Growing veg

[BoredBetsy]

I'm a useless gardener but I'd like to grow some veg and herbs this year.
Could anyone who has success with this give me really basic details and recommendations please?
I'd like to know where to get seeds or plants from, which soil to buy, what kind of pots.
I'd really appreciate this help.

As an idea, I'd like to grow strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, rocket, basil, coriander and maybe some other stuff if anyone can recommend.

This is a really great website for beginners, focused on growing in pots (I grow all of my fruit and veg in pots as my garden is mostly concrete) www.verticalveg.org.uk/start-here/

Wilko or B&M are really good for cheap seeds, pots and compost. Aldi also has a garden event on at the moment so 40l bags of compost are about £3, I bought some large planting bags for planting potatoes very cheaply and they had loads of pots in there. My local garden centre also has a pot recycling point out the front where you can leave plastic pots you don't need and take them if you do so that could be a good way of getting some for free. I've also used Facebook before to get free plastic pots.

If you have the space, a mini plastic greenhouse is a good starting point for growing from seed. I love mine and use it loads. Or you can start things off inside on your windowsills.

I’m very much enthusiastic amateur rather than any sort of expert, but these are my thoughts:

I bought a tray of six small strawberry plants a couple of years ago from b&Q, and since then they’ve produced lovely strawberries and also at least 40 baby strawberry plants. You can grow them in a grow bag, or in pots.

I’ve had success with growing from seed using a propagator. Seeds from Wilko, suttons, or the supermarket have been fine, or a brand called premier seeds on Amazon. The only problem
ive had was growing chives from seed, tried two brands and they wouldn’t grow. Then I collected seeds from a chive plant growing in a patio crack and those seeds germinated.
For tomatoes I grew the ‘sweet million’ type last year, they were very sweet and I got loads. I started them in the propagator in those cell trays with the lid on, took the lid off as they grew bigger, moved them into a bigger pot (9cm pots) until I could see roots at the bottom of that pot, then they went into their final container, which was One of these

For herbs there’s an amazing online shop called Urban Herbs which sell unusual varieties, all the plants I’ve had from them have been really good quality.

For growing seeds I use a seed and cutting compost which is very fine, then once things are ready for their big pot I tend to use a 50:50 mix of normal compost and top soil, and then throw in some extra sand or grit too. Make sure your pots have drainage holes, and ideally use pot feet to raise them off the ground to aid drainage (I use the round black adhesive foam type ones, I got a big bag off Amazon).

Also on Amazon you can get felt grow bags which are for growing potatoes, you roll the sides up as you earth up the potatoes.

When I went in a couple of weeks ago Wilko had blueberry bushes, which grow well in pots.

I tried growing potatoes last year for the first time ever. It was very easy putting the sprouting potatoes in big sacks and topping up the soil as soon as the green bit came through. I got quite a few potatoes but really not the amount I was expecting. I'm not sure if it was the heatwave we had or I'm just not that good at it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I will follow this thread with interest as I'd love to grow some more fruit/veg.

I find coriander can be a bit temperamental from seed, but if you get one of the living pots from a supermarket, pull the plant apart into maybe quarters and replant with more compost in a bigger pot and it'll keep growing well (leaving them in the small pots they don't tend to last too long).

Also watching with interest. We have many local cats, foxes, squirrels and magpies treating our back garden as their own. Would that be an issue if I tried groeing fruit/veg out there?

Thank you so much for such informative posts. I can't wait to get started now

Wilko is great for seeds and the own brand seeds are generally reliable.

If you are growing things for the first time or have limited space, grow things you like eating, and that are fairly expensive to buy (e.g. rocket or pak choi, couldn't be easier to grow), and buy things that don't take much space. I love salads, so grow a lot of it. Globe artichokes are spectacular, but take up a lot of space.

Grow things that grow quickly. Some won't give a harvest for months, and although you might like to grow your own sprouts for Christmas, you'll probably get more mileage from growing tomatoes and salads that will feed you for months.

If you have space for a tree, grow a tree that produces edible fruits. I have a Braeburn tree and got a lot of apples last year and they lasted well after picking,
and before long it will be in blossom. If you really love a certain fruit (e.g. damson) grow that.

Strawberries are easy to grow..

Most plants grow better in the ground, but pots are ok.
Herbs are a joy, and can perk up a simple dish
Home grown usually tastes much better.

Every spring, I buy a pot of basil from the supermarket, and split the plants (there are usually dozens) into about 6, and pot up each clump into a bigger pot. Keeps me supplied with fresh basil throughout the summer/autumn, freezing surplus or made into pesto and frozen.

I do the same for parsley.

I have all of those and never noticed much problem. Wood pigeons on the other hand…

Placemarking ☺️

Thanks, Mere! We have plenty of those too, and parakeets, but I really should have a go at this when I have two functioning hands again.

Strawberries are very easy to grow, just google 'strawberry plants to buy' and get them from one of the big gardening companies - they're not very expensive and will produce loads of new plants on runners to replace themselves (cut the runners off to encourage more fruit though when you don't want/need more plants).

For rocket if you get wild rocket it's perennial so will come back every year. Basil doesn't like our weather I find, likes hot and dry, for that and coriander I'd just get it from the supermarket in a pot, split it up and repot and then keep it on the windowsill. Thyme and rosemary can go out happily. Tomatoes - personally I wouldn't bother unless you have a greenhouse, there are ones you can get that don't require one but I wouldn't bother personally. To me they're also not the easiest thing for a newbie.

Are you growing in containers? If not I'd recommend runner or French beans as being fairly easy, cottagers kale - but it will need protecting from butterflies, Jerusalem artichokes - very easy, raspberries. All these things will grow on pretty much any old crappy land (I know this because they grow on mine!) If in containers then I'd recommend land cress - perennial again, but for something annual but that grows fast and is quite large I'd recommend Giant red mustard leaves. Spring onions are very easy from seed and don't need much space.

I recommend swiss chard and spinach beet/perennial spinach.
Kale will grow through most of the winter

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g sorry to be a downer but I’ve learnt through bitter experience, a lot of wildlife in the garden will mean you need to protect your plants when they are at the vulnerable early stage. For example, when I put my tomato plants out in pots I put chicken wire around the top with a cut out for the plant to grow through. Foxes are terrible for digging around especially in homemade compost, they are looking for the eggshells I think. My cat thinks any new soil is her litter tray. Pigeons will pull at green shoots, and so on.

Last year was my first growing fruit & veg

best return for effort was : lettuce, spinach, strawberries and tomatoes

see if you know anyone who gardens as they might give you strawberry runners/starter plants

I'm still learning/experimenting but have enjoyed growing tomatoes. I've mostly grown cherry ones. I tend to start from seed but then buy a small plant if they fail (or as well!) later in the year. You can grow in pots. Read advice from more experienced growers and don't sow too early if you are starting from seed - first month on packets is often a bit early, depending where you live. need to protect from frost then harden off (gradually get the plant used to the cold & wind).

Seeds you can get online eg. Seed parade, Amazon, Happy Green Shop, Mr Fothergills, or in garden centres. Perhaps read up on which type but I liked Sungold (yellow). I'm trying others this year. Garden centres will have plants once it's warmer. Sometimes Facebook marketplace there might be a local selling young ones. You can still grow beans in pots (my first time growing them last year though so I'm no expert).

You could grow "companion plants" - flowers that put off pests or get eaten instead, eg. marigolds.

I've found my gooseberry prolific and low maintenence! Other berries haven't had good results for me so far but may be my soil type etc.

We've had a lot of success with herbs by just buying the potted fresh/live herb plants from the supermarket in the veg section, and planting them in a raised bed in the garden. We did this with rosemary, peppermint, basil and a couple other herbs. It must have been well over a year ago now since when we planted them, and they are all still alive and growing well.

Easy fruit and veg to grow are tomatoes (my fave), potatoes, strawberries and lettuce, there's plenty of good sites out there with info on how to grow, and what seed varieties to buy, like https://www.greenhousereviews.co.uk/growing-guides/

Just keep an eye out at Wilkos, as they sometimes have great deals on seeds such as 3 for 2, or the popular varieties for 50p a pack.