On the brassic bench and loving it!

Bitsy_Beans

Had an exciting parcel yesterday. Via a CM forum I'd registered for some free potatoes and they arrived :T I confess I had completely forgotten about them, you sign up to so many freebie things its easy to forget (thats my excuse and I am sticking to it ).

Anyway priority job is one Ive been putting off for ages and thats planning on what I am growing this year. was massively behind last year and many things weren't as productive as they should have been. Also need to read up about my spuds, sacks have also been provided

So growing plans are

spuds
carrots
parsnips (not grown these before)
courgettes
broccoli
peas
little gem lettuce
spring onions
bell peppers? I was successful growing these last year but without a greenhouse they took forever to ripen. Oooh just realised that tomorrow conservatory work starts tomorrow which would double as a greenhouse for stuff like my peppers :T

All this sounds a lot of stuff but reality is veggie plot is quite small, the rest is utilised in pots in front garden and dotted around back garden. getting excited at what I can grow again this year. ok its as much for fun rather than significant reduction in food bills but nothing like the kids picking baby carrots from the garden to eat

Think its payday for Hubby too, need to check the bank accounts and work out how we did last month I really ought to do this weekly

LameWolf

Ooh, Bitsy I'm so jealous!:D Before I became disabled, I used to grow loads of veggies, and had soft fruit in the garden, too (this was where I used to live of course). It's so much tastier than shop-bought stuff; and you can't beat digging up your veg, cleaning and cooking, and putting them on the dinner-table less than an hour after they were in the ground!:o

Loulou2010

i need to start growing my veg here too. may have a gander in the garden and see whats what.

my list of things i'm growing

spuds
carrots (note to self - dont let ds put the seeds in )
brocolli
tomatoes
either peas/green beans/runner beans
a lettuce of some kind
strawberries (did them two years ago and got some really nice big juicy ones :drool: )

any tips/pointers welcomed as i'm a complete novice at this

ETA wheres good (and cheap) to buy seeds?

Bitsy_Beans

TBH I just buy my seed from local garden centre, stuff like Morgan and Thompson or fothergils ones. Check out the green fingered board for free seed give-aways. You don't always get a choice but worth it if you are adventurous lol

As for pointers.....I am rubbish with tomatoes, last two years I grew them they never ripened.. Dint use grow bags for stuff like tomato plants, I never found them deep enough and had to try and prop plants up, even the stakes I'd used couldn't manage it in such a shallow bag.
If you are digging up a part of your garden then do it now and prepare the soil by adding some well rotted manure. You can buy bags of manure from B and Q.
If you grow peas when they are finished don't pull out the plants. Not sure if you can chop up and dig in the whole plant but certainly leave the roots in as I believe they help fix in nitrogen into the soil which other plants use for growing.
Broccoli shouldn't be grown on the same plot year after year to avoid disease. I rotate my brassicas on my plot on a 2 year basis for this reason.

I also invested in a liquid organic feed that I could add to my watering can and feed the plants. This again was bought from B and Q.

I am by no means an expert, most of the time its trial and error. There is a beginners thread n the Greenfingered board which is worth a look.

boultdj

Bitsy how about trying bush tomaotoe's otherwise know as tumbling or patio toms, you don't need big pot's or cane's for support and they tend to ripen quicker, that is if you want to try 'em again. hth.

Bitsy_Beans

boultdj wrote: »

Bitsy how about trying bush tomaotoe's otherwise know as tumbling or patio toms, you don't need big pot's or cane's for support and they tend to ripen quicker, that is if you want to try 'em again. hth.

I believe it was the wrng kind of light last year to ripen the toms, wasn't must me struggling. But I might consider a bush variety. I confess I don't like toms raw I only eat them cooked but I do fancy having a go at making a tomato relish sometime and what better way than ones home grown

Getting really excited about growing again. Last year it was all started a bit late and a PITA :eek:

Loulou2010

bitsy - when i grew tomatoes the year i did them in an old tin bath we have. had a few bamboo sticks lying around and tied them to that. used tomato feed when i remembered and that was about it:o i guess because our garden is a sun trap all day long, may have been why i didnt have any trouble with them ripening.

hoping to do the carrots in that this year. have another big pot too which i think i will put more carrots in. need to get hubby digging it all up but it will take more than arockett up his backside to get him moving at the moment

LameWolf

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

If you grow peas when they are finished don't pull out the plants. Not sure if you can chop up and dig in the whole plant but certainly leave the roots in as I believe they help fix in nitrogen into the soil which other plants use for growing.

Yes, dig the whole plant in if possible. Potato haulm is also good for the soil - in fact, if you have a patch of ropy soil, grow spuds in it the first year, dig the haulm in (ie the leaves and rest of the plant after you've removed the tubers for eating), and you'll have richer soil there the next year. HTH.:o

Bitsy_Beans

I didn't know that LW. So if I grow my spuds in bags can I chop and chuck the compost, leaves and all on the veggie lot......excellent news.

Bitsy_Beans

So did a spot of mooching up local shops, one place is a charity that restores furniture and does house clearance. They have the perfect 2 seated sofa and matching armchair which I think would be perfect for the conservatory. It's an orange coloured fabric (but not some hideous 70's dayglo shade ) I actually like it, not too bright but a little bit funky. If memory serves it was about £100 for the set so bargain. Cane furniture isnt for me, what I envisaged was a nice squashy sort of sofa to relax on
Other shop sells some nice bright rugs too (very large) which would be perfect, cost £69 (it's an ex catalogue shop).

Also picked up two handbags, one was leather and in excellent condition, the other I think was brand new. Showed my mum and she started coveting the leather one so I've given her that one as an early mothers day present :money: clothing choice was rubbish but a girl can't have too many handbags can she