My veg plot adventure starts here...

[cavscott]

Well, that's it my vegetable plot starts now. I've just ordered a couple of raised bed kits from Wiggly Wrigglers and I've got some space in the garden ready and put aside, just by where I'm growing rhubarb.

I'm thinking of growing winter veg first of all, starting with some Winter Cabbages. Was thinking of January King as a variety or has anyone got any other tips for a beginner?

Cav

[MKG]

As far as veg. goes, it's years since I last had a real go. So I'm also a complete novice and I'm running right alongside you. Well - if a Bristol City supporter can do it, a Donny Rovers fan can too. At the end of this season, we'll see who has the biggest carrot.

[cavscott]

You're on!

[MKG]

GENERAL APPEAL - Carrot-growing advice urgently needed.

[thecornflake]

GENERAL APPEAL - Carrot-growing advice urgently needed.

Make sure the soil is nice and fine, otherwise very odd shaped carrots will result. Or push something down into the soil to make a nice deep hole, then fill with fine soil.

Other than that, I only grew them last year and started too late so I don't have a lot of other advice. I'm trying Parmex (globes) this year (I'm restricted to containers).

EDIT: I can advise you against starting off 500 seedlings and then having nowhere to grow them all!

[Millymollymandy]

I wouldn't suggest cabbage growing for a newbie. Try some easy veg your first year such as lettuce, radish, spring onions, french beans, onions, carrots and parsnips. Courgettes are pretty easy too but take up a lot of space.

Cabbages take up a lot of space and suffer from all sorts of insect problems. You could well end up with nothing at all! Far better to have a variety of easy things. Also you can see if you have the dreaded flea beetle by growing radishes. If you do have this problem then most brassicas are out!

Or, you could end up with loads of cabbages and nothing else and get heartily sick of them!

[ina]

Very sound advice there from MMM. I've never been terribly lucky with cabbages myself... They don't grow well everywhere!

I would also suggest that maybe for the first year you don't try and start off all the seedlings yourself - spend a few quid and buy yourself some young plants (of whatever it is you are growing) in a garden centre. That way you've won at least half the battle. Next year you can be more adventurous!

[hamster]

The Guardian are doing a 'grow your own veg' guide this weekend - one part today and tomorrow. Haven't read it yet, so can't comment on how good it is, but thought other veg novices might be interested!

[Thurston Garden]

I would also suggest that maybe for the first year you don't try and start off all the seedlings yourself - spend a few quid and buy yourself some young plants (of whatever it is you are growing) in a garden centre. That way you've won at least half the battle. Next year you can be more adventurous!

A very good idea, unless of course Wiggly Wrigglers got all your cash for the raised beds!

You could also look out for Kitchen Garden Magazine - it has often got offers for plants: this month is sweetcorn and beans.

[CaundleMama]

the first things I grew were tomatos,runner beans,french beans & lettuce,I stuffed in some early potatos that did beyond my wildest dreams!I also grew pumpkins but they went EVERYWHERE (think triffids )

Brassicas such as cabbage & January King is vey nice will need netting IMO,we lost every one in the kithen garden to caterpiller munchings despite hours throwng the bargers over the hedge the ones up the field were under netting where the butterflies couldnt fit thru to lay their pesky eggsess & did perfectly.If you do decide to grow them,cheap way of netting is to get lengths of bendy white conduit used to cover wires?& bend iinto semi circles,each end stuck in the ground if that makes sense to make a hoop,space out & then cover with some of the greeny netting you can get from garden centre or Homebase sort of places.
Good luck with your growing!

[Peggy Sue]

I di Pak Choi last year which were amazingly easy, they were sewn after mid summer so no worries about frost and transplanting etc, just bung them in and they gre all winter- had the last one in january! I got them from realseed company so they are heritage (wish I'd seed saved )

[Teasal]

When I first started growing veg I was very successful with broad and runner beans. I planted peas, and could not understand what had happened - nothing came up. I soon found out that mice are very found of peas ......then just before the winter, among all the beans I found one pea plant that had survived!! So, I always set my peas off indoors, to give them a chance among our rodent friends. I have a lot of trouble with cabbage plants too, and cabbage butterflies, but I always plant a lot of everything, so by the law of averages we get by! Any poor specimens are not wasted, the goats and our pet rabbits don't mind eating them.

[Cheezy]

I wouldn't suggest cabbage growing for a newbie. Try some easy veg your first year such as .... carrots and parsnips......

Hadon 3M I have to protest here. Are you saying that because I did not get a single parsnip, and only managed a few measily carrot fly ridden carrots last year that I'm worse than a newbie!! ...foul play I say.

Easy veg and veg that costs you alot to buy. All bean varieties are easy, I don't do runner s thou, and they need a lot of water and can be fussy. Pea's, broad beans ,french climbing beans (blue lake are excellent) garlic, leeks, potatoes, Tomatoes are easy if you get the weather!, chard as an alternative to cabbage, (aka perpetual spinach), rockett, salad leaves, herbs

[cavscott]

Well, the raised bed kits have arrived and have been built so now I need to dig 'em in. Probably have to wait until after the weekend though. It's my daughters birthday this weekend and we have a house full of guests and a Birthday party to survive!

[ina]

Probably have to wait until after the weekend though. It's my daughters birthday this weekend and we have a house full of guests and a Birthday party to survive!

But that's ideal! Borrow a few garden implements (spades, trowels etc) if you don't have enough to go round, and get them all to help! Bet you that would be a birthday party to remember...