Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: jo9919 on January 18, 2007, 11:42:24
-
Hi,
I'm new to gardening of any sort. I only have a tiny garden with one raised flowerbed, which I created last year and have done remarkably well with, for a novice.
At the end of last summer I purchased a 4 X 6 greenhouse, which I am going to use for tomatos and peppers. I grew some tomatos last year and they did very well on my patio.
This year I would love to get more involved with growing edible plants but don't have any spare earth, so this would need to be done in containers or alternatively I am considering purchasing a link-a-bord raised bed kit, which would be able to stand on my patio and would give me 2 squared metres of growing space.
I would like your opinions on this and also on what would be good first things to try. Also, I would appreciate information on where the best place would be to look for full instructions on the things I intend to grow. Would you recommend a particular book or website?
Thanks,
Jo.
-
Hello jo, welcome to the forum :)
You'll get plenty of good advice, lots of people here grow their veg in containers. It sounds like you're set for a good growing season.
Recommendations?
Joy Larkcom, Grow your own Vegetables - tackles all the basics, friendly, lots of helpful planning, cultivation and propagation tips, and veg by veg guide :)
If you're anywhere near Oakham, contact Barnsdale Gardens and go on their Vegetables in Containers course - or as many as you like the look of - their courses aren't expensive, and you learn so much!
-
Thanks for your reply, Supersprout. I will look out for that book, it sounds just what I need.
Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near Oakham, I'm in Leeds in Yorkshire.
Jo.
-
Just because you dont have any more soil - dont let that stop you. You can grow plenty veg direct from a growbag plonked on the ground. You can also buy trays that for growbags to sit in. So you wont even end up with any other mess.
-
Hi Jo and a big welcome to the site, plenty of fruit and veg grown in containers, potatoes,carrots,leeks,tomatoes,all herbs and strawberry's. If you go on Amazon.co.UK you will find plenty of gardening books, good luck.
-
Hi jo & welcome! I'm a newbie to gardening too and we've just taken on an allotment :o so need all the help we can get! This site has taught us loads, everyone's v friendly so don't be afraid to ask for answers or advice. Do take some pictures and post them for us to have a nosey at, would love to see your progress! Good luck with your veggie growing! x
-
I agree with Kitten, I'm also new to this site and people are so helpful.
-
Hi Jo, which part of Leeds? I've lived in Hunslet, Armley, Headingley... Hyde Park and now have friends in Pudsey...
8)
-
Thanks everyone for your welcome.
I've been looking around the web and have found some great information about growing veggies in containers on the RHS site. Also, i've looked at the Dobies website and they have loads of seeds especially suited to container gardening.
I live in Garforth in Leeds, though I was born eerrrrrr 38 years ago in Upper Wortley. We moved to this side of Leeds when I was 2.
Everyone on the site seems so friendly, just as well as I'm sure once I get started I'm going to have LOADS of questions for you all.
Just as a matter of interest, has anyone built or bought raised beds to put on their patio or do you all just use buckets and growbags if you don't have an allotment or have lack of space?
I've also been reading some gardening blogs and they are great, I'm sooooo nosey!!
Looking forward to lots more advice, and if anyone has any tips or anything to point me in the right direction before i start this and make mistakes I'd be eternally grateful.
Jo.
-
A little piece of advice,if you want to grow for instance tomatos in a grow bag cut the bag in half stand them on end and then you can insert canes for the plants to grow up,sorry this may sound like im telling you how to suck eggs ,but you never know
-
good idea, macleaf, will pass it on to grow bag users on our plots :)
-
Hello Jo!
We're in Garforth too! We got our allotment last year and have found avidly reading A4A invaluable ;D! Swillington nursery on the hill have reliable good seeds and 'stuff', they are very friendly and always give good sound advice to the novice! We grew a great deal of salad veg - lettuce, rocket, salad onions hanging basket toms on our patio v successