Veggie Club 2010

[Dumbledoresgirl]

Anyone interested in joining?

I have a large garden and want to develop a reasonably large veggie plot. I have a small side lawn which I want to start digging up this year with the aim of turning it all into a veggie plot in the next couple of years.

Up until now I have only grown the occasional veggie, eg last year, I had 5 courgette plants, so I am a relative newcomer to all this. I would love any tips about converting lawn into veggie plot and would really like to know what other people are planning on growing this year (and when you are starting!)

Based on what we like to eat, previous experience of growing veggies and reading through books, I have it in mind to try growing courgettes, runner beans, carrots, beetroot and maybe onions this year. Anyone else want to join me?

I went to Wilkos this am and got carried away stocked up on seeds!

Need to get some conpost too but am pg and can't carry it so have to wait for dh to go. Am feeling all helpless

Ooh and Ta for the link!

Can I join too please.

Grew courgettes in pots last year but my tomatoes were rubbish.

My main aim this year is to grow enough salad that we don't have to buy a bag for £1.50 all summer

Rabbit fencing up and gun at the ready.

Peas are about 2cm tall so far. Garlic and onions doing well. Potatoes ready for the next bucketful of soil going over them.

Did all my weeding yesterday. Moved one of the beds & filled it with seeds & plants. Its going to be a purple bed!

We have garlic & tree onions in the main bed at the moment. Dh is responsible for pots & shallots which are sat waiting to go in.

In the greenhouse I have loads of salad stuff a week apart for each tray and some pots of carrots. Tomatos and peppers all in trays.

Organised all the pots of fruit trees/bushes so they are all in position and have moved most of the strawberries outside now its warmed up a bit. Just the Kiwi left to move and that has to wait until we have built its own the patio.

I'm in please.

This year in our patch we are doing:

• Courgettes - yellow and green
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Climbing beans
• Broad beans
• Dwarf beans
• Peas - Sugarsnaps
• Sorrel
• Chillis
• Peppers
• Florence fennel (eek quite nervous about this never done it before)

We already have rhubarb, raspberry canes, loganberry and blackberry, and blackcurrant bushes.

Also DH has built a terrace planter for herbs and salad leaves. Will put tomatoes in growbags in sunken garden.

Never done peas, potatoes or climbing beans before, so a bit green ( boom boom ).

Anyone good on peas? I haven't sown yet - should I do in guttering/pots under cover or straight in the ground? We live in the South East.

I spent lots in Wilkinson's last month - some great bargains there.

I had done some in the ground & some in pots. If you do them in pots/ greenhouse etc they are a bit safer from slugs whilst they are little.

We are on major slug battle this year, anything & everything goes! Now what can I do about cats & caterpillars?

I like those copper rings for slugs, they work with my hostas. I suppose with a row of peas though you'd need some long copper strips.

I planted out some delphiniums the other day and was feeling very smug about their chances, having surrounded them with slug stoppa ( wildlife and child friendly ) and copper rings. DS massacred one with his football and trampled on another retreiving it. The veg patch, however, is well clear of the football pitch main lawn.

Thanks for the pea advice. I think I will risk planting direct as I don't have much space left for under cover and am pretty hopeless at the whole hardening off process. I am coveting some delicious cold frames at the moment.....

I put some peas in at the allotment a week or so ago but I had heard a top tip of germinating them first in a warm place. I put them in a plastic bag wrapped in wet kitchen roll. Took about 5 days to germinate then I put them in. That way the mice aren't so attracted to them (mice love seeking out freshly sown pea seeds). I then covered the patch with horticultural fleece to keep them snug and I've seen a few have poked through. I've also started some in modules under a home made cold frame at home.

I've put my first earlies in last week but am holding off for the second earlies and mains. The ground is still cold. Also got broad beans in which were started off at home.

I'm waiting mid April I think for another batch of seed sowing....

I reckon we're about 2 weeks behind where we were at this time last year.

I'm in!
Did some raised veg beds last year:
Strawbs, rasps, pak choi, land cress, perpetual spinach, carrots, radishes, sweetcorn, courgettes, brocolli, cauliflower and CACA salad leaves all good but runner beans truly appalling!
Also, Cauli really no better than shop bought, tastewise, and took screeds of space so not doing that again.
Am needing inspiration to get going this year with new baby and horrible weather. Garden's a disgrace, haven't done a thing - bought lots of compost/seeds/trays etc but it's all just sitting looking at me!
Hopefully this thread's industriousness will shame me into action (but not this miserable-looking weekend!)

Could I join please? Mr Whoami is outside as we speak wrestling with a dozen railway sleepers and a couple of tons of topsoil building my raised beds

I haven't a firm idea yet of what I'm going to grow, but based on past experience will probably be

Red Onions
Carrots
Courgettes
Squashes
Sugar Snaps
Sweetcorn (in the corner with the most sun)
Broccoli (I usu plant in the autumn for following spring - minimises caterpillars too)
Scorzonera

Also have a loganberry, getting a thornless blackberry to go next to it, rhubarb, 2 x blueberry bushes in pots, plus two other sort of upright bags for growing tomatoes and salad. Oh, and a potato growing thing.

Me too!

