**Newbie Gardener Thread** support, advice and ideas swap shop!

[NattyPlus2andAHalf]

this is a thread for people who have just started out with gardening, in pots or ground, that wish to swap ideas, share stories of triumph or sorrow!

everyone is welcome! so introduce yourself and get chatting.

[snorkle]

You are plugging that book rather a lot veggiegirl. If you have a wested interest in it you are supposed to register as a trader or something. There are lots of excellent free internet resources on organic gardening on the web too.

[veggiegirl]

If you're a newbi... then have a look a a great resource from another mum who has v v little time (sounds like you?), has a full time job and children (sounds like you?), has no prior gardening experience (sounds like you?) and fond that she loved to feed her family fresh own grown crops and knew they were organic 'cos she'd grown them (sounds like you?) , is waiting for her children to be old enough to share this with them ):

Have a look here:

Http://www.mumsgrowyourownorganicvegetables.com

It's great resource and ongoing support.

[gardeningmum05]

i hate slugs!!!!!!!!!!!!
the best thing is to go round in the evening and look for the little buggers. stick them in a bucket and chuck them over the fence only joking, i dump them on a big green area on the front of my house thats council owned, its just grass. you find loads in the evening

[thell]

I think slugs have eaten the lettuce seedlings that didn't just keel over by themselves. I will definitely sow directly in position next year, they do not like to be transplanted :P

I have one or two defiant lettuce seedlings, and I've sown more in position, so may have some late ones to harvest.

Just the slug issue to grapple with now...
I'm thinking of trying copper tape, as I don't want anything unsightly if poss (like eggshells). Anyone had any luck with coffee grounds? There's a slug-thread in which most people seem to be saying nothing really works, except possibly beer traps!

[gardeningmum05]

my courgettes have tiny buds ready to flower on them {grin]

[gardeningmum05]

my lettuce is outdoors but in a sheltered spot. also my radish, but i planted too many together so have ate the big ones and think i may have to waste the rest in that particular spot as all spindly. never mind, a lesson learnt for next time.

[thell]

Bah! I think my seedlings just don't like me very much :P

[snorkle]

thell,

The lettuces I've been eating were either grown indoors, or in a cold frame. The outdoor ones are still too small to eat, though I think if it hadn't been so dry over the last month (till a few days ago) they would have grown a bit quicker. I've eaten some outdoor radishes (sown 19 March), but some of the same row still aren't ready.

[thell]

All my seedlings seem to be growing extremely slowly!

I thought it was because they didn't like being transplanted (lettuce, rocket, garlic, calendula), but the stuff I haven't moved has slowed down too (tomatoes, lavender, stocks, morning glory,chives, coriander....)

People who are harvesting lettuces, radishes, etc - when did you plant them? Did you grow them indoors? I was expecting my cut-and-come-again stuff to have grown a bit bigger by now!

[Mumwhensdinnerready]

I only sowed mine spring onions a few weeks ago, didn't know they were so slow growing.
Will try to get some in in the autumn then.

[snorkle]

sow not sew

[snorkle]

radish is much faster growing. You will have to be patient for the spring onions, they are much slower growing. If you actually want them in the spring (April-May) then you need to sew in the autumn (August). If you sew at 3 week intervals between Feb and July then you should get a harvest between June and October.

I estimate yours will be ready Julyish - the longer you leave them the bigger they will be.

[gardeningmum05]

planted about 5 weeks ago, they just look spindly, maybe they will thicken up with abit of sun
i grew them with radish and thats about ready now.

[snorkle]

Not a huge expert, but I grew some for first time last autumn - planted September, just eaten most of them & they grew OK from being sown direct in the ground. I also planted some more in modules (about half a dozen pr module) at the end of February which I planted out on the allotment towards the end of March (still in their clusters). They are growing OK, but slowly - I'm expecting them to speed up a bit now we're getting some rain.

When did you plant them & where & what seems to be the problem?

[gardeningmum05]

any spring onion expers out there?

[Mumwhensdinnerready]

My spring onions are also pathetic GMO5 so I'dwelcome tips?

[gardeningmum05]

all this rain is great for the vegis.
got courgettes, runner beans, garlic, potatoes, caulis, radish, lettuce. strawberries, tomatoes, spring onions, sweetcorn, brussels, all growing great
except spring onions, looking a little bit thin, any help?

[Mumwhensdinnerready]

I've not been on here for a while. Snorkle thanks for the potato reply. Mine are Arran Pilots though I cannot remember when I planted them. My late FIL used to keep a diary of when he sewed everything, when it was ready and how much the yield was but I'm not so organised.

I'm finally eating my own lettuce. Had French beans last night (ok only 4) from a plant grown in the conservatory.
Given up on carrots..no germination whatsoever.
I sewed Swiss chard and spinach beet in guttering it was nicely spaced out and healthy looking so I decided to plant it out last week. I think my mistake was to do it too early before the plants had big enough root because they all fell to bits.However they are growing well now in the veg patch.

I've planted out some French Beans and Borlotti beans.
Raddichio coming through in another gutter sewing.
Most of this stuff is new to me , I normally just grow beans , tomatos and peppers ,so I'm following everyone's progress with interest.

[gardeningmum05]

just had a lovely cheese salad sarnie, with my own mixed lettuce and radish, picked this morning
feeling very pleased with myself, yes i know,i really need to get out more

[HelensMelons]

Gardeningmum, my mum has also said this about tomato feed, I will ask her.

I have my exam tomorrow so after that I intend to become much more garden friendly.

My vegetable patch doesn't have any veg in it so I need to sort that out somehow but I also want to do my pots and hanging baskets.

[gardeningmum05]

what a great weekend in the garden
planted out my runner beans, brussels and sweetcorn.
put them all in pots. my grandad always said that the best way to feed any flower or veg was with tomato feed, anyone have any advise on this please

[thell]

Hurrah! My dwarf beans have germinated! Blimey, they are instantly quite big compared to the other seedlings - tiny white roots sticking out of the bottom of the fibre pots
Now to buy some more containers!!

[OracleInaCoracle]

oh, im so excited!! my tomato seeds have sprouted!!!!!!

[thell]

Thanks Snorkle, I'll not worry too much about the rocket and lettuce then. Except for watching out for slugs! I'm away for two nights, so what's the betting the wretched slime-monsters have eaten them all by the time I get home ??

Quite excited about pricking out the toms, but I'll hang fire for a couple of weeks I think. They're going in hanging baskets, and I haven't actually figured out where I'm going to hang them from yet!!

Beginning to think the bucket I shoved the spuds in won't be deep enough. Must find an old sack or something.