Veg growing.... in Scotland

[NessaSmith]

Hello everyone, I've recently moved to Scotland and have some nice beds I'd like to plant veggies in.

Way down south I just stuck everything in and hoped for the best and everything generally made it (except my tomatoes last year which were rubbish for some reason).

However, up here I only have 1 suitable windowsill, no greenhouse, and it's obviously much colder. Thinking plug plants best as nowhere suitable to start things off.

Any Scottish gardeners on here who could advise what might survive? Thank you!

I live in central Scotland and have grown peas, shallots, lettuce, strawberries, carrots and beetroot successfully in pots- I don't have a massive garden. It's colder but warms up and is lighter for longer. You can grow practically anything in Scotland but have to start a bit later.

Forgot tomatoes! I grew them too. I grew chillies on a sunny kitchen window sill

Outside in a raised bed I grow spinach, kale, peas lettuce and carrots, inside I grow chillies cucumbers and tomatoes (though I do have both a growhouse and a conservatory that is basically a greenhouse).

There's a lovely Scottish gardening programme called Beechgrove which I love as all other gardening programmes feature things like sunshine and light which aren't a given in the north. They are sowing seeds on Gardener's World a good month before I am in....

Plug plants are great for veg. Don't bother with tomatoes or sweetcorn or pumpkins.

I,m in NE Scotland, 300metres above sea level, windy. I have 2 greenhouses, and grow tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, pumpkins, in them. Tried toms outside, but hopeless.
oitside I successfully grow potatoes, onions, Brussels, cabbage, leeks, garlic, everlasting spinach. Carrots always get fly, going to try in tubs on a table. Peas and beans so so, not great.
definitely watch Beechgrove, such a useful programme, they also do lots of trials to see what works, not as airy fairy as Gardeners world.

Thanks all! Beechgrove is on YouTube so I'll watch that at the gym 😁 two birds one stone.

Shame no tomatoes or pumpkins, I love both of those! No room in tiny garden for greenhouse but could get a cold frame. Not sure it'll make oo much difference though.

We’ve grown tomatoes and pumpkins here in Midlothian. The year before was more successful than last year which was universally dreadful but even last year I got some decent tomatoes.
Just get planting as early as the weather allows.

@NessaSmith - if indoor space is limited even a small cold frame will help to get things started off. Keep an eye on the slugs getting in.

Where you are in Scotland will affect what grows well

The growing season is different - short and fast ( the long days help ) - do not get your stuff started off too early - if a seed packets says sow feb-March then look to the end of March

Just veg, or soft fruit?

Grow raspberries # they grow better in the north and home grown are much better than any shop raspberries

This looks good, have a Dobbie's close by:

https://www.dobbies.com/grow-it-wooden-4-tier-greenhouse/5638437602.p

Fruit is good too!

I'm just north of Edinburgh

That mini greenhouse looks good. I’d love to have something like that at home but the winds can get wild where I am in Edinburgh!
Hopefully it will be fine where you are.

I live in the east of Scotland and strawberries pretty much grow themselves. In fact, they've spread all over my lawn like weeds.

I've grown tomatoes outside successfully, near Edinburgh. Some years are better than others! I find bush cherry tomatoes do well generally. Runner beans are great, I always seem to get a bumper crop. Courgettes and strawberries are so-so. Carrots were a disaster. Radishes and salad leaves grow fine but pick lettuce before the weather turns chilly or it'll go bitter.

Basically, plant later than you think, and try to harvest before the frosts start.

You can grow most veg outside in Central Scotland except for typical greenhouse crops - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergine and chilies etc.

I can grow decent squash except for Butternut, they never get big enough before the first frost hits, I'm sure plastic covered hoops would sort that out though.

If you get one of those plastic greenhouses to start things like squash and corn early you can transplant them out in early June and they will have had a head start. In saying that, last year I tried direct sowing corn seed and they done fabulously well, I'm in Glasgow.

last year our pumpkins were disappointing bcos of the slugs and the cool summer.
have been thinking of plastic covered hoops although I’m not sure how we’d execute. We have hoops and clear plastic - do you think it would be ok to leave both ends of the ‘tunnel’ open? hoping this would increase temp enough to help the pumpkins along.

Thanks all. @Maggiethecat very windy here too but I've got a pile of bricks, I could put those in the bottom layer to try and hold it down. They have cheaper plastic ones but that would fall down in a heartbeat so I thought the wooden one looks more sturdy!

A memory from school geography in the 60s is that Blairgowrie was the UK (world?) centre for raspberries.

And of course Scotland is noted for virus-free potatoes.

If you have the plastic longer than the tunnel, you can bunch the end together and fasten down, giving yourself a tunnel with closed tapered ends

If you have a wall or pole or something that you could try to secure it to that might also help. If you do, check if the greenhouse has metal rings attached that you can use for tying to a structure.

Good luck!

That was for @NessaSmith

The wind is wild but we’ll give it a try!

Thanks- I'll pop over to Dobbies this weekend!