# Garden vegetable patch



## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Has anyone managed to grow their own veg successfully?

The wife planted some coriander seeds last year and nothing happened. I plan to rip out the shubbery along one side of the garden, dig out to at least the depth of the spade and then fill with some compost.

Does this sound reasonable?

The other option might be to sow in small pots indoors and then transplant out later. Currently the weather's dropped in temperature at night.


----------



## Gek (Aug 8, 2012)

I haven't done vegetables but we have herbs. We didn't grow them from seeds we got small plants and they grew from there no bother.


----------



## Smanderson117 (Jan 19, 2015)

I've had limited success growing onions, potatoes, carrots and peppers. My dad made me a box frame with separate sections in which I put a segregated grow bag with a few sections into. Let the onions "chitter" I think is the correct term and then put them in. Peppers and carrots were from seeds. Taties went in spud bags and then you keep covering all but a few inches of growth with compost until it gets full and then leave them. Had some small but tasty vegetables last year  didn't get very many though so didn't bother this year


----------



## Sam6er (Apr 3, 2016)

Iv got a few indoor plants. 2 chillie plants that have given produce already and have started to again, a lemon tree (still growing), started a tomatoe plant a couple months back, catnip for the cat and a gooseberry plant. All done from seed. I cant seem to get my strawberry seeds to sprout though, still working on that. Looking to start some herbs indoors aswell this year. Iv seen some garlic chive seeds that look interesting. 

I would suggest starting off seedlings indoors then slowely introduce them outdoors to harden them off. Get some good quality soil. I bought some without nutrients so i can control what goes in and when. This way you can ensure your not overfeeding the plants and you can also flush the plants before taking produce off so that theres no chemical taste or smells left over. Seedlings can be very susceptible to nutrient burn. Ideally you want to start seeds off with nothing but plain water until they are big enough to handle whatever you want to feed them besides water. 

Im still new to the gardening thing but picking up bits as i go along.


----------



## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

I grow peas and spring onions in a large wooden planter.

Easy enough with great results. Fresh spring onions are superb with a great kick!!

We tried lettuces last summer but they got ate by bugs etc as we didn't cover them.

We always buy seedlings to speed up the process.


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

We took on an allotment 3 years ago. It was 4ft high with weed, reeds, bushes and riddled with bind weed and horses tail. Only down the end of our road so a short walk.

3 years on we now have it divided in to 8 manageable plots of appox 3m x 3m, a shed, a pop up greenhouse and some ebay petrol driven machinery!

We've managed to grow carrots, parsnips, swede, beetroot, spinach, curly kale, cabbages, peas, runner beans, french beans, garlic, onions, potatoes, strawberries, courgettes, tomatos and so on.

This year we are also trying to grow mange tout, pak choi and a couple of other things. Lots of planting still to do but getting there. 

Can't beat the taste of home grown, it is a lot of effort and probably not cost effective, but it gets me out the house and it is nice to have a bit of peace and quiet.


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

stealthwolf said:


> Has anyone managed to grow their own veg successfully?
> 
> The wife planted some coriander seeds last year and nothing happened. I plan to rip out the shubbery along one side of the garden, dig out to at least the depth of the spade and then fill with some compost.
> 
> ...


I'm no expert, but mix the soil with the compost if you are going to do that. If the soil is good, you only really need to add compost to where you plant the seeds.

Sowing in small pots is a good idea, when they are established, place the pots outside for a while to let the plants harden before planting into the ground.

I tried corriander last year, planted the seeds straight into the ground down the allotment. The plants grew well, but the the leaves were small and soon went spindley. I would think you will have more success if grown in pots first, possibly.


----------



## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

We have an allotment. There is a fair amount of art involved in gardening and home grown veg. I cheated and sprayed the lot with glyphosate first and then put down manure and dug it under. This is not ideal for all crops as you can make some of them taste quite bitter.

Prepare the ground, buy a book and bone up on what can be grown where, how and when it is put into the dirt and the likely problems.

Anything leafy and tasty looking will be instant slug bait. Keep a watch for the blighters.

If you have any interesting weeds or maladies by all means post a photo and I will attempt to diagnose, or I know a man who can.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Coriander isnt the easiest to start with - probably better to start with some safe and easy stuff.

Most important before you put the work in is to think about the location. Fruit and veg need lots of sun, good drainage so they dont sit in water and protection from high winds and too exposed siting. If thats good then think about what to grow and try it out. If the border is along a fence or hedge then make sure its going to get plenty of sunshine eg at least all afternoon, or you'll probably be wasting your time really. There are some exceptions but mostly you'll want a good amount of sun to get reasonable crops especially if there is any fruit or anything to ripen like sweetcorn etc.

I wouldnt suggest compost in your bed but try the cheaper and better option of 'soil improver' which is usually manure or just made up of organic matter. This aids the soil structure and drainage by the addition of organic matter into the soil, which is key for most crops. Compost is really designed for pots rather than putting in the ground. Probably wouldnt go wrong with adding some fertiliser such as Growmore (not organic) or pelleted chicken manure or similar. Its cheap and this feeds the soil and plants. Not everything needs it but if you've been growing stuff there for a while then the soil will probably benefit.

