Home grown veggies

[Miss]

Hey girls

I am currently planning a veggie patch which is a bit daunting and was looking for some info and/or advice from anyone who has done it before.

Last year I got sick of how much salad was costing us so grew some lettuce in pots which worked out pretty well and lasted us most of the summer! Unfortunately the chillis and peppers did not do so well even tho we brought a portable greenhouse so I really must do a bit more research on them this year!

Anyway, as I am going to be on Holiday and then Maternity leave from the begining of April and will have some extra time on my hands OH has agreed to make me a veggie patch. The soil in our garder is terrible so we are currently looking for some top soil and manure to build up the area where we will be growing. My plan is to "try" and grow things like carrotts, broccoli, onions, garlic, herbs, lettuce, raddish etc I am also going to have a go at potato's in large pots tomatoes in the little greenhouse and I would really like to have another go at chillis and peppers

Another reason for doing this is the cost of all this stuff we usually get from the shops! It's going to kill us to carry on doing it while I am off work.

Anyone else grow veggies? If so what do you grow? We have always had a lovely summer garden with hanging baskets, pots etc so we are not new to growing just this year we are swopping flowers for veggies so any tips for a newbie would be gratefuly recieved! x

 

[smess26]

I do. I am going to go out and start clearing.ready.
I am growing potatos tomatos peas salad rosemary I am going to give garlic a go and cucumbers and I mainly grow it all from pots or grow bags although my local poundland have got a brilliant selection of garden helpers like potato sacks tomato sacks and a poly tunnel to pop over my salad naughty slugs lol x x I really enjoy it x x

 

[AugustMum]

I dont grow any yet, but this summer to try and save money me and my LO are going to be growing potatoes, carrots, green beans, strawberrys, tomatoes and its not a veggie but a sunflower lol.

My mums making a veggie patch this year as well so we're going to attempt it together. Its great for LOs to get involved with as well It will probably help your maternity leave go a little quicker as well because youll be busy watching the veggies!

 

[Miss]

Smess - I never even though about looking in poundland for things like that - what a wonderful tip thanks hun! How long have you been growing for? We went to the Wyvale garden centre on Sunday and picked up a real bargin - two 45 litre sacks with the side splits in for herbs/strawberry's for £2! Are Tomatoes hard to grow? Sounds daft but I have never even tried! x

Melio - I really enjoyed the little bit of growing I did last year lol Was so satisfying to go outside in the evening and pick the salad leaves for dinner the next day - I honestly thought it would have been harder than it actualy was - I know it was only lettuce and I am sure what we are planning this year will be harder but as you said I will have a lot more time! x

 

[evie_smith]

All I know is if you plant onions after you have dug them out don't plant any other thing apart from onions there for another year - don't know why lol buy there we go lol xx

 

[Miss]

lol Really Evie? I am going to make it my mission to find out why that is and will let you know!!
xx

 

[evie_smith]

Yes please let me know my grandad has been doin it before I was even born an he hasn't ever explained lol and my sil told me that too but dint say why lol

 

[smess26]

Yes. I grow strawberrys from a hanging basket they grow better and don't rot if they touch the soil cos they hang out. Tomatos just need something to grow up but very easy I grew onions in a grow bag once done just throw away x x

 

[Miss]

Oooh brill ideas Smess!

We went online last night looking at seeds for veg and salad stuff etc - lol my basket came to nearly £30! Which is a bargin if it all grows etc but what if it goes wrong lol Well I bit the bullet anyways.....

Aww I have just realised you live in Kent - nicer weather down there than the Midlands - fingers crossed for a good summer tho eh?

BTW does anyone know how summer is suposed to be this year?

xx

 

[smess26]

So sorry hun just seen this.
I popped to 99p store today and got some bamboo canes for my.peas and a trelise for my tomatos to grow.up. also a bag of.salad seeds and tomato seeds. And gardening gloves. Lol.
Weather is nice here when its.nice.
I do enjoy growing stuff. Just.need.to my grow.bags.and can start. X x

 

[polo_princess]

Meeeeeeee

The thing re, planting onions is right, you ideally need to rotate your patch each year, and never plant onions in the same patch consecutivley, and if you suffer from any forms or rot with onions, then you need to leave it at least 3 years.

