The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2025!

dND

I'm trying to get on with the garden - slowly filling another of the raised beds so I can put the blackberries in.  That means I've emptied more of the pots I used for tomatoes and chillies last year - £1 buckets from the orange DIY store 😁

I'm hoping that next week my DS1 will have some free time and we can dismantle the old greenhouse and maybe even start putting up the new one, which will give me some growing space.
Indoors, I've started 4 varieties of chilli and I think 6 of tomatoes.  Just a few of each as they are 1 - ?? year old seeds.  If they grow, great, if not then I have time to sort more 😁

My pots of spring bulbs have been a joy.  I can also begin to see what's coming up in the garden so plans are being made as to where I can plant my spring bulbs once they have finished flowering.

The cavolo nero in the front border is going to seed now, I'm going to leave it to flower for the insects but as they were gifted plants and I don't know if they are F1 plants, I won't harvest the seed.  I do have some cavolo seed that I think is heirloom so will be planting that when I have a bit more space.

And, doesn't the sun make a difference!! 😁 Dx

carinjo

Finally signed up for this year after taking a year off online posting.

What do you like to grow?

Pumpkins/squashes. Beans climbing/dwarf. Asparagus crowns have been in the ground for 2years, so the few that survived can start harvesting here and there. Love my interesting brassicas like cavolo nero.

Are you going to try anything different this year?

My wife said enough of digging weeds (marestail), so the front plot is being turned into raised beds. made the difficult decision to spray weeds, laying cardboard immediately to protect wildlife. Also the greenhouse we put up last year (more on that later) for cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and seedlings. more flowers. no more large arched tunnels for brassicas. difficult to get in and out and water for us. going boxed shape instead. and hopefully finally do a fruit cage for the red gooseberries.

Did you try anything different last year? Did you like it? Would you grow it again?

Mooli, finally. they done really well until RL intruded and they rotted over winter. Attempting growing squashes up a frame. Drowned the plants due to only watering one a week or less and then too much. will try again. Purple climbing beans. from 7 plants, got about 1.5kg of beans! saved the seeds.

thanks to Monty had a go at propagating red gooseberries for a colleague, he showed me a picture and all 5 rooted over winter!
Do you have any tips for growing?
Do not start too early. planted 90+ dwarf bean seeds in april, all rotted. 

grow what you will eat.

A fun tip: if you pruning gooseberries or blackcurrents etc, get yourself a large piece of cardboard with a fold and drop cuttings onto that. makes a lovely funnel to just slide thorny branches into a garden waste bag!

When building anything, take the time to do it properly. we got a greenhouse with a bonus i got last year. off to france we went for 2weeks in june and found it on the floor when we got back. same again after 2 more storms and having to get replacement panels cut. two of our neighbours rebuild it last week for us a surprise, firming up the structure with whatever they could find lying around!

Do you make anything with what you grow?

Last year was not a good year, had very little time to spend on allotment and it showed. decided to not do big tomatoes this year, too much needed for making sauces, so cherry tomatoes instead. freezing red gooseberries, beans, chard (lots and lots of chard!) see us through winter. The one pumpkin that made it has taken pride of place in kitchen, it on the menu for march sometime.

foraging apples, only what we can use. 

this year more summer eating for salads and fresh herbs. the veg wars over christmas do us for root veg and i am on a low carb mealplan.

How much does growing your own save you?

Except for the greenhouse, never really spend any money over the last few years. this is changing this year. we decided to invest in pallet collars (since we can't get them for free.) got access to free manure, bark and the guinea pigs bedding provide mulch for the fruit trees. also managed to resue carpet squares from going into the skip and the lovely chap even loaded it into the car for me!

I have been giving away extra plants at work the last few years, especially squashes and tomatoes. thinking of doing carboot sale this year or asking for charity donation to colleagues. we have quite a few greenfingered among us, so could be a group thing.

Suffolk_lass

Welcome @carinjo - seeing your greenhouse down reminded me about ours. The old one used to take off across the fields and gardens in storms. So much so we went for polycarbonate sheets for the roof. Then we bought a bigger one and we were really careful to put it somewhere sheltered. Apart from the large toughened glass panel that was caught by the wind as DH brought it round from the front garden, and exploded everywhere before even making it to the greenhouse, it has been up and good since 2019. We ended up vacuuming it up with a Henry!

Good luck with 2025!

Kantankrus_Mare

Well Ive made a start! A bit of sun does wonders doesn't it?

My sweet peas in the greenhouse within a greenhouse are coming up. I put some chilli seeds in there too but nothing as yet.

Bought early and main crop potatoes and they are laid out chitting in the shed.

Also sown four different types of tomatoes and cucumbers which are sat on dining room table. Nothing happening as yet but only did them less than a week ago.

Sowed some lettuce leaves in a planter in the greenhouse too.

Havent spent a penny as yet as had some B&Q vouchers earnt from Consumer Pulse.

Hoping I can sell all my extra strawberry plants March/April time as this will pay for compost and any more seeds needed throughout the year.

Last year I filled the freezer with strawberries, raspberries and brambles. Still using the brambles. This year I am going to attempt to freeze lots of halved cherry tomatoes as we use loads of these in cooking so doesnt matter if a little mushy. Was listening to a podcast last night on organic veg and tomatoes was one of the things that are best to use organic so hopefully this will extend the time I dont need to buy supermarket tomatoes.

Suffolk_lass

I make passata with my tomatoes @Kantankrus_Mare - I prepare and freeze them, then make a stockpot full. Blitz it and then reheat and jar it up as though it were jam. A 500ml jar is just a bit more than a tin and they taste fantastic

droopsnoot

I've got five chilli plant seedlings coming up now, from the seed trays that I've been keeping in the airing cupboard. At the moment I'm putting them on the windowsill for the morning while the sun is on that window, then putting them back in the cupboard when it goes around. 

On advice I also put some seeds on a piece of wet kitchen roll in a plastic zip-lock bag, also in the airing cupboard, the idea was that viable seeds would visibly start to produce shoots. I haven't checked that for a couple of days but last time I looked I had two or three doing something, so I'll have to transfer them to pots soon.

esmf73

👋 signing up for the first time here!! Already have blackcurrants, 2 apples, blackberries and raspberries and strawberries. Normally grow lettuce and rocket. Have planted red onion bulbs, carrot and beetroot seeds. DH is half way through putting up my mini greenhouse which will be used for tomatoes and cucumber. 

All has to be grown in pots as ground is very compact and super stony. Waiting for veg beds to arrive and will plant leeks, broccoli and pak Choi and whatever other free seeds I got with the magazine!  Will also be planting flower seeds to encourage bees and other pollinators. 

Mum is chitting 3 types of potatoes so as long as I remember to water everything I’ll get a good crop. Will be prepping and freezing everything - MUST remember to label it all otherwise stewed apple looks like leek and potato soup!! 

Suffolk_lass

The first of my sweetpeas have started to germinate and little green spikes are poking through

Kantankrus_Mare

Suffolk_lass said:

The first of my sweetpeas have started to germinate and little green spikes are poking through

Mine too! I normally do some in November but missed doing it for some reason. Still patiently waiting for anything else to germinate. Daffs are all budding at the allotment which always puts a smile on my face. Spring is almost here!

carinjo

I'm thinking of getting the potting bench from A1d1's . For £29.99 not sure how sturdy it is though. 
https:/ /www.aldi.co.uk/product/gardenline-potting-bench-000000000000614609