Last year was our first year growing veggies. We put in four raised beds filled with compost and topsoil as our garden soil is hard clay so very difficult to work or to grow anything in. We also used lots of pots on the patio. We have a small greenhouse so we started lots of things off in there.

We had success with carrots, peas, beetroot, herbs, spring onions, tomatoes and lettuce. All the brassicas got eaten by slugs/caterpillars. This year I am going to use 'nemaslug' and go on caterpillar picking duty every night to get rid of the little monsters. I also got a good tip about putting out grapefruit peel at night which apparently they like to climb into and feast on and then you just pick it up in the morning and dispose of.

This year I have started off tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries on my kitchen windowsill and lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and courgettes in the greenhouse. Next weekend my peas, beans, onions and carrots will be going straight into the raised beds and pots. DH has planted up his first early potatoes in potato planters on the patio.

We will be growing the tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse as its just too cold here to grow them outside.

We also have autumn fruiting raspberries planted and one blueberry bush in a pot and a plum tree which we got yesterday and is still to get planted.

Very excited to see how it all does this year and hoping for some more sun and less rain/wind than last year.

Hope you all have lots of success with your veggies and look forward to hearing how everyone gets on....

I am in- I have planted out my beans and peas. DS decapitated the cucumber seedlings so will need to sow again.
Tomatoes doing okay, as are the peppers.
Reading this thread I am now keen to try courgettes and reluctant to try Butternut Squash. My patch is only small though with a few of those container bags that I found on offer.

I'm in!

My ambitions outstrip my ability. Last year I grew tomatoes from seed (heritage varieties, poor crop) and asparagus peas which were pathetic and never cropped, salad which barely germinated, but some stonking rhubarb. Hoping for better this year!

This is a good idea! Last year I did tonnes of courgettes in pots, brilliant. Tomatoes - hated them, couldn't cope with all that pinching out. Doing bush types this year. Cucumbers very successful in our small greenhouse. Managed a few salad leaves and some fantastic corn on the cob! If you have space I would def recommend them. Only one cob per plant but they grow tall and up rather than out and you can plant lettuce or spring onions between them. Brilliant and tasted lush.

so far I've planted
courgettes - two types
tomatoes - two types but not growing yet
cucumber
purple sprouting broc for later in the year
red onions from seed
peppers - not growing, will need to do again I think
spinach, carrots, lettuce and spring onion in the veg box. Potatoes in the veg box and in some of those bags.
Also have chives, basil and coriander in the conservatory. Just growing now.
I like the the sound of runner beans and also going to perhaps do swiss chard as I got a packet free with a magazine!

I keep meaning to try that Native American thing of beans growing up the sweet corn!

Oh yeah do they call it the 3 sisters bed or something? Beans up the corn, and then don't you do squashes along the ground?

Yes, I think so. I'm not very fond of squashes, though, so was focusing on the tomatoes and corn!

Quite new to this too!
Last year had success with tomatoes, chillis (still using them up from the freezer) potatoes and beetroot (pickled loads of it!)
Have got sweetcorn and cucumbers to try this year and want to do some pumpkins/squash as well. Currently got tomotoes, peppers, chillis and cucumbers on windowsills but it is still too cold to put them in the greenhouse. Potatoes could do with going in but we had frost the other night so am a bit worried about planting them out!

I was in Lidl yesterday and they have loads of veggie seeds for 29p per packet. No idea if they are any good but I got some radishes, onions, chives and beans so will let you know how I get on with them. I was also tempted by the various fruit bushes they had for £3.50 but not sure if I have the space...

Hey all -

need some quick advice, my tomatoe plants are about 6 inches tall have had them in my plastic greenhouse thing at night time, can I plant them up into bigger pots now and plonk them outside all the time? or is it still too cold?

Can I join too?
I was thrown off my allotment (with no notice, grr) last year for being pregnant and excessive weediness (yes, in that order) so am restricted to two raised beds and some pots this year. I sowed peas, carrots, beetroot and salads in the bed yesterday and have started off parsnip seed on kitchen roll, and aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, shiso, cucumbers and kale in modules.

thrown off for being pregnant boogeek WHAT!!

Yeah I know. Was very sad and very angry but it's an old boys' club and am all meh about it now. I smile sweetly when I see them and hope they feel guilty.

I'll join if I may?
DP & I have a tiny tiny garden which is devoted to perennials, shrubs and baskets/pots with bedding plants. Oh and patio apple & cherry trees in containers!
However, we have had an allotment for 5 years now.
There was NO soil on our plot when we first took it on but now we grow
potatoes
peas
broad beans
French beans
onions, red & White
shallots
sweetcorn
squash
courgettes
raspberries
blackcurrants
gooseberries
strawberri es
tomatoes
herbs
salad greens
cabbage
brocolli
cauliflower

Writin this I'm amazed at what we've achieved.
There are many disappointments on the way, we struggle with greens like cabbage etc and have never yet grown a carrot!
None of my peas have germinated so Im off to buy new seeds & sweetcorn too.
It's the most amazing experience to eat a meal that you produced most of the ingredients for, we had Shallot Tarte Tartin the other evening with our home grown shallots!
Wonderful xx