Newbie veg gardener! MERGED

redmel1621

Thanks Westondave - I will look out for the correct variety of tomato (hanging) and give them a try. And thanks for the advice on the apple trees, I wil go around the garden centre and have a look at them.

Thanks bina72 - I will have alook at that site.

Zazen999 - I have looked out today and it seems our garden is South facing, so That's good news then, lots of light. The garden itself is about 26ftx32ft this is an educated guess (haven't actually measured) and is surrounded by 6ft fences on all sides.

the are I am going to use for my pots is probably 20x8ft. Ah I have just been looking out whilst tping this and forot to notice the huge conifer tree looming over my pot area....it is very high but not very wide so doesn't relly block light from the are but it does chuck down loads and loads of cones...

Mel x

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there redmel

I grow everything in containers... living in army accomodation id rather not dig up all of the lawn to have to put it back 3 years later (although i have been tempted) -although hubby is digging me a border this weekend for my beans n peas

I grow:-
carrots, potatoes, lettuce, spring onions, out door tomatoes, cucmbers, raddish, beans, peas, peppers, chillies

and this year im having a go at a whole lot more

Don't forget to keep some seeds out of any tomatoes, peppers, chillies you buy.. you can grow straight from them saving even more money... :j

There is nothing nicer than going out side and just taking off enough lettuce leaves for the 1 meal and lots of fresh toms, raddish etc...

with things like lettuce, spring, raddish, carrots etc they suggest just starting a few off and then a couple of weeks later doing a few more.. it means you don't end up with loads of stuff allready together...

It really is easier than you would think.. i was amazed by my 1st year -only 2 years ago...

good luck, im sure you will do fine

hooby_groovy

I love the tomato in hanging basket idea. Can this be done with standard size toms or just cherry?
And the potatoes in bags...I have some plastic round bins so I have seen i could use those.
Can lettuce be grown in pots! how exciting we go through about 2/3 a week. so that would be great. How do you do this??

Thank you Hooby Groovy, I can't wait to get planning and planting...

No problem, without getting too preachy if more of us grew just a small part of what we buy in supermarkets it would have a massive impact on food miles, health and wellbeing.

Cherry tomatoes work best in baskets as they tend to act like basket plants and the fruit is light. Two baskets in a sunny position not only look great, once you've tasted them you will never want to go back to supermarket ones in all that packaging!

If you're doing lettuce look for a packet of mixed salad leaves and look for 'cut and come again'. This means that you can harvest carefully and they will continue to grow. This is the same stuff you will see in the shops at £2 for a bag - and of course, there is no waste packaging!

Start tomatoes next month from seed inside and transplant to baskets when the frosts are finished.

Lettuce can be sown straight in to the container when its a bit milder and they will grow quickly.

Once you start you'll be hooked!

redmel1621

mrsmcawber - hello, fancy seeing you in here... now i know how you keep on top of the gc!!! I spend about £10pw just on fruit and veg from tesco. hopefully this will help reduce that, also we are trying to eat healthier too. I know what you mean about not wanting to put garden back when you move out..... i will be trying this year...Tomatoes, Potatoes, lettuce and carrots. i may have a look into some other things but i don't want to over-do it on my first year.

Hooby Groovy - Thanks again...I will look out for that lettuce....

I can't wait now, I keep looking out and thinking 'now where can i put my hanging baskets' etc. etc.

Mel x

acemoola

We also have a very small garden and so try to do as much container stuff as poss.
We did baskets hung on our garden wall last year and they did fantastically well. We used the Tumbling Toms variety and were amazed with the crop considering the tomato blight that plagued the UK.
This year I'm doing strawberries in hanging baskets as well - they should look very pretty as well as delicous and hopefully keep slugs at bay growing this way.
Did Dwarf French Beans in pots, which were also fab and will probably be trying aubergines as well ( we have a sheltered garden - so fingers crossed).
Autumn raspberries can also be done in pots - I'm trying for the first time this year. Buy the canes now, split and pot into wide pots and cut the canes down to about 2 inches in height - you should get crops this year!
I think it's a case of have a go and see what works.
Best of luck

redmel1621

Ooooh strawberries in hanging baskets, that sounds great, I must look into that....

Mel x

mary43

Our soil space is very limited except for a shady flower bed and a wild life area at the bottom so OH grows his veg in pots. He uses a fairly sunny spot of the garden, I got him a potato barrel for pots, he grows courgettes in tubs , and peppers/chillis and runner beans and they seem to do very well. Tomatoes he grows in grow bags and we put and edging of old bricks around them to hide the plastic. Have thought about growing tumbling tomatos in hanging baskets but not tried it yet. Strawberries we planted in a half barrel tub with a palm in the middle.
We don't grow a lot but it is good to be able to go outside and pick veg thats so fresh.
Oh and we also have a lot of herbs -they can be decorative and give out a lovely scent as well as being practical.

boredofbeingathome

Thanks everyone, i have been thinking about growing my own veg for a while now and having been on the other thread about hugh's chickens it got me thinking about how much more i can do for myself, some great ideas.

redmel1621

boredofbeingathome - Go onto the Marshalls seeds website it is brilliant, my dh was getting concerned as I sat there going 'oh wow look at those tomatoes', ooohhh how great are those spuds, look at all the varieties'.
Anyway you get the gist it is very exciting.....

Mel x

boredofbeingathome

redmel1621 wrote: »

boredofbeingathome - Go onto the Marshalls seeds website it is brilliant, my dh was getting concerned as I sat there going 'oh wow look at those tomatoes', ooohhh how great are those spuds, look at all the varieties'.
Anyway you get the gist it is very exciting.....

Mel x

I used to get the same way about gardening programmes- sad i know but for me i think it must be my age. thanks for the tip and i am looking as soon as i finish typing.