New to this

spartan59

Hi all

I have decided to give growing my own veg a go. I've done some research but there seems to be some very knowledgable people on here so I'd like to pick your brains

Whats best to start with??

My garden has only a small area that recieves sun in the afternoon

There is a very shaded area

I have plenty of room for Pots etc


I'd like to grow enough veg to reduce buying veg from shops. I'd like to grow

Potatoes
Red onions
Tomatoes
Spinich
sugar snap peas
Herbs

All advice very welcome

rhiwfield

Youll need to give thought to the size of and access to/around your veg plot. There are plenty ogf threads on here about raised beds pros and cons. You will want your soil to be in good heart which means a good structure and fertility level achieved thru initial digging and adding of compost. If your shade is under a tree with soil dry from tree roots then that area may be unsuitable for a veg plot. Some thoughts on your plants:

Shady place herbs: Mint, chives
Sunny place herbs: most!
Shady place fruit and veg: Rhubarb, raspberry, chard, lettuce, radish. Most veg will tolerate some shade (except toms/peppers).
Onions: grow from sets for ease, one of the easiest plants to grow

Potatoes: can be grown easily in pots or potato grobags. I use ordinary builders buckets with drainage holes, 2 seed potatoes to a bucket sown in early march, crops from late may thru to august, average 0.7kg a pot (obviously the earlier you crop, the smaller the yield)

Must have sunny spot: tomatoes, and grow a blight resistant variety

Spinach: nice, but tends to bolt easily in hot weather. Leaf beet and swiss chard are often grown to provide spinach-like veg over a long growing season

Peas: Can be difficult at times, esp with mice eating seeds after sowing. Often not the best yielding veg, but delicious eaten immediately after picking.

Bristow

If you only have a small area, potatoes are probably not a good idea, as to get a decent crop you do require space. same with onions. Probably better to look for offers in supermarkets. Don't grow spinach; it tends to run to seed very quickly. Try spinach beet, which over-winters, so you get a crop in Autumn and Spring. Peas - forget them - they require huge amounts of water; we have a big garden and no longer grow them. Tomatoes are great; grow in tubs etc; go for the more tasty varieties such as Gardeners Delight.
Herbs are great - anything you fancy. Plus try salad crops - lettuce, rocket, mache, chicory (fris!e variety), radish.

Hope this helps, and good luck

Jake'sGran

Re growing hers, I found Basil and Coriander easy and of course, Mint will grow anywhere - don't plant it in the open ground though as it takes over. You could grow some spuds in a big plastic bag. Some people get a good crop that way.
I grow chillies every year for my son and tomatoes which we all like. The cherry type need less attention generally. Rhubarb is quite easy and so good for you (if you like it that is). I've stopped using growbags as I find the tall black tubs from the supermarket are easier all round. We also have strawberries and ordinary peppers were easy. I do prattle on but I just love growing things.

nodwah

Don't forget fruit!

I'm always going on about it - but redcurrants, alpine strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are really easy to grow and great value as always expensive in the shops and they will love your shady areas

spartan59

when is the best time to start planting??

When can i expect my first crop?

I've started preparing my beds and I am looking to build a raised bed in the area which catches the most sun.

Thanks nodwah I will def plant some raspberries and blackberries in my shaded corner, do they tend to spread out of control??

Lotus-eater

Get a good book and read it, my advice is not to ask too many questions in the first year, but just try it and see what happens,

rhiwfield

spartan59 wrote: »

when is the best time to start planting??

When can i expect my first crop?

I've started preparing my beds and I am looking to build a raised bed in the area which catches the most sun.

Thanks nodwah I will def plant some raspberries and blackberries in my shaded corner, do they tend to spread out of control??

Raspberries should be planted before spring if bare-rooted. Read up on them before you buy. You will not want to mix types that require different pruning. Different types crop over an extended summer period but dont expect any this year. They spread underground and send up new fruiting canes each year, you cut out the old canes annually.

Personally I'd rather crop blackberries from the hedgerows, we have too many trying to make a home in our garden already!

Get rhubarb in as well, dont crop this year but let it build up strength. Dependent on type crops from March onwards (or earlier if forced)

Garlic is not too late to plant, crops July.

Early pots, plant in containers early March, crop late May onwards

Otherwise follow instructions on seed packets. Use your windowsill to start off many seedlings but take note of last frost dates for more tender plants and dont sow too early or you will end up with leggy seedlings which you cant plant out because of frost risk.

And Lotus eater is right, borrow a book on veg from the library, it will be a great help.

daska

rhiwfield wrote: »

Potatoes: can be grown easily in pots or potato grobags. I use ordinary builders buckets with drainage holes, 2 seed potatoes to a bucket sown in early march, crops from late may thru to august, average 0.7kg a pot (obviously the earlier you crop, the smaller the yield)

Do you mean the 15l size buckets? Sounds practical for people like me who can't lift much!

TaniaM

Have only really got into gardeing over past 2 years - have learnt a lot by trial and error!
If you don't want to spend to much while you testing out to see what does well - buy from bootsales - cheap and usually the person selling can help you with free advise (where to plant / watering / feeding).

I started with Herbs - I tend to look for perenials (at least they last!)
Herbs that are easy to start with:
Mint never seems to fail - so long as in the summer you water it and there are so many varieties: ginger, moroccan (great for tea), lime (great for Thai cooking), basil (great when basil isn't available) and the list goes on.
Pineapple Sage (as long as over winter frost free) - fab smell and taste
Garlic - can always use any spare cloves that have started to sprout.
Chamomile - good for tea
Marjoram (probably not spelt right!)
Lemon grass (just over winter indoors)

You could sign up for this newsletter and get free info + when you click on a product gives you quite a lot more (though look around when buying aren't the cheapest!) www.jekkasherbfarm.com

On the veg side look to a gardening mag - apart from getting help they often have free seeds attached.
Carrots are easy
Put Watercress in a large pot (no hole) or one of these large plastic trugs - add compost / fill with water and add seeds - really easy ours is in semi light shade.

There are loads of websites that can offer help - I have recently got some small coffee plants - no info on the pot so looked up on the web - might take a couple of goes but you find most things there.

rhiwfield

daska wrote: »

Do you mean the 15l size buckets? Sounds practical for people like me who can't lift much!

Thats right, the ones with handles. You can move them around easily and stack them after use. Easy to tip out into a barrow when cropping.