virgin veg grower - advice please?

[fadingaway]

have decided this year to try some veg/fruit, to save money etc. SO many questions:

1. What is best for me to grow, bearing in mind I live in a tiny high-up village in County Durham. The site is exposed. When it's sunny/warm it's fab (I burned last year), but when it's windy it's wild. I fancy tatties, runner beans, carrots, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers??

1. Would I need a greenhouse? And if so would one of those cheapy plasticky ones do the trick or are talking a(n expensive) real glass one.

1. Could I have a go at an apple tree or somesuch? Strawberries/ blackberries and stuff?

1. And kind of off the subject but plants in general - I have lots of catalogues and they talk about "growing on" and stuff. Would this growing-on have to be done in a greenhouse too?

Sorry to have bored you, if you've got this far .

Any other tips and advice v gratefully received.

I grew veg last year for the first time
I live in very windy place, but grew potatoes and lettuce, celery, parsley spring onions and cauliflower had abit of trouble with cabbage root fly and butterfly on my cauliflowers

Would def recommend potatoes I went out and dug up every time I needed some it was great
Going to try some more veg this year

I created my first vegetable garden last year and didn't have much of a clue as to what I was doing. I did find this website and it is very helpful.
Just go on it and enter your climate and it recommends what to plant and when. It can also send you weekly reminders of what you can plant and when approx it will be ready to harvest.
Good luck and happy gardening!!

am i very immature for wanting to post "im sure the beg won't worry about your lack of sexual expertise" ??

I think you would need a greenhouse for cucumbers and maybe tomatoes. Cukes can grow outside in UK but better under glass & especially in exposed & cold places (which it sounds like you are). Same for toms, though you might get away with putting them on a windowsill?

Tatties, carrots & lettuce should all be fine. Runner beans might not like the wind - you'd need strong & secure supports or consider growing a dwarf variety.

blackberries and strawbs should be fine - choose hardy varieties suitable for exposed locations.

If you want an apple tree either get a self fertile one, or better, two that are in the correct group to polinate each other - again get varieties that will tolerate exposed sites - most do better in sheltered places.

Growing on can be done on windowsills or in cloches if you don't have a greenhouse.

Cauliflowers and Broccolli are very hard to grow (IME). Never had much luck with carrots either. Much easier are spuds, lettuces (although not the crispy green type - more luck with rocket type stuff) and beans.

Also grow blackberries and raspberries without any problems. Strawberries grow but without lots of TLC tend to get eaten before I get to them.

Onions are also fairly easy.

Should have said, I have grown lots of varieties of Toms outside. Large ones do not do well, but there are many varieties of tumbling outdoor cherry toms which have always grown well (although they don't like the wind too much so need to be sheltered).

Oh I just checked that out,
I haven't prepared my plot yet I'll have to wait for the snow to thaw, I can't wait as I've been making my own compost and its already to go
I didn't think I could plant much at min until I was sure no more frost

I too have decided to grow some veggies. I have grown lots in the past but this will be the frist time in the UK. When do you plant seedlings? I am just south of London.

I'm in Australia so have got quite alot growing at the moment as it is summer.

I have the opposite problem to your frost, it has been so horribly hot here that my little seedlings are getting fried!

G'day lou...

Hi Super
I would like to show the kids that veggies come from plants and not little plastic trays. PLus I love eating beans right off the plant. I hope you arent in Victoria or North QLD.

I had the exact same motivation as you - I wanted my DD to know where her food comes from.

It has been very successful too as she is now eating carrots, broccoli, zuchini and loads more herbs.

It is a bit tricky watering sometimes as we have water restrictions. I put the bath water and washing machine water on the garden and it is thriving.

I am in Melbourne. The utter devastation of the bushfires is so shocking and upsetting. I still cannot believe how entire towns have been destroyed...

Me too, I cannot get over it. That combined with what is happening in North Queensland. I don't usualls get teary over the news but this has. I do hope that your family and friends are all ok. On another note I am not looking forward to coming back to water restrictions (im from Brisbane).
Sorry for the hijack everyone

super
my kids def love when I go out to pick stuff, I'm going to keep a wee check on that site thanks

Do this year's planting in pots. That way you can move them around until you find the best spot. I have successfully grown, in a north facing garden with a lot of shade, the following, all in pots (and an old baby bath):
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Aubergines
Beans
Peas
Salad leaves
Herbs
Pumpkin
Courgettes

If you are no good with seedlings, its worth buying baby plants so you can be reasonably sure of a crop of some kind.

When should I start planting? Obviously not now as they would get washed away but soon?

Lou - it depends what you are growing. Also bear in mind that it's been colder than usual this winter so I expect most things will do best sown a little later than in a more normal year.

I've been veggie growing for a number of years now. My first seeds of aubergine, sweet peppers and chilli peppers all went into my heated propagator just last week. It's too early for most planting out side yet.

March/April is ample to start most things off outside. The best grow your own site is hereIt has every thing you need to know.

Good luck. It's addictive. Now is a good time to start planning.

Start with tomatoes! Try to get a bush variety (not a log stem) and pop them on a windowsill. We do it every year and I love picking the toms! I pop the seeds in a pot then make a fram, with metal coathangers and a clear plastic bag (very Blue Peter!).

Ill be doing everything outside as I dont have room for anything indoors or have a greenhouse. Should be interesting....

To answer your questions though.

1. What is best for me to grow?

Always grow what you think you'll eat. Sounds daft but true. I would really recommend tatties for a beginner - just bung em in and you get a great usable crop in about 3 months. I'd also give your runner beans, carrots, and lettuces. a shot too. Read up about them, they are fairly easy. Toms and cues are better in a greenhouse, especially where you are. They also need a bit more fiddly attention. Maybe plan to try them next year. If you like peas or beans you can get dwarf varieties that would be less prone to windy conditions because they are small (obviously) Onions and garlic from sets are good too.

1. Would I need a greenhouse? Any seedlings can be started off at home on a windowsill if you have the space. Wait and see how you get on this year and if your hooked, then see if you can get a greenhouse off one of the re-cycle free sites.

1. Could I have a go at an apple tree Ditto what snorkle said re apply trees. Hardy strawbs are really hardy and should be ideal up there. You could also plant a row or two of raspberries which will come back year after year with little extra work on your behalf. Also consider a rhubarb plant. Will come back every year and again little work or effort. Blackberries are so available wild that i wouldn't bother. Just make sure you go out foraging for them come Autumn.

1. Growing on just means moving them onto the next stage to grow. ie Seed in little trays - seedling, move it into little pot, then when 4" or so move into ground. All can be done on a small scale on windowsills. One of the little plastic greenhouse (well weighted down) might be useful for this too.

Hope i explanined that clearly enough.

Oh and don't forget a few hardy perennial herbs - rosemary, thyme, sage. Bang em in now and you have them for years.

This RHS website is a good guide to planting times once you have decided what you would like to grow.

www.rhs.org.uk/growyourown/vegcalendar.asp