Have I left it too late?

[kansasmum]

I want to have a veggie patch in my reasonable sized garden. I have a patch earmarked but currently its covered in small stones/gravel and ground covering plants and a rosemary shrub.
I have picked this area cos it gets sun but is fairly sheltered too.

Anyway- the weather has been awful- rain rain rain and now snow today!
I haven't been able to get out there and do anything!

I believe the soil here is pretty good as all my neighbours have successful veggie patches.

Have I left it too late in the year to start a patch? I was going to get a load of top soil delivered and once all the gravel & plants etc are pulled up fill in with that and mix in some poultry manure.

Have never had a veggie patch before so am wondering if someone can suggest some good "first timer" veggies- was thinking beans, potatoes, salad, courgettes and peas?
help please!

No, not too late. I've just taken on an allotment and most of the other plot holders haven't started yet, just a few peas and broad beans as far as I can see.

Your plan sound fine. Wilkinson's is good for cheap gardening bits. They have seed potatoes pretty cheaply so you could get them now and start chitting them (whack in old egg boxes and put somewhere cool and light to get them started) then they can go in once you've sorted your patch. Potatoes are cheap to buy though and take up a fair bit of room, so maybe think about doing things that are more expensive in the shops.

Look at the BBC dig in site as they were giving free seeds away. Courgettes and beans are easy and don't need to started until end of April/beginning of May I think as they can't tolerate the cold so can't go out until you are certain there will be no frost. If you want something pretty to look at as well there's a runner bean called Celebration that has lovely pink flowers (moreveg.net sell it). Peas can be started off now in old toilet rolls filled with compost then the whole tube popped in when you are ready.

Rocket is also very easy as long as the slugs don't munch it. Mange tout was a big sucess for us last
year, very easy, again you can start in loo rolls.

How exciting!

There are also lots of cheap seeds in Poundland and 99p Stores, where you get a set of six veg and salad seeds for (obviously) £1 or 99p! Have you got a local gardening club? They often have plant and seedling swaps at this time of year.

Salad is a nightmare to grow if you have a slug/snail problem, but land cress and lamb's lettuce seem to stand up better to the onslaught. What about some fruit bushes or canes? Strawberries?

Oooh I am really pleased that I am not too late! We have had terrible probs with slugs in the past. They devastated my lupins.

Will try some potatoes then and also the peas and beans.
May have to re-think the salad due to the slug issue. Do those copper tape things work at all/ I don't want to use slug pellets cos I have a little boy and also dogs. Do beer traps work?

Well looks like I need to get going on preparing the patch ASAP1
Part of the reason for doing this is my son- he is 3 and a VERY reluctant veggie eater! I am hoping that if he helps grow it and picks it he will be more keen- it worked with some cress we grew in the kitchen last week!!

Is broccoli easy to grow?

Don't think I have room for fruit bushes but maybe some strawberry plants....

I used the copper tape round my raised bed last year for the first time and it was great. The previous year I lost just about everything to slugs but managed to grow loads of lettuce, beans and peas last year.

Definitely grow some peas if you are trying to interest your DS. It's great to just pick and eat them straight from the plant. My DSs ate every single pea before they even reached the kitchen last year which is exactly how I'd planned it!

Definitely not too late to get started. My first lot of peas were eaten, so yesterday I started some more off. I've actually left them in a glass of water to soak overnight (I think that's supposed to speed up the germination a bit) and will plant them out tomorrow in pots.

Things like lettuce / spring onion / raddish you make sowings all summer every few weeks or so.

Beer traps do work, but the most effective method I have found is to go out at night with a torch and collect them up then sling them in the nearest field. Crushed up egg shells are supposed to work but I've not tried it.

Can I throw the slugs into the garden next door cos their dog is annoying or is that mean?!!! they would probably just crawl back here anyway!

Well I was hoping to get out this w/e and get the plot ready but since its POURING down again I can't
Hopefully the weather will pick up over the w/e and we can get started.

So, with the lettuce ....do i just sow some lettuce seeds every few weeks to keep the supply going over the summer?

Dh suggested raspberry canes- but aren't these quite hard to grow? Don't require nets over the top or something?

Thanks for all the tips!

Salad leaves - yes, sow more every few weeks for a steady supply rather than a glut all at once.

Raspberries are dead easy, the DC love picking pudding in the patch - we have the summer fruiting variety, they just need pruning once a year in autumn and we never net them. We have loads of birds in our garden but they never go for the raspberries. It was another matter entirelylast year with the builders.....

I find copper very effective with slugs.

Well I have spent the last 2 days digging out the veggie patch and its just about done1 Need to mix in the fertilizer and it should be good to go!
My friend has left over potatoes that are chitted (is that the right word?!) and is giving to me and I bought some bean and pea seeds and am planting those soon!
I was planning to plant them in pots til they germinate and grow a bit and them harden them off? is this the right way or can I plant the seeds straight into the veggie patch?

I have really got this gardening bug now- poor dh I can see him looking worried as I plan all sorts- he sees the garden disappearing "the Good Life style"!!!