i have no idea where do i start at growing veg

ALIBOBSY

My kids loved the peas last year and ate them fresh from the pod we only started a couple of years ago.
We found all the stuff we have grown in the last couple of years was tastier than the shop bought, I agree about salad leaves and cherry toms eaten straight from the vine, warm in the sun are to die for mmmmm.

Netto had their seeds in a few weeks ago, but aldis are in now and Lidls next thurs I think. Cheap way to start.
Also watch out for the BBC dig in campaign where you can get a few packs of free seeds.

Enjoy, its very addictive lol.

ali x

Megansmum

I only started growing my own last year! I bought seed potatoes from wilkos and poundland and grew them in rubble sacks from wilkos (strong binliners really - add drainage holes). I grew carrots in a large rubber type tub from poundstretcher (i cut some drainage holes in the bottom).

I grew too much of other stuff we didn't really eat (and so i didn't really water!). Twenty tomato plants left to wilt, too many cucumber plants for dd2 to eat, radishes - i don't even like! Lettuce, we didn't eat........ the list goes on!!

So, 2 points i TOTALLY agree with:

1) ONLY grow what you will eat,
2) It IS TOTALLY addictive

This year I am itching to start off my potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, parsnips and peas - and these are ALL things we eat in abundance!

Good luck - this forum has been my lifesaver while starting off and will be for years to come - i think it's better than ANY book. The help and guidance you get on here is second to none, so always ask, no matter how daft you think the question is...... i should know!! :rotfl:

castri09_2

thank you for all the advice what is the best thing to grow potatoes in thanks

Kazipoo

We grow tomatoes, usually a cherry and a salad variety, although this year we have opted for the plum tomato too, so that I can make my own sauces. Peppers, because we eat them with just about anything, Garlic, you can never have too much, spring onions, because it was great just plucking them out of the garden for salads, strawberries, eaten as quickly as they were grown, lollo rosso lettuce, very very easy to grow and sweetcorn, the most divine tasting sweetcorn ever!! We also had our very first bunch of grapes on our vine, cherries on the tree and one apple. This year we are also planting petit pois, sprouts, a few cabbage and trying to get some success with carrots, which so far has eluded us.

Please, please take note, don't plant all of the seeds in the packets, last year we had over 20 tomato plants because the hubby got carried away, and it is addictive!!

wssla00

castri09 wrote: »

hi i have never grown anything before have always wanted to but never got round to it so this year is the year. i would love some help i dont know where to start whats best to grow and easy.i have about a north east facing garden so not alot of sun. i have seen some seeds in the argos sales 7x salad seeds for £5.99 and veg 7x veg sedds for £5.99 is that good.thanks anyone who reads this.:j

castri09

Aldi have seeds in at 39p a packet including mixed salad seeds and loads of veg so would go there if it was me. I subscribed to kitchen gardner and there is loads of stuff in there

Megansmum

castri09 wrote: »

thank you for all the advice what is the best thing to grow potatoes in thanks

I think rubble sacks are better (and a LOT cheaper) than going for the "potato sacks" that the garden centres/magazines sell.

I did mine in rubble sacks last year and it was great. I put 5 inch of compost in the bottom (roll the sacks down b4 you start), and put the seed potatoes in - i put 5 in one sack and 4 in another. Then cover with an inch of compost, water and leave them to it.

As the leaves came up through the compost i added more compost to cover them again (rolling the bag up slightly when my compost level nears the top). Keep doing this until you are at the top of the bag. The stems grow really big, let them flower, then when the leaves start turning yellow....... it's "tombola time"!!! :rotfl:

I don't know who enjoyed rooting around in the sacks feeling for spuds more - me or the 2 year old!!

The great thing about the bags is - i could move them around the garden if i wanted to. Reuse the compost - but not on potatoes again!

Good luck - it really is addictive!!

wssla00

where do you get the thick rubble sacks? All the ones I have seen are really thin!

Megansmum

wssla00 wrote: »

where do you get the thick rubble sacks? All the ones I have seen are really thin!

Mine were from wilkos and they were pretty thick. To be honest, you only need to use something a bit stronger than a binliner. Big "bags for life", or deep plastic / rubber tubs (that are often used to store toys), recycled tyres (you add one on top of another as you fill with compost), anything that either has no bottom or has a bottom you can make holes in and is deep enough can be used! (As long as you don't mind seeing them in the garden!)

WestonDave

Wilko's appear to have a whole range of patio bags including potato ones this year, and given their normal price range you might find these are economical to get. Didn't look at the prices as I already have 3 bags which were given to me as a birthday present a couple of years ago (which reminds me better clean them out ready for this summer's crop!)

betterbargains4u

RHYSDAD wrote: »

Well i'm no expert but i did grow a bit last year. Like Mrs Tine said, grow what you like to eat otherwise it's a waste of time and effort. We had just bought our house so didn't have a lot of time to spare to organise the veg patch so we grew tomatoes, cucumbers, runner beans and herbs in pots and growbags and did reasonably well. This year i'm digging a proper veg patch and putting up the greenhouse we got via freecycle so hopefully it'll be a lot more 'in-depth' and productive this time around. Even a novice should be able to find a wealth of advice via the internet:

This guide is from Thompson and Morgan for instance:

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING THIS SITE !!!!

I ordered from them before Christmas and they have taken another unauthorised payment from my account. :mad:
I have emailed them 4 times now, to try to sort this out and they have not bothered to even acknowledge my contact.
I am now having to do a chargeback through my bank !!
I am posting this wherever I see their name mentioned on internet forums, as a warning, that if you do buy from them....watch your bank account to make sure they don't take any unauthorised payments from you.