Easy veg to grow?

[GreyishDays]

I have some normal slightly sprouty potatoes that I’m aiming to plant.

We’ve grown carrots before which have been variable (0 one year)

Anything else easy? Have no greenhouse but could start things off in the house for a bit I suppose.

Wilko seeds are from a reliable company.
Usually seeds that are cheap are really easy to grow.

You can grow food from ends. The root bit of something like a spring onion will usually regrow into a plant.

Things like perpetual spinach, spring greens and kale will usually survive the winter.

Oriental salads are good.

If you have the space, artichokes are good. The thistle type ones look impressive and the jerusalem ones look a bit like big yellow daisy flowers.

I started with herbs as I felt I was truly bad at it. Then I moved on to potatoes and tomatoes but in grow bags. Cress is super easy and so it rocket. Rosemary goes wild. So does mint (make sure that has its own space of it will take over). Thyme. I have a bay tree as well. Warm weather herbs like coriander and basil can be trickier as they like warmer weather. Started going on more sites and over time have raised beds and a greenhouse but courgettes are definitely tricky!

If you are prepared to wait till the winter for a crop, swede is dead easy. I would say virtually every seed germinates. You do need to thin them though, to get decent sized swedes.

@PickAChew what do you mean about the supermarket herbs? I picked up a couple recently, do you mean put them in bigger pots or split them up into several pots? How long will the be OK in the original pot? I have too many seeds growing at the moment and don't have room for more pots!

They tend to be a bit root bound so I spread them out in a bigger pot, or in the garden, in the summer. I've had thyme last 4 or 5 years and self seed everywhere.

@Snausage I agree with premier seeds I've never had any issues with there seeds.

Tomatoes
runner beans
potatoes
strawberries
Blackberrys
Have all been successful for me I don't have a greenhouse either always start the seeds off indoors.
This year we trying some new things. Hopefully, they do well.
Aubergine
cucumber
pumpkin
beetroots
onions
cauiflour

Spuds, you can grow them in a bag :)

No - Carrots, always seem to turn out twisty and unpeelable.
Stay away from brassicas - bloody caterpillars munch through them.
Lettuce - if you like it :)
Toms - I once grew lovely toms in one of those plastic covered greenhouses. Cucumbers as well.
Strawberries - net with old curtain netting to keep the dicky birds off
Herbs will grow in anything - old cups, saucepans etc. I once used a washing basket as a plant pot - worked a treat.
Pumpkins, if you have the space - even the greediest birdy can't nick those :)

Good luck

Pumpkins and squashes take up a lot of space - I train them so that they don't sprawl over the ground.
Aubergines are tricky - I managed a decent crop one year.

Generally, I try to grow the things I use the most. Home grown carrots are delicious but I haven't had much success.

Potatoes in a bag tend to produce smaller potatoes than in the ground.

I thought you might like to see some photos to inspire you new gardeners . By the way, I'm no expert, just an enthusiastic amateur who likes things to look nice as well as taste nice.

Firstly, you can grow tomatoes without a greenhouse. Last year, because I used my greenhouse for sweet and chilli peppers, cucumbers and aubergines, all my tomatoes stayed outside and I had a bumper crop. If you can afford the pots which are sat on reservoirs with a wick between water and soil, I can recommend them. They are expensive but last for many years.

Some tomatoes do better under glass though, so check on the seed packet that you have got one which will do well outside, if you can't grow under glass.

I have lots of success with chilli peppers in my greenhouse, which is sited in the hottest part of the garden. You can grow some outside, but you would need a good summer. I don't usually do so well with sweet peppers, but last year was brilliant, particularly with the long pointy ones.

I have been spectacularly useless with aubergines until last year, when I tried a long thin variety, which did very well, as you can see.

I don't have a massive vegetable garden, just some raised beds in a tucked away place. Actually, it's not sunny enough for most veg, so I'm planning to put some large pots in other places this year.

I have hanging baskets and wall troughs with strawberries in them and I also have a small herb garden, under the olive tree, which is somewhat out of control at the moment.

This keeps me sane in a mad, mad world.

I had a good crop of runner beans last year. You do need to sow a decent number to get a large enough crop but they do keep on making new beans for quite a while so that's nice. The slugs like mini bean plants so I recommend sowing them inside first till they've got a bit of height. After that the slugs leave them alone (mostly).

Last years perpetual spinach is still growing . I didn't pick any leaves through winter to see what would happen and it's still thriving. Planting more of it this year. No maintenance, keeps on giving. Just keep plucking a few leaves per plant so it stays alive.

I've started sowing some pak choy, spinach and lettuce inside and they're doing well and are being low maintenance, so I recommend that. I have a couple of tomato plants but I do feel that I fuss over them a lot while they only give me a few tomatoes.

I had no carrots last year. Had enough seed but nothing came up. Not the first time either. I don't know why I keep trying.

I'm trying potatoes this year. Any tips are welcome

@FallenMadonnawiththeBadBoobies your garden looks so beautiful. For easier plants I would suggest mint and tomato. Peas, Beans and cucumber the next level. Carrots and radishes after that. Onions and garlic are good too. Squashes and pumpkins are easy too but are ready only in autumn. If you have a green house or conservatory you can try growing tropical herbs and veggies too. I have couple of tropical herbs like tulsi (ocimum sanctum) and Coleus aromaticus in the window sill. I also have edible little bonsai oranges (I don’t have the heart to eat them they look so cute)

Pumpkins - great but mine rambled all over the garden. I got three beauties in time for Halloween.

Spuds are easy. I'd recommend planting an early and a main crop variety. That way you get potato salad potatoes and decent baking potatoes.

For now, bean sprouts are easy to grow indoors. Or good old cress. If you like you could also try wheat gras for smoothies

@FallenMadonnawiththeBadBoobies

Are most of your plants grown in pots/planters?

I am in rented accommodation, and the garden is mostly paved/gravel. This year was going to be my gardening year - but I am unsure how to go about it all as I can't plant into the ground...

@thelongrider Those are lovely :)
May I ask where do you all buy the raised beds? I have a north facing garden and have few veg pots but I think I should properly start establishing a veg patch. I’m sure me having a veg patch in the south facing front garden would raise some eyebrows. What would you all suggest for a north facing garden? And where to buy those raised beds?

If part of your garden is in the shade, move things likely to bolt luke salads and spinach there in high summer.

Many of the herbs are decorative and you can grow them in borders. Just don't grow things that look similar to anything poisonous.

Many herbs need to be contained.

You can grow loads of things in cheap bags. These are potatoes, but all my tomatoes are in bags too (with supports).

OverTheRainboxLiesOz are they just ordinary bags from a supermarket or special grow bags?

Just ordinary bags from a garden centre. Sort of a plastic weave.

But you can use ANY container as long as it has plenty of drainage. Old pots, troughs, boots, wooden containers.....

Tomatoes
Courgettes
Squash
Potatoes
Beans

@FallenMadonnawiththeBadBoobies Wow your garden is amazing!

Is there anything that will grow straight from the ground? I can't afford compost, soil, grow bags, etc but I have a big garden and a spade and am raring to go!

Straight into the ground, spuds, parsnips, carrots, peas and raspberries. Also growing courgette, peppers, sweetcorn and beans this year. Was self sufficient for three months last year. Aiming for better this year. Might need it!

@Fedupandpoor, most things will grow from the ground, and you will probably get a half decent crop in the first year.
You don't need special containers - you can repurpose things you already have. You could for example use an old pair of wellies as plant pots. Just make sure there's a drainage hole.

A lot of things will grow from cuttings. You can beg these from people with gardens. As long as you aren't taking the piss, they'll usually be happy to help.

Seeds and plastic trowels are usually available for a few pence at the end of summer when shops (Wilko) and garden centres are making space for Christmas stock. B&Q type places tend to be a bit pricey.

You could make your own compost from kitchen waste.
You can use things like an old bin with a hole in it to make it.

Seeds, seedlings, compost, well-rotted horse manure, garden tools, plant pots can be found often on freegle and freecycle, and often they will be within walking distance of where you live. Ask on there for specifically what you want and say please. I'd be far more likely to respond to something like "Do you have some small plant pots and compost for a novice gardener please" than to someone saying " Got any gardening things I can have"

You can do things like push the top of a carrot or the root end of a leek, spring onion or spring green into the soil. You can sow the seeds from a tomato or squash. Results aren't guaranteed but it won't have cost anything.

Wow, TheLongRider, your pumpkins are fab. I haven't had much luck with them, nor with any type of squash, other than butternut. And then only one per plant.

Oakmaiden - yes, in planters or raised beds. I do have some things in the ground - a few fruit trees, raspberries (the patio type - so can go in a pot), rhubarb. I'm intending to put more directly in the ground this year. One of my DC is vegetarian, and I'm a little concerned that there might be a lack of fresh veg/fruit.

As I mentioned, the planters from this company - www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/planters-and-pots/ - are excellent. Expensive, but very long lasting. But I have all sorts of planters. As someone up-thread mentioned, you can use pretty much anything, provided you grow the right crop in it. The key is watering. If you let things go dry, they really won't do very well. Luckily, it's unlikely we shall be getting a hosepipe ban this year!

Sprayitall - I think t was you who asked about where to get raised beds from. There is a good selection here - www.harrodhorticultural.com/raised-beds-tcid2.html, but e-bay always has various options. Railway sleepers are very good if you can get hold of them.

Fedupandpoor - of course you can grow straight in the ground and I would imagine that's what most people do. The soil where I live is awful - really dry and sandy. Not much will grow here without compost being introduced.

If newbie gardeners want somewhere to look for advice, can I suggest the Grow Your Own forum - www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/vegging-out/ .

And we could use this as a support group?