veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

floyd

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

I'm an idiot! Google is my friend! Found B&M is more or less next door to our nearest Wilkos. So will definitely check it out next time we're in that direction.

There is a new one opening soon in Liverpool on London Road opposite Lidl, can't wait!

Megansmum

flis21 wrote: »

Hi All,

Just found this thread, can I join you all? I am a complete newbie to gardening and veg growing, only recently moved to a house with a garden, so this is my first year doing anything!! I would like to grow carrots (my 2 year old lives on carrots!), potatos and runner beans. Am tempted to try butternut squash, as I love them, but am not sure if they will be harder to grow? Also would like to do parsnips as we eat a lot of those, are they easy to do? And am going to do some herbs in pots and maybe a rosemary bush? I have so many plans!!

Am going to dig over the top end of our garden and do some raised beds, to try and keep the kids off the veggies!!

Can anyone give me any tips about what equipment I'll need? I had awalk round B&Q at the weekend, but there seem so many different tools, most of them I have no idea what to do with (e.g. a hoe?!!)

I have bought a few seeds and fibre pots and a small bag of compost so far.

Am really looking forward to doing this.

Hi flis21, welcome!

Yoy are going to have so much fun with your 2 year old! My 2 yr old loves carrots too and as soon as she saw me pull one up last year she decided to help and pulled the rest up for me....one at a time....running into the kitchen after each with a big grin! :rotfl: This year we got her some little kids tools from B&M so she can help me with forking the compost etc.

Potatoes are easy too, just get them chitting now and they will do well either in your beds or in large tubs or rubble sacks.

I haven't done beans or squash before, but I am going to try parsnip this year too! I think they're similar to carrots with forking problems and I read you make a deep dibber hole in the compost then fill that hole with a mix of sieved compost and sand. The seed then goes on the top and it makes it easier for them to grow down without forking. Im going to do them in flexitubs this year.

As for tools, in my garden I can honestly say despite having loads taking up shed space, I only use my little hand spade and hand fork for all my beds and pots. I don't know why I bothered buying a hoe (i get the weeds out by hand), or the rake!

Fibre pots are good, a cheaper way is start saving the cardboard insert from empty toilet rolls.... the do just the same job!

Good luck - lets compare carrots and parsnips later in the season!

Megansmum

yummymummy79 wrote: »

Hi all, another relative newbie wanting to join in on the thread. I had my first proper stab at growing stuff last year and managed to get potatoes, carrots, spring onions and lettuces. Cabbage, red onions and parsnips didn't come to anything, and broccoli grew quite late on but with only teeny tiny heads, any reasons? I'm in Lincoln btw.

Am thinking it's the time now to get started again and with my parents coming up at the weekend, they can help me get the patch ready again. Do I need to completely dig it over and start again? Those pathetic broccoli plants are still there (bless them!) along with plenty of weeds and I was just going to blitz the whole patch ready for new planting. Will be starting some seeds off inside in the next week or so, my son's bedroom windowsill gets loads of light so tend to start them off in there.

Will have a rummage in the shed to see what I've got from last year and what I need to get, and I think a wander round B&M seems to be in order!
Looking forward to comparing carrots with you guys in the coming months!

Hi Yummy, welcome!

I don't know the answer, but i assume you need to get them out of the patch ....just wanted to say welcome really!

turbo5019

I grew butternut squash last year well not from seed bought 3 plants from carboot. I put them in tubs and made them grow up a wig wams. When the squashes got big we put them in tights to take to weight. I got 4 good size ones.

Need to get some compost I've heard Homebase own one isn't much good (not sure where I heard it) Any sugestions ?

lynzpower

B&Q in the purple bag got the best ratings from this year WHICH? Comparison test

Its 3 for a tenner for the big bags still - Im getting more this weekend

Megansmum

lynzpower wrote: »

B&Q in the purple bag got the best ratings from this year WHICH? Comparison test

Its 3 for a tenner for the big bags still - Im getting more this weekend

Yep, i totally agree with this. I got 3 last weekend and will probably get more this week.

The bags are 70 litres so 210 litres for a tenner works out better value than the 20 litre bags for a pound in the cheap shops - and the pound ones aren't great quality!

paybacktime2008

The cosmos i sowed 5/3 is already showing signs of life....fastest i've ever seen.....boy do those babies wanna grow.

Just had to share my excitement!

kimmee

turbo5019 wrote: »

I grew butternut squash last year well not from seed bought 3 plants from carboot. I put them in tubs and made them grow up a wig wams. When the squashes got big we put them in tights to take to weight. I got 4 good size ones.

Thanks for the tips turbo - this is probably a silly question but when you grew them up the wigwam did you tie in the shoots to the canes as they grew? I just let mine trail over the patio, and as I've said the squashes were very little

donnaw30

Well I've finally grown fed up of not being able to afford £40+ for a walk in plastic greenhouse/polytunnel, so am going to attempt to construct one! :rotfl:
Bought some really thick clear builders plastic from Chandlers builders merchant-only £1.70 per metre but 4 metres wide, so got a bit 6m x 4m for just over £10-happy if it only lasts a year for that.
Bought 3 plastic bendable pipe lengths from b and q for £2 odd each and a pack of 8 lengths of 1.8m batton for about £4. (I'm thinking batton into ground a little, attach piping to top to create arch, attaching to batton opposite-or something!)
I already have some black weed membrane from poundland, so thinking that for the floor...i have no idea if it will end up a mess in the corner of the garden yet, but nothing ventured nothing gained and all that!
-On the plus side, i managed to sell the motorised treadmill i was conned with (seller lied about everything and i paid near £50, then couldnt get it refunded) but sold it to someone being honest about it for £20, so don't feel quite so bad-i just need to put the idea out of my head that it could be £20 towards more gardening stuff-and to make matters worse, my boyfriend has just started his new job today-at a garden centre!! :eek:
The only thing i'm Umming about with the polytunnel attempt is the door-however, if i fail i will tell on here honestly, as a what not to do for others if nothing else!!
Donna

charliee_3

i have a question.. how do you water stuff when it is in a poly tunnel? do you have to take the tunnel off every night or am i being dense?