Topic: Planning

[springbok]

Hi there,

I havent got an allotment, but have made two boxes in my back garden.  Both boxes are 1 m by 2 m and spit into 3 sections.
I have never grown vegetables before, and looking at lots of sites am blinded by science :) 
I have been given many different vegetable seeds for christmas.  For example the peas have 300 seeds in the packet.  How many do I plant?
How do I go about planning what to plant where and how much to plant.  I have a small family, myself and two children.

Any advice would be apprecatiated :)

[kitten]

Hi springbokgirlie & welcome!  This site is almost as addictive as veggie growing so be warned!

I'd recommend finding out about "square foot gardening" as it aims to maximise produce in a small space.  I've just googled it, and it came up with www.squarefootgardening.co.uk so have a look & see what you can find.

Take some piccies of your 'plot' too, it's amazing how much it changes during the season, and year on year, plus we're a nosy lot and like to see what you've been up to!  Good luck x

[bupster]

Hi, SBG,

First, what do your family love to eat most? With such limited space you don't want to grow stuff nobody likes. Second, is any of that expensive in the shops? Not a lot of point growing maincrop spuds for example if you're happy to spend a few pence buying them. Salads would be nice out there, and maybe some spring onions; peas would be great as long as they're dwarf (I think); if you have a handy wall or fence you could grow beans up the back. Your best bet is to winnow it down to a shortlist of what you'd like to grow, and then see if you can divide the space up to grow the most possible.

Maybe have a google for square foot gardening? That sounds very much like what you're trying to do.

Hope this helps, everyone here will be happy to give more advice once you've narrowed down your wishlist.  :)

[Rob08]

Hi Springbokgirlie,

Given your limited space it would be wise to focus on veg your family really likes that is perhaps hard to find or expensive in the local shops.  That is one way to maximise the potential in your garden. 

There are others more knowledgeable here who can advise how many plants of any particular crop would be ideal to feed 3 people. 

You can even grow plants such as squash (gem squash in particular) as these can be trained up a trellis and thus not take up too much space.  Tomatoes are another great crop to grow, especially the cherry types that can be container grown, again saving space.

[bupster]

We're quite rubbish at reading each others' posts, aren't we?

Ooh, ooh, maybe some tomatoes and courgettes - if you get very productive varieties you'll only need one or two plants of each.

[cornykev]

Hi Spring and welcome to the Asylum, as said grow what you eat, lettuces and radishes are very quick growers so can keep replanting, plants like brussels and parsnips take up room and time so are a no no. Others that are quicker growers are beetroot,courgettes, french beans or short rooted carrots. If you have room you can grow spuds and tomatoes in containers.  ;D ;D ;D

[springbok]

I did try to get an allotment but our local council has sold off all the land!!.

Fantastic advice, the square foot gardening system for the boxes is a fantastic idea and pretty self explanatary, thank you for that advice.

I also have saved 2 large beds for planting in my back garden.  I have already planted blackberries and raspberries along the back wall.  (will have to take some photos) :)  As I have a pretty big front garden, with no road in front, a friend suggested planted in the front garden too.
 
I have two cold frames, and a glass cloche which i got for xmas!  (my family went a bit mad at xmas with equipment for me, my own compost maker too)  :)

I think really the advice I would love the most from my list is how many to plant of each for a small family.
I have a list here of what vegetables I am going to ATTEMPT to grow.  Have listed the variety too!   I might be being over ambitious but have the time to tend to them  ;D

Tomatoes:  6 varieties as i love cooking too!!
Costoluto Fiorentiono
Gardeners delight
Golden sunrise
Red Pear
San Marzano 2
Tigrella

Pea Early Onward

Squash Winter butternut F1 (everybodies fav)

Courgette Astia f1

Swede best of all

Leek musselburgh

Parsnip gladiator f1

cauliflower all year round

broccoli autumn calabrese

rocket wild (will grown in a tub)

Carrot nantes 5

Beetroot bolthardy

onion ailsa craig

radish sparkler 3

onion spring white lisbon

cucumber telegraph improved

lettuce salad bowl mixed

Brussel sprout Evesham special

Pepper, sweet california wonder...