I usually do ....

Potatoes
Onions
Runner Beans
Pea's
Peppers
Spring onions
Tomatoes

Not sure what else i fancy trying this year!!

 

[evie_smith]

Ahh that's why then strange huh! Lol xx

 

[Miss]

Smess - I booked a day off today and went up to the £1 shops we have here - I got some great bargins! A little asparagus kit with propergator, 6 different herbs in 1 package totaling 900 seeds, gloves etc came home and started off the seeds.....they are now taking up space on my kitchen worktop tho I should have really thought this thru abit more lol It's too cold to put them outside in the mini greenhouse I think?

Hey Princess!

I could only find that information on potatoes! lol but now you mention it I suppose it makes sense for all veg! Thanks so much for replying - it's really good to know people are managing to grow there own veg, gives me hope!
Justa quick question, with your peppers - is there anything special you do to look after them or feed them? Are they in a greenhouse or the kitchen? I tried to do them last year in a little greenhouse they fruited but never really matured so we never got to eat them.

OH was off with me yesterday too - was nice to have a day together while DS was at school, we do not get to do it very often. We ordered the wood and top soil for the raised veg patch - now to find the manure! OH joked that years ago we used to spend our days off in bed al day having sex...now we create veg patches - a sign of age and how "uncool" we now are LOL

xx

 

[smess26]

I would poss keep them indoors until they grow a little larger and.hopefully weather should of turned for the.better.and.then move outside. Good luck hun. X x

 

[LouiseB]

Oh we're doing a veg patch this year, going to start planting in March

We did attempt last year but is was a half assed attempt and the only things that survived to full size was the brussel sprouts.

We also have raspberrries, blueberries, balckberries and strawberries in pots - so they need watering - but they did great.

We already grow chillies, but we grow them just in the house. If you go for a small chilli that packs a punch, the plants can be kept really compact and will do fine on a windowsill.

They grow spring-autumn and are fab.

I'm going to be trying carrots this year because i saw something on TV about how to get them to grow large and straight. Again they will be in a pot - well a bin - so although we won't get a huge amount at least we'll get some

Other things that'll go in are runner beans, onions, tomatoes... easy stuff

We did get a small plastic "green house" but it blew away and my plants went everywhere

 

[smess26]

Louise I made a little.hole.and hooked it.to a.fence. as mine.blew.away. x x

 

[smess26]

Planted a few things today tomatoes garlic and peas ready for summer. Need to get me pots out aswell and got to get some seeds for my herb patch x x

 

[titch]

This thread is really inspirational!!

We've been talking about growing our own food, purely to save money and give LO the experience of knowing where food comes from as he grows up. plus we'd know the food is organic.

no idea where to start though. Ive ordered a set of free seeds from homebase but im assuming i'll need pots/raised beds andfrom reading this topsoil too? we're so broke right now, any tips on how to start up cheap???

 

[titch]

Planted a few things today tomatoes garlic and peas ready for summer. Need to get me pots out aswell and got to get some seeds for my herb patch x x

is now the time ot plant peas then? Might make a start with them!

 

[smess26]

Pound shops hun are brilliant. I don't have raised bed just pots and get a few compost bags.from either.the poundshops or wait till there's a.offer on normally homebase are good for that.
I am growing peas from seeds so I've just popped them in a tray and once.they start to flower ill move them to a.large pot or grow bag I did it last year and was.so so happy with the results and my daughter loves helping and picking.

The tomatoes I got a kit from poundland and grow from seeds.now.I've just.transferred to larger pots until there large enough for big pots or a grow.bag.
I brought some bamboo from the pound shops ready for the.peas and tomatoes.

Garden centres or.my local homebase chucks away puts.and has a huge bit in the.back that you can just go and take so that may help you get started that's what I do. If not once again poundland do trays and pots I brought some potatoes sacks and a large veg sack which have holes in ill POP some pictures on to show you what I mean but you can use anything. Large builders bags.for.potatoes as long.as you POP a few.holes in your away. X x