HTH.


----------



## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

As above, compost or soil improver, whether you need it or not will depend on your soil to begin with. Nothing wrong with compost if you can get enough of it cheaply, it will improve very heavy tight clay ground as well as anything else but soil improver is generally a better bet.

If you are starting from scratch, double digging can be very very effective, and will improve drainage no end. Google it for youtube video of how to do it.

Pelleted chicken manure is fantastic stuff, smells a bit but is fine to handle, dont go mad with it as it is potent stuff. Also beware that some dogs enjoy eating it!

Don't get wound around the axle about using organic products or not, the house holder cannot legally obtain anything that is going to poison anyone and it is precisely the same elements in grow more as it is in chicken manure or meat and bone meal, it is plant food all the same.

The tedious bit is removing weeds and stuff by hand. Rake out the stones and clods and make the area level and workable.

If you don't have a structure to propagate seedlings you can just buy ready to go plants from a garden centre. It is a good way of getting a head start if you end up being late to plant things.


----------



## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Veg growing is best done if you have a greenhouse to help start the plants off before planting out. I have a veg patch with raised beds at the bottom of my garden that works well


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

We bought a plastic greenhouse from Wilkinson for £80 to try this year. Secured the corners with wooden stakes and i will remove the plastic cover come winter time. It's great for the money and has three shelves either side. A pic from a couple of weeks ago down the allotment:










This was the allotment when we got it three years ago -



















And how it looked a year later after some hard graft -










Some of last year's haul:



















And you don't get this in Sainsburys! :lol::lol::lol:


----------



## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

We had a veg patch in our garden. Grew all sorts.
Beans, cauli, spuds, swedes.
Also got a greenhouse, that's normally full of peppers and tomatoes.


----------



## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

I give my chicken poo away to a chap that has a few plots of land. Says it's great stuff for his compost heap.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

If you only have a few beds in your garden you can start everything you need on a bedroom windowsill. We have 2 full size allotment plots and no greenhouse and the boss just starts it all off in the house! It does look a little like a nursery in our house for a couple of weeks at this time of year as we currently have >70 sweetcorn plants, about 30 various beans, countless cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings and what looks like a field of squash and pumpkins and countless strange flower things as well!


----------



## Sh1ner (May 19, 2012)

Excellent job Shiny. Looks like a lot of work has gone in there.
We have a couple of large allotments and with the time and resources they take I can only agree with your comment about cost effectiveness but we rarely need to buy anything from the shops and it does taste so much nicer than the usual tasteless stuff available. Somehow eating seasonal fruit and veg makes the year more real.

Stealthwolf.
Carefully planned it can be all year seasonal fruit and veg.
Take note of where the sun shines and with careful planting you can make the most of the space and grow up against a fence and in the same bed along the ground with everything getting plenty of sun.

I would decide what you would like to grow and then prepare your soil to suit the crop even if it means little partitions in the bed. I know it means a little research but it will save some time in the long run.
As an example.
Some veg, carrots etc do not like too much fertiliser and have a tough time in hard stony ground. So if you grow some carrots make the bed deep, 12 to 18 inches, stone free with soft soil so they can grow down and fatten up unimpeded.

On the other hand.
Spuds are excellent for conditioning soil as they really break up the ground and seem to like lots of well rotted manure both for food and moisture retention. I mix the soil with lots of fully broken down manure drop the seed spuds on top and then cover from both sides to make ridges over the top and then keep covering as they grow until the frosts are over this also keeps, to some extent, other pests away.

You will come to regard slugs, snails, pigeons, cats and lots of other beasties, as the enemy. White rot in onions, and potato blight takes on a whole new significance and don't mention the weeds. ARGHHHHHH!

Even my dog needs watching, he loves carrots, if you turn your back on him for a second he sniffs them out and goes along the rows pulling them up, eating as he goes.

Best of luck, I hope you grow lots of tasty stuff.


----------



## John-R- (Feb 4, 2007)

Have you tried using potato sacks and pots?

These are great and an easy option for spud's and carrots etc, also a small cold-frame can either be made or bought really cheaply for things like herbs / radish etc

John


----------



## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Hi guys. Thanks for your advice. I do think I'm a bit behind in terms of planting seeds. The border on one side is around 1m x 7m long and follows a fence but gets sunlight from about 11 o'clock onwards. At the moment, it's full of shubbery which I'm taking down (the rain doesn't help) and plan to make into a sort of planter bed.



Gek said:


> we got small plants and they grew from there no bother.


I think I'm going to go down this route. I'm way behind in terms of sowing. There's a garden centre close by so will visit.



Sam6er said:


> I would suggest starting off seedlings indoors then slowely introduce them outdoors to harden them off. Get some good quality soil.


I think I'll be looking at this - developing some seedlings indoors first and then planting outside when they're ready. I know there's a few frosts expected. Any particular soil you'd recommend?