Phew, long list!!...

any expert advice on how many of each would be great :) :) :)
thank you

[manicscousers]

hiya, sbg..welcome to the mad house, courgettes, depending on how many you like to eat, 2 plants will keep you well supplied, cucumber, 2 plants, grown up a wall, kept 2 of us and our friends, full of cucumber all season..we grow our salad leaves in a trough, the sort you grow flowers in, just use as cut and come again..an 18" row at a time, resown every 3 weeks, when I remember
no doubt someone else will be along in a minute with more ideas, have fun  ;D

[saddad]

Hi SBG... apart from the swede and sprouts (need lots of space) sounds like a good list.
 ;D

[dtw]

I did try to get an allotment but our local council has sold off all the land!!.

Don't councils have to provide a certain amount of land depending on the population?
I expect somebody who knows more about this can reply.

Good luck with your garden.  :)

[bupster]

I eat loads of leeks, so grow anything up to 100 of them just for me and OH (one bed 6ft by 4ft); use about 6 ft by 8ft for onions and half that for garlic. I think sprouts take up a lot of space all year round, but if you want them, grow them - maybe four plants in your front garden? Winter squash can take over the place a bit as well. I'd stick your peas, courgettes, tomatoes and salads in your big boxes - with 6 varieties of tomato you won't need more than two plants each, maybe only one, and the same with the courgettes - many stories of people having to abandon baskets of courgettes on neighbours' doorsteps under cover of darkness!.

[cambourne7]

Hi springbokgirlie & welcome!

On top of the great advice you have been given already you could get started no by adding well rotted horse manure to one of your beds and dig it in. You could make a wooden frame over one of your 1mx2m beds (or even 3 seperate frames over the indivual sections) and you can grow some salad crops now and get some seeds started for the other beds.

Other than that i think they have covered everything.

Cambourne7

[springbok]

How many pea seeds would you all recommend to plant in the ground for a small family... we all hate runner beans im afraid :) fussy lot!!.  So opted for peas instead.

[hazelize_uk]

We never think peas are very worth growing in a small space as you seem to need such a lot of them to make a family meal!  There is no doubt they are lovely so rather than thinking how many to grow i would suggest thinking about how much space you are willing to give them and fill the space accordingly.  I dont think you could ever have enough if you covered your whole garden, my kids have eaten most of them before they make the pot!

[bupster]

I second that - I've never yet brought any peas home.  ::) One thing with peas is to sow in succession so they aren't all ready to harvest all at once.

[Lauren S]

Hello Springbokgirlie and welcome from me  :)

I only got my allotment in October last year.
While I was waiting I experimented with just  a few of each of my fav plants. As you can see my growing area at home was very tiny.
I had my 6 cukes growing in pots placed going up the steps. The canes were attached to the railings.
 
I grew early Swift potatoes in the raised beds and in trug tubs. Very successful yields (pictured on the far left) Once the earlies had finished I then planted corn and beets.

Lettuce and courgettes I grew in small pots too

I know you said you didn't like runner beans, but I grew runners AND peas in trug tubs

Good luck with your new exciting hobby.
And believe me, once you're plants get going in the garden you will be popping out early in the mornings in your pj's and slippers to check on your *New Babies*. Just don't get caught  ;D

[springbok]

Thank you all for the fantastic advice.

This morning waking up, I found my coldframes blown all over the garden, with all my sweetpeas all over the place :(  (they both had bricks in the bottom and the wind still managed to lodge them both)

I go out every day now, and check on my babies round my garden.  My kids think I am nuts... :)

I planted garlic in november and they already measuring 4" high!.  I dug the soil over, with plenty of compost, 2 spades deep ready for this year.  I have to look into where I get Manure from??

I love the idea of pots, as I have a large patio area too. 

Just cant wait to get started now!!... The excitement is killing me :D

[Tee Gee]

Thats a fair seed list you have there!

Regarding advice I think you will find all you want to know here; http://tinyurl.com/yn57zu (use the alphabetical index) and the best of luck with what you grow.

Do not hesitate to ask for further information there are a number of people here on A4A only too willing to help those people who help themselves.

BTW Lauren I am impressed with your use of space. Lovely to see how you have utilised such a small space....well done!!

[Riffster]

Hi there Springbokgirl, and welcome

As "Lauren S" so perfectly showed.  Don't be afraid of using pots and containers.  We grew almost anything and everything in containers until we moved house.  No seed need be wasted,  it can be saved or "tried out".   Freecycle, and some garden centres have pots etc to give away. 

Just add compost etc...

Regards

   Riffster & Chief Wormer

[manicscousers]

and don't forget the famous black 'buckits' free from some supermarkets, eg asda, or 8 for 99p from morrisons  ;D