Growing my own vegetables

chaosweddings · 7 July 2011 at 9:37PM

Hi,
we tend to eat a lot of vegetables and have found that the prices are getting too expensive and we are spending around £40 per week just on these so we are looking into growing our own vegetables.

so what do we need, how do we start and what are the best things to grow and which seasons to do it in

Thanks in advance

katkins78 · 7 July 2011 at 10:03PM

Perpetual beet or spinach gives good yields and at this time of year kale is good to grow now and chard, saladings if you can keep then shaded and well watered.
Later from oct onwards, broad beans, overwintering onions and garlic...oh and if you buy leeks as plugs or in pots they are also good....some people pop early spuds in now but i have always found they succomb to blight before they reach maturity I have 'got away' with french beans but it does depend on the year iyswim?

Winged_one · 8 July 2011 at 9:44AM

At this time of the year, I'm putting in spring onions, radishes, salads, perpetual spinach, broad beans, dwarf french beans, a few more peas (in hopes I'll get something) and carrots for baby ones. I am also sowing cabbages this weekend, to get some spring cabbage next year. And I put in a load of things like turnips, swedes, beetroot etc last weekend.

If you are starting from scratch, and in the garden, it can be easiest to start most veg in pots and plant out seedlings - a few plastic trays like mushroom containers (with an inch or 2 of depth), put a few drainage holes in the bottom, and some compost (start with a small bag), pop in a few seeds and away you go. I also find that for beans (and sweetcorn, but too late for that this year), the middles from toilet rolls make great pots as they're nice and long and you can plant the whole thing, or takeaway coffee cups (if you are bold enough to drink it, that is!) with drainage holes poked into the bottom make a reasonably sturdy temporary pot (reuse before recycling!!).

WLM21 · 8 July 2011 at 9:50AM

I saw a few days ago that most gardening equipment at Wilkinson's was 75% off, so seed trays etc were quite a bargain.

Items may have all gone now, but if there's a store near you, pay a visit .. or give them a call.

Good luck !:beer:

ps If you fancy growing tomatoes in a greenhouse .. don't be tempted to get one of those very cheap plastic ones .. far better to go for a proper one, if you can afford it and have enough space.

chaosweddings · 8 July 2011 at 2:12PM

thanks everyone, ive just put a order in with wilkinsons for a few bits to start me off

therealdessie · 27 July 2011 at 9:52PM

Up until recently Tesco were selling those Grow Your Own pots (beans, peppers, various herbs) for £1 (used to be £2.99). You can grow them anytime on the kitchen windowsill and then transplant them outdoors into a trough when they're ready. We also grow radishes and lettuces in the same trough.

adelight · 28 July 2011 at 1:35PM

Check the 99p stores as all near me have some real bargains; seed pots 2 for £1.49, bags of ready to plant seeds in soil, bulbs, plant pots, fertilizer etc

suesnaggle · 29 July 2011 at 2:14PM

Hi I Know this is rather later than when you posted your question about growing your own veg, but just thought |I would add a few words.

I do not actually have a garden as I live in an apartment. However, outside my lounge windows I have found that some of the plants that were planted by the developer have died in the recent bad winters. Rather than replacing them or getting the gardenerd to do it. I decided that i WOULD USE THE SPACES TO ADD SOME OF THE PLASTIC GROW YOUR OWN POTAtO POTS. i HAVE HAD BUMPER EARLY CROPS THIS YEAR, A VERY SMALL IN BETWEEN CROP AND LOOKS LIKE i AM GOING TO GET ANOTHER good crop at the end of this month. That is three crops in the months from June to August from a space that is three feet wide and 18 inches deep. Not bad, Hey? I ahve also got a continuous supply of herbs (mint, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, and a good continuous croppping of rocket.

If I can do this with n o garden then I'm sure you can save yourself a fortune by growing more in your garden. Its also very enjoyable and gets you outside in the fresh air.

Sorry BOUT ALL THE CAPITALS BUT MY COMPUTER DOES ODD THINGS SOMETIMES - SEE!!

Good Luck

Sue

Growing my own vegetables

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