme.

Dwarf beans are a good shout. A fruit bush if you fancy blueberries (you need 2 to pollinate each other). And they look pretty in spring and autumn too. Or you could plant a gooseberry or a currant.

I lined mine with compost bags turned inside out with holes in the bottom. But the fleece idea up above is probably better as better drainage.

Thank you all so much - this post has opened my eyes to what is actually possible! I didn't think I could grow half these things where I am. Quite excited to start my wee project and 4yo is looking forward to helping. We're going to get started this weekend I think as the weather is looking promising for the next week or so.

Although @EdgeOfSeventeenAndThreeQuarter made me laugh remembering my gran saying that phrase alot. It's true though! We've had random Easter snow before so who knows. Hopefully not.

Ah, posted too soon.

Should I be worried about anything I plant outside with the temps still dropping to 1/2 degrees over night? Should I keep everything in for now?

I would say yes, indoor reared plants won't cope with that, even if they are a hardy variety. They will need to harden off, going out on fine days, and coming back in at night fir a while, and not staying out until the frosts are done.

A cold frame or greenhouse would help.

I would sow the dwarf beans directly into compost into the crate and keep the crate in a garage/porch/similar and also cover with fleece or bubble wrap. Once germination has taken place, remove the fleece and keep the crate in a well lit place, outside in sunny days, back inside for nights until all danger of frost is gone. You'll be picking first beans in early June 🤓. Cucumber could do their thing in pots on windowsill until ready to go out.

I collect all the wool I find stuck in fences to keep my plants warm. I think your 4 year old might enjoy that as much as I do!

My 6yo DTs like growing beans, peas and tomatoes @chubbachub. They have zero patience (the DC, not the plants!) and fast growing things at least keep them relatively engaged! They like planting things like potatoes/ onions/ daffodils too and then get surprised when plants actually arrive months later