Want to grow my own

Krakkkers

Rhubarb, Potatoes and Raspberries in my back garden so where do i start?
I only want to start small so will dig up a small part of my back garden.
Are those things easy to grow and do i buy seeds? i have a raspberry plant in a small pot so can i cut a bit off it and plant it?
Total beginner so be gentle.

RAS

Start by putting the raspberry in a much bigger pot than you think it needs and water it well. They really prefer the ground but if you can encourage the plant to bulk up this year its a start.

Then look at your garden. When the sun next comes out around midday, where does it shine? On the back of the house, or on the front, leaving the back in shade? That affects what you can grow.

Meantime try reading about square foot gardening. You don't need the soil amendments and structures that Mel Bartholomew designed (he was an engineer), but the concept is good.

And come back when you know where the sun shines.

Krakkkers

I have a south facing rear garden with fencing which gives shade areas in the early morning and late afternoon but plenty of space that gets full sunshine, currently have a pear tree which does well.

Dustyevsky

Something like potatoes in a small garden growing area might not be the best use of it, but it depends on what you like eating. Salad crops can be quick, productive and easy, but if lettuce etc isn't your thing, their productivity is irrelevant.

Raspberries and rhubarb come back again every year, so they are good choices, and they don't need full sun all day either.

Farway

Krakkkers said:

I have a south facing rear garden with fencing which gives shade areas in the early morning and late afternoon but plenty of space that gets full sunshine, currently have a pear tree which does well.

Sounds ideal, could you grow on the fencing? You have raspberry but how about something like a thorn free [for comfort] BlackBerry trained along the fence, or depending on where you are, maybe a fig?.

Both are very easy, despite maybe seeming a bit extreme or daunting to you as a beginner now would be a good time to buy a small, pot grown one to grow & nurture while you think & prepare this summer

Krakkkers

There are plenty of wild Blackberries around here (Lincolnshire) Thanks for the advice so far.
Can i grow raspberries/potatoes/rhubarb from seeds or do i need something else?

elsien

Potatoes come from seed potatoes which you can get in Wilkos or garden centre or wherever. I have grown them in the pots in my small garden but they are  so cheap to buy but it’s not really worth the time and space that they take.
This time of year you might find someone on one of the free sites – freegle or similar or on Facebook giving a rhubarb crown away. If not you can always put a request out and see what comes back.

Katiehound

I have an Oregon thornless blackberry that I was given which is quite prolific- much bigger fruit than on the hedgerows.

I remember that my mother had a wonderful loganberry than was trained along a fence: great big friuts too. (cheap from Woolworths!) pretty much in full sun. All you had to do was train the new growing spur along the fence  in the spring.
Raspberries grow from canes, there are quite a few varieties with different fruiting times , so in theory you have fresh fruit for some months. They also freeze very well. Personally I think a loganberry would take up less room but the season would not be as long.

What about runner beans & french beans grown up a wigwam of canes.

Aldi sometimes have soft fruit bushes fairly cheaply. Maybe Morrisons?

If you want potatoes I understand you can grow them in a bin bag. 

Think about things that you like to eat that are expensive to buy and which you may be able to grow yourself

twopenny

To start off I'd go quick and look for a bunch of raspberry canes. They come in 10s, though probably 8s with inflation 
Autumn Bliss grows like Topsie with minimal care and you should get raspberries this year. Delicious.
No special ground prep, a scattering of bonemeal when planted. Sunny spot, they can tollerate shade but won't fruit so much.
No, you can't snip a bit off a potted cane to use but once you've planted the proper ones you will never be short of new canes.

After that decide what you like to eat the most. Keep in mind that it's quite late to get plants from seed so small plants might make it.
Tomatoes are easy to grow in pots or bags. They are late to go out. Cherry tomatoes produce the most and with less attention.

FreeBear

elsien said: Potatoes come from seed potatoes which you can get in Wilkos or garden centre or wherever. I have grown them in the pots in my small garden but they are  so cheap to buy but it’s not really worth the time and space that they take.

It can be worth growing some of the heritage varieties of potatoes. They may not crop as heavily as a modern spud...

I have some purple salad potatoes that I grow each year. Never seen them in the shops, so to my mind, worth the effort.

Daisymaisy

As others have said a good place to start is with what you like to eat especially if it is expensive in the shops.   There are limits to this, much as I'd like a fruiting avocado tree in my garden it isn't going to happen .  About what size is your new veg growing area?  With a little more information I'm sure we can give you some ideas for crops that will be productive and varieties suitable for your growing space.