Shiny said:


> 3 years on we now have it divided in to 8 manageable plots of appox 3m x 3m, a shed, a pop up greenhouse
> 
> Can't beat the taste of home grown, it is a lot of effort and probably not cost effective, but it gets me out the house and it is nice to have a bit of peace and quiet.


That's probably more than we have in terms of space. Where did you get the pop up greenhouse from? I'd need to see if we have space for one.



Shiny said:


> I'm no expert, but mix the soil with the compost if you are going to do that. If the soil is good, you only really need to add compost to where you plant the seeds.


I've no idea of soil quality. Shrubs grow and that's about all I can say.



ollienoclue said:


> There is a fair amount of art involved in gardening and home grown veg...
> Prepare the ground, buy a book and bone up on what can be grown where


Any recommendations of books?

Obviously you've all had success and have some experience. I'm impressed. I'm a complete novice to these things. The most I've done so far is trying to make the lawn better. The idea about compost was to help improve the beds for planting.

I'm going to have a good read.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations about particular websites or apps, that'd be welcome.

:thumb:


----------



## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Okay so the weather hasn't been great and I've had limited free time. I've cleared the side of the garden for a vegetable patch. The idea is to make three or four smallish beds (about 1 metre sq each).

What timber should I use? I'm weary of chemicals from treated timber leaching into the soil and into the food.


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

stealthwolf said:


> Okay so the weather hasn't been great and I've had limited free time. I've cleared the side of the garden for a vegetable patch. The idea is to make three or four smallish beds (about 1 metre sq each).
> 
> What timber should I use? I'm weary of chemicals from treated timber leaching into the soil and into the food.


Wouldn't have really thought this would be an issue? Line the inside of the timber with heavy duty bin bags or pond liner. Even treated timber will rot eventually in constant contact with wet soil, a lining should hopefully slow things up though.


----------



## Sh1ner (May 19, 2012)

stealthwolf said:


> Okay so the weather hasn't been great and I've had limited free time. I've cleared the side of the garden for a vegetable patch. The idea is to make three or four smallish beds (about 1 metre sq each).
> 
> What timber should I use? I'm weary of chemicals from treated timber leaching into the soil and into the food.


I have used untreated scaffold boards (about £10 for a 4m board) for some of our our raised beds, 4m x 2m and 2 or 3 boards high. They last about 5 years before requiring replacement. With a bit of careful cutting, beds about a metre square should not prove too difficult or expensive.
Do remember to make them deep enough. One year we grew some parsnips that looked great in the beds but when dug they were "L"shaped. Lesson learned.
The beds are also light and with the corners being held by sharpened posts (only two or three inches below the wood) they can be picked up and placed where needed if desired. It is a bit of a pain to move the soil but it does make it easy to mix in more muck and check it for bugs and beasties.
The bugs and beasties will get inbetween the wood and the lining and make little channels so that they can move about without you seeing them. So moving and cleaning the beds does have a benefit. 
We also have permanent railway sleeper beds that I doubt will ever rot but they are more expensive. They are lined with a weed suppressant mesh fabric. Again quite cheap but I find I need to water more often than the poly lined beds.
As Shiny says better not to have the soil directly in contact with the wood. I line them with 1000 gauge 250 mu poly sheeting (ebay) various lengths and widths are available.
I find it best to leave a small gap/hole in the bottom, for drainage, to avoid waterlogging.


----------



## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

Shiny said:


> We bought a plastic greenhouse from Wilkinson for £80 to try this year. Secured the corners with wooden stakes and i will remove the plastic cover come winter time. It's great for the money and has three shelves either side. A pic from a couple of weeks ago down the allotment:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


great turn around to what you started with :thumb:

current pics?


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

enc said:


> great turn around to what you started with :thumb:
> 
> current pics?


Took these yesterday after spending a bit of time cutting the grass and trying to de-weed. Couldn't get my strimmer started so the edges all still need doing, but it is getting there. Been a funny year this year so far, although things have just started picking up again.

Winter red & white onions, almost ready for picking -










Leeks, chard, savoy cabbage and another cabbagy something the missus put in yesterday. We did have pak choi which bolted in no time at all, although we did catch a couple of plants for a stir fry.










Two plots of spuds, a couple of different types










Spinach, black cabbage, some other cabbage and strawberries










Peas (failed miserably this year), mange tout and runner beans.










Courgettes, cucumber and more black cabbage (our rabbit's favourite :lol










Parsnips, carrots, spring onions and (i think) swede










Finally tomatoes and peppers in the green house.


----------



## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Those spuds look a touch hungry to me if you want my opinion.


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Everyone's are the same this year, all a bit scraggly. They get a good watering each evening (unless it is raining).


----------



## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Ah ok. I don't know what you guys do but this year I threw a heap of organic fertiliser pellets into what becomes the bottom of the row before I put the seed potatoes in.

I also cheat and spray them with foliar feed/miracle grow about once a week.

This is broadly along the lines of what I do for clients commercially.


----------

