ive got a garden for the first time ever. i want to grow some veg, how do i start?

[NattyPlus2andAHalf]

i moved into my new house just before christmas, and we have a garden which is something ive never had before.
i would like to grow some veg, unfortunatly the only bit that gets any sun is in the front which is fairly small.
can anyone suggest easy to grow first time veg in a limited space?
we eat most veg, and i can always invent new meals to include anything else

it is a fairy shady garden being so small, and its not had anything grown it it before, do i need to prepare the soil? if so how do i do that?

a short break down of how to grow from seeds would be great, or should i buy plants to start off with?

thanks guys

hi, no advice sorry, but have just made a 3x3 veg bed and will be watching this thread with interest! Think i will do carrots, toms, would love to do green beans.

thats the sort of thing i was thinking of doing. plus maybe pots for my patio area, apparently tomatos are ok in pots? thinking maybe a window box of herbs too

Dig over as soon as the ground unfreezes and dig in some manure.
For your first year it might be worth sticking in some potatoes to break the ground up and some beans as they put quite a lot back into the soil.

Then next autumn you can think about what you might like to grow in more detail - ie what works with your soil, conditions etc and get manure dug in late autumn.

Have fun!

thanks miss!

ooh i'm watching this thread with interest as am in similar situation to op.

hopefuly get more top tips like missisboot's

hi natty, maybe we can keep a sort of idea swap going? and prompt each other, am going to do herbs as well, grew loads of basil in pots last year, yum.

sounds like a good idea
i will start a thread.. brb

newbies here

ok set up a little 'club' for us all, we can support each other!

think what you like to eat most and try and grow it!

our favourites have been
blueberries
french beans
tatties
rocket (but spreads)
lettuces
beetroot (real success)
herbs (rosemary/thyme/mint/sage ..
ohh and purple sprouting broccali (as comes huge in the winter when all else has died and is so easy yet is so pricey in the shops)

we half our plot is currently garlic.

it's very exciting and we love it as do the kids

noonki, do you prepare the soil with anything?

This was my bible when I first started growing - an excellent reference and takes you through what you should be doing on a monthly basis.

Don't let the title put you off as the information is just as useful if you have a small or large plot.

Natty - Is your house a new build? If so, you might have to do quite a lot to improve the soil, because building can leave a lot of the sub-soil (which is often lumpy clay) near the surface. And some builders deal with all the rubble and grot by burying it (not very deeply) in the garden!

Best ways of improving the soil are home-made compost (have you got room for a composter?) or shop-bought before your own composter gets going, or other things like composted bark or even bags of topsoil. Have you done a pH test on your soil? That will tell you how acid/alkaline your soil is and what is most likely to thrive in it.

Have you got anything at all growing in the garden? How big is it? If you want to fill front and back gardens solely with stuff you've grown from seed, it's probably worth investing in a propagator and (if you've got the space) a mini-greenhouse. Also join your local gardening/horticultural society, as they often have plant swaps. My garden is very largely stocked with bargains I bought at ours!

Sorry, long post. Happy gardening!

Hmm. Don't dig in manure if you are going to grow carrots/parsnips - it makes them fork. (Carrots are easier than parsnips btw). With a new plot you will get away without manure even for pots in the first year. You should definately start a compost heap. A dalek type doesn't take too much space but gives you somewhere to put your veg peelings etc that's better than landfil and will return you an excellent soil improver.

What are your priorities for growing stuff? Is it to get better tasting, healthier vegetables or to save money? Some veg. don't really save you much money (onions for example), others take loads of space to grow in quantity (maincrop potatoes). First early new potatoes in tubs/dustbins work OK (I'm told) and taste good, but if you buy the tubs then you won't really save money.

I'd start with carrots (for flavour) and salad stuff. I like runner beans too. Rhubarb grows well in fairly shady places I find as well. Perpetual spinach and chard is quite easy (but only grow if you like it) and ditto beetroot.

no not a new build but it was very over grown and clearly not cared for b4 i moved in.

am looking to grow veg, partly for money reasons, also because i cant afford organic veg, so thought i would grow my own.

also going stir crazy, and faniced a new hobby lol

Tomatoes do well in pots after danger of frost has passed.

Courgettes are easy - need lots of manure/water.

Runner beans grown up a wigwam - or climbing French beans.

Buy a pack of 'cut and come again' salad leaves.

Radishes/beetroot very easy.

The easiest things to grow are sold as Kids' veg seeds - that will give you a good idea of what to start with.

Marking my spot. Have just got a very overgrown allotment so will be watching this and like the look of that book linked to on Amazon MissisBoot

Basic's and we've just recieved this book also here,which is fab for newbies.

Good luck,we are growing on new land this year, after 4 years of our regular well know allotment,we feel like newbies too

Soft fruit like gooseberries, rasberries, strawberries are very cost effective to grow. I think I'd rate a strawberry tub over a potato one to be honest.

I started out a few years ago with a single 6'x 3' raised bed growing salad stuff and carrots & beans using a square foot gardening system. The next year I had 3 beds; then 5; then 7; and now an allotment! I expanded the range of what I grew each year. So be warned, it's very addictive. I don't really do square foot gardening any more, but it is good for small spaces.

Your biggest problem is shade. Not many vegetables will thrive in a shady spot, so I would concentrate on interesting expensive salads etc.

The problem with shade is that plants will look as though they are growing, but your results will be disappointing. I have been blighted with this problem for years, and would recommend:

Salad mixes - especially rocket, mizuna and other highly flavoured baby leaf salads. (as long as you like them of course).

I would also put in some herbs that you like to cook with, and those that are much nicer fresh. Rosemary, thyme, french tarragon. basil and coriander in summer.

Chives will survive in shade.

You could create a small raised bed for salad and herbs, which you can then put compost into for better drainage than soil (depends on your soil type whether you need to)

In addition, you can grow some berried fruit successfully in partial shade. Blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries will all do ok. You can apparently grow a morello cherry tree on a north facing wall - this would look nice trained into a fan or espalier?

I have never tried potatoes in shade, but a dustbin-type thing has to be worth it with some first/second earlies.

A book I would recommend is called 'Urban eden' by adam caplin which gives lots of great tips for growing edibles in a limited space and coping with aspects like shade and poor soil.

Step by step advice:

1. Dig over the current soil, removing grass and perennial weed roots.

2. Mark out a raised bed are and buy the parts to fit it.

3. Build your raised bed, and fill with a mix of your own soil (depending on quality) and John Innes compost (soil based rather than peat based).

4. Choose your seed from the garden centre or online at either the main seed companies like dobies, robinsons, suttons, unwins, thomson & morgan, or more niche companieslike 'the real seed co'
   (search on google).

5. Look at the packets to find out the right time and conditions to sow the seed.

6. When the time comes either sow your seed in pots on a windowsill, a propagator or direct into the soil.

7. Water often.

8. Harvest as and when you need the salad, taking care not to let them grow too much or they may bolt (start to produce flowers)