Jamie Oliver - Forums / Newbie to veg growing

Kelly_M · Sat 17 Sep 11 9:14pm

I'm hopefully going to be able to have my own raised bed when I get my house (very excited) but wondered if anyone could give me some starter tips or point me in the right direction?

I have no idea what to grow when and only thing I know how to grow are tomatoes, not that I don't like them of course.

Any ideas welcome thumbsup

Thanks

minerva · Sat 17 Sep 11 10:12pm

Best advice to give you now is to get yourself some seed catalogues from your nearest garden centre (even if you aren't going to grow from seed to start with), because they are full of growing tips, you get to understand how much variation there is between the different "varieties" of the plants you will wish to grow, & they fire up your enthusiasm when the weather is foul & you can't do anything but dream of next year!

Don't go mad..........plan to grow only a few different veg the first year, & ONLY veg you know you like!

Unless you have a coldframe/greenhouse, I would suggest that for the first couple of years you buy plug-plants fairly late on in May (start looking from April onwards), talk to the g-centre staff about how long they will be stocking them & buy them when the weather is just beginning to look more frost-free.........it takes the hassle out of trying to keep them alive against the vaguaries of overnight frosts!

Next Spring come back on here & talk to us................there are a fair few of us that have grown our own for more years than we care to remember, if we can help & encourage, we are happy to do so.

Grandmadamada · Sat 17 Sep 11 10:41pm

it makes me always move when I see someone starting his her first veg garden, like the first love there won't be another one like that. No matter what happens, the curiosity and the care will lead to something rewarding anyway
good luck, grow what you think you like and discover year after year which are your friend plants which forgive you everything wrong you may do to them, and those who will surprise you, the ones you do not care about and grow beautifully
enjoy wave

Kelly_M · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:08pm

Thank you both that's great! Do you know of any sort of cover/frame I could use if I wanted to try and see if anything would survive? You know the sort of "it's going to be there and just can't wait!" feeling.

If you know of anything very hardy that would be good to start with that would be fab, i will certainly be visiting the garden centres shortly and bugging them big_smile

minerva · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:42pm

It's too late for planting veg etc now since the frost isn't far away............most "late" veg goes in by mid-summer so there is enough root produced in warmed soil to get it properly anchored for when wind & weather starts, also when the colder nights/shorter days start, speed of growth drops right down to very slow.

There are a few "winter salad" & "winter leaves" varieties to be had, but they tend to be specialist growers & not always on the internet. It is worth looking though.

Kye · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:45pm

If no frost can we plant cabbage?

minerva · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:47pm

Depends how big your plantlets are.............if already fairly big, then bung 'em in quick...............if still at seed stage, you can try but I don't hold out a lot of hope for a good crop.

Kye · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:54pm

They will be plants not seeds...its still warm here 20�, not quite our recent summer of 37�/40�, the earth is warm and we have a new crop of strawberries.

Kelly_M · Sat 17 Sep 11 11:58pm

Thanks all! A complete newbie so any help much appreciated x

Kye · Sun 18 Sep 11 12:07am

Hi Kelly smile this thread may help you...

http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Pla … tember.htm

Blogs and forums

forum: Gardening / Growing

#1 Sat 17 Sep 11 9:14pm

Kelly_M

Newbie to veg growing

#2 Sat 17 Sep 11 10:12pm

minerva

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#3 Sat 17 Sep 11 10:41pm

Grandmadamada

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#4 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:08pm

Kelly_M

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#5 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:42pm

minerva

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#6 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:45pm

Kye

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#7 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:47pm

minerva

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#8 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:54pm

Kye

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#9 Sat 17 Sep 11 11:58pm

Kelly_M

Re: Newbie to veg growing

#10 Sun 18 Sep 11 12:07am

Kye

Re: Newbie to veg growing