Growing veg for a complete beginner

[Pacific]

Right, here goes......

Due to the price of veg/food going up, I would like to start a veg garden. We have a south facing garden which should be ideal but the soil is very solid and clay like and has only ever had turf on it for the last ten years since the house was built so there is probably a lot of builders rubble buried under the grass.

Where do I start? I have never gardened before. Is there an idiots guide book that I could buy? Or should I just forget the whole idea.

Any advice gratefully received.

To be honest the fact that there hasn't been anything in it apart from turf for years is probably good, as nutrients won't have been sucked out.

Grow Your Own Veg by Carold Klein is a good book.

Get the turf/grass off and dig it over. Removing any large lumps of rubble as you go.

When I started I dug 3 veg beds out - each one is about 12ftx3ft - I wanted to be able to reach the middle of the bed without walking on the soil. 3 or more beds also makes crop rotation easier in future years.

Grow stuff you like, you may fond your soil suits some stuff better than others. I can not grow broccoli or sprouts for the life of me and neither can the neighbours - so we blame it on the soil and I don't bother anymore. As space is a bit limited I also don't grow onions or carrots as they're fairly cheap to buy.

Get started as soon as you can - April/May are the main sowing months.

If you look after the soil the plants will look after themselves.

You need to dig in lots of organic matter - manure, compost, whatever you can get your hands on.

And do not give up it will be one of the most satisfying and rewarding things you do.

If its been turfed then you can't grow main-crop potatoes in your new plot for a couple of years as there's something which will be in the soil that will attatck the tubers. Can't for the life of me remember what it is though!

I was given 'The allotment book' by Andi Clevely for christmas and that seems a good alround sort of a veg book. Also a book which is organised into what to do in each month is quite good to spur you on in quieter months. I'd suggest going to you local library and 'try before you buy' on a selection of books.

You can be starting plants off on your kitchen window whilst you get round to preping the soil. Its a good time to start tomatoes, courgettes and outdoor cucumbers right now.

Thanks everyone.

I think I will aim to start next year and give time to prepare the soil. It is very heavy and sticky so I think I will need lots of compost.

I didn't think of the library and we have an excellent local one!

Dozeynoo, can you recommend a 'month by month' book?

If you wanted to have a practice this year while you're getting the soil ready, there are things that grow well in pots. I did this a couple of years ago and it made me realise that things really do grow! And gave me the confidence to try more things each year.

Things that are easy in pots are courgettes (they are really easy and you get loads of courgettes just from one plant), radishes, lettuces, strawberries, tomatoes. Or potatoes if you have a big container.

IWGOT Quite fancy the courgettes. They are one of my favs.

Ok, where do I start? Do I buy seed? Do I buy plants? Can any old container do? What about feeding them? What about frost? (I am in Edinburgh).

I have a few pots which I usually put flowers in but I quite fancy having a go with edible stuff.

TIA

The Allotment Handbook is fantastic and has a month by month section as well as really detailed fruit and veg listings with recommended varieties.

Re: courgettes - buy seeds now and put them in compost on your window ledge and cover with cling film - keep moist! You can grow in any old container or growbags! Keep them inside til the frosts have gone and then harden them off for a few days before planting out - good luck!

Hi Pacific, I have a clayey garden which is quite small too so I grow all my veg in pots. I know Delia is not very popular at the mo but my mum got me a copy of her 'Kitchen Garden' book and there's a section at the back for growing veg on the patio. It's also organised by month so you can see what you should be doing when. Then dp bought me 'Grow your own Vegetables' by Joy Larkcom but that's more of a reference book and not necessarily so straightforward for beginners. I have heard good stuff about the Allotment Handbook but we don't have it ourselves.

I have grown potatoes, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes and lots of salad leaves. This year I'm doing garlic, chillies and climbing french beans as well as various herbs.

If you look in one of the month-by-month books you can check which veg you can grow from seed and which should already be seedlings, then order as appropriate from a supplier. But to be honest I don't think you won't be missing out if you sow seeds now. Some of mine have only just germinated as I was a bit wary of the cold weather and delayed sowing much until recently. My french beans, chillies, tomatoes, coriander and chives are all still inside.

My potatoes are grown in bags supplied by Marshalls as a kit along with the seed potatoes. Although there's no way I could ever grow as many as we eat, they taste so delicious fresh that I still feel it's worth it.

Have a go! It's loads of fun and even if some things don't succeed you can put it down to experience and try again next year.

For courgettes I grow them from seeds. Fill some small pots (about 3 inches wide) with compost (I just use general all purpose) and push one seed per pot about half an inch into the soil. Cover with a plastic lid and leave on a sunny windowsill (make sure compost stays moist). If you plant them now the seedlings will probably appear in the next week or two. Take the plastic top off once the seedlings have appeared. By about mid May it should be warm enough to stand them outside during the daytime to get them used to being outside.

Then in late May/June plant them outside into bigger pots - do one per pot as they get quite big. Any pot will do as long as its got good drainage. Then just keep watering them so the compost doesn't get dry. You can feed them but I don't bother and they've always been fine.

Then they go mad and get big leaves and yellow flowers and the flowers turn into courgettes. They're fab! I love them because they're so easy. Last year I planted 8 plants thinking some of them wouldn't grow, and they all did and I ended up having courgette with every meal and still giving some away!

Right! Going to try the courgettes.

Going to the library to look for allottment books.

Going to try other salady stuff in my pots.

Going to dig out a small plot and try growing more stuff next year.

Thanks all

Don't forget you can try raised beds if the soil concerns you too much.

I would definately recommend growing in pots and containers, we do it every year due to only having a small patio/courtyard type garden.

I have the Dr. Hessayon 'Vegetable and Herb Expert' book and find it an excellent resource.

Dont take on too much to start with, or you will become demoralisd. Find out if there are allotments nearby, and ask for advice, see what grows well locally. Expect differing advice from each allotmenteer, but if they are like our allotment residents, they shoild be very helpful, and may even pass on a few plants for your plot! most allotments have a shop where you can purchase compost seed potatoes onion setts, and seeds. |Good luck!

bump

Courgettes are easy and v.tasty but the slugs and snails think so too, so watch out!