can anyone help a novice please?

charliee_3

Hi all, I am a very novice gardener. I have just dug myself a patch in my garden with hopes of growing some yummy veggies this year, but i dont really have a clue what i'm doing. I have read a couple of books but i just end up more confused . I have grown tomatoes in grobags and that is about the extent of it so far.

when i was reaseaching raised beds (which i hope to do eventually, but i cant afford the extra topsoil at the moment so will have to make do) I found a website who send you packs of seeds/ plants at different points throughout the year so you have crops all year. I thought this was an excellent idea until i get a feel for it all and when to plant/ harvest etc.. but i cant bloomin find it now!!

has anyone heard of them, or know of someone who does this?

i know it will be more expensive this year, but hopefully i can save some seeds and i'll have more knowledge and confidence to go it alone next year...

any ideas??

if it is relevant my beds cover about 2.5 x 3m approx

thanks!!

Shelle

Hiya!

I know what you mean getting more confused reading books!

I have heard of one website doing what you asked about - https://www.shootgardening.co.uk - whether that is the right one I am not sure?

I was the same as you 3 years ago, reading books and looking at articles on the internet. I also joined lots of gardening forums in an effort to understand what the heck I was meant to do!! Eventually though I stayed with one forum in particular, and it is something I have never regretted. I have learnt so much, so much more than I ever did reading books. I think it is because the members on the forum are from all over the UK, and abroad, and thus you can compare and gain advice from those who live nearer to your location, rather than "those in the north plant x weeks later" instructions. I am now approaching my 4th season, and I promise you it would be well worth your while to pop over and have a look and give us a try. Although essentially we are a gardening forum, we do not discourage non gardening topics and have chats about lots of other subjects. We have quizzes, seed swaps and even a secret santa once a year! We also receive discounts from Kings on orders of seeds consolidated through the forum, and any discount is fine by me:j

The website? https://www.growveg.info

All your questions and more can be answered on there, with a lot friendly banter, support and advice.

neilsp_2

try www.seedpantry.co.uk

oldsam

Just keep it simple and is it bound work - look and learn - Yes ! we have all been here at the start . You ask the golden questions in life to get golden answers, you need to get a mentor to help you and show local methods to help with growing plants - This way you will get given plants and advice but you still have find your own methods, The fact is that no two gardeners work the same way. Try to find a local garden club and join it - I asked my father which was harder to grow show flowers or Veg - The reply was veg because are so many types - the flowers just one or two types to learn about the growing- (The students at Kew Gardens are given a plot for Veg growing for this reason). THE ANSWER LIES THE SOIL !!

Wookey

No need for raised beds if your soil is anyway decent.

fdavid_2

The www growveg.info forums mentioned by Shelle are excellent - thanks for posting that Shelle

They are very well organized and even have self-paced educational quizzes which I found really helpful

foxgloves

Hi,
I think the best thing to do is to carry on with your tomatoes if you like eating them, and think of maybe another 3 veggies that you really like eating & just research how to grow those. For example, I've always grown tomatoes, but when I bought my first house and finally had a bit of garden, I added in garlic, shallots and runner beans. The next year, feeling confident with all my crops, I added in loads of other things and not many of them succeeded. I think I was just trying to learn too much all at once. Now I'm in a house with a garden big enough for us to have a good vegetable plot, we grow lots more, but I think it can be a good idea to develop skills & confidence gradually rather than trying to get on top of lots of different crops all at once and ending up with not much to show for your money. Of course, having said that, there's always beginner's luck....that's what happened with my husband, never gardened in his life and was suddenly raising 3 different sorts of potatoes, red onions, etc..... Good luck with it all whatever you decide. It's a great hobby, keeps you fit & nothing like popping outside to go & pick your own veg to cook for dinner!

enrich100

I agree with Foxglove advice of stick to 3 - 4 different veg if you grow more and try reading too much you will end up frustrated

the years seeds is a nice idea but at a cost and you may find that you will waste more than you use even with the best intentions

the bbc dig in page is good for begginers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/digin/

They sent out free seeds last spring and are planing to send out free seeds again this year, (different to the seeds last year but as yet not known what) even if you don't get the seeds the advice leaflet maybe useful

ALIBOBSY

Its definately a learning curve. First year we had one bed and a few pots/growbags and one of those mini greenhouses.
Last year we had 6 beds and a cheap full size greenhouse (yes a norfolk one and yes it was fiddly to put up but not too bad and really cheap lol). Grew lots last year but more than that learnt alot.
This years plans are now based on, what we ate most of and what grew the best last year. I now know exactly how much sun/frost/shade my plot gets (actually the back garden) as well as having some of my own compost ready to go.

EG we discovered we only like broad beans if picked when small and the kids adore fresh peas, so intend to grow less beans and much more peas.
Despite being north westfacing because we are open on the whole of the left side of the garden (as you look from the house to the NW) we gets sun all day, although it moves around all parts get some sun (sometimes broken up through the day), but no really shady bits like I thought they were. In fact the top beds away from the house bake all day.

Some plants you put in to invest for future years ie my fruit bushes/trees-expect big things this year I hope, and my rubarb which I grew from seed (actually got a few sticks at the end of summer as it was huge, but again waiting for this second years growth). Strawberries weren't bad last year, but expect much more crop this time.

During the "learning stage" as it were you might be better with cheapy seeds like aldi/lidl/netto as you don't feel as bad if you mess those up than if you have paid out for seeds/sets etc. Mind you still using the above for some of this years seeds, just getting some more rare varietys from an ebay shop I found.

Use this forum (and others out there) look for those offers, usually plenty on seeds etc.

Just got some Netto 19p a pack seeds this week, really cheap and a bargain.

You will find the following.
1) You will be obsessed with the weather-will i need to water, will it freeze tonight-look forward to wrapping up the "baby seedlings" in those uncertain spring days lol.
2) You will become obsessed with every plastic/cardboard/wooden container you can get your hands on- I look at every one and consider if it could be a plant tray/pot/root trainer
3) It is still a thrill everytime something actually sprouts from a seed you plant
4) If you have kids you will be shocked how much and what types of things they will eat (mostly raw!) when they planted it/watched it grow.

Enjoy it all, its all a learning curve but so much fun.

ali x

charliee_3

thanks all for the replies, i have bought myself 2 packs of 99p seeds, one has 6 types of veg and the the other has peas (i really like peas!)

give them a go with my tomatoes hopefully will have some veg to show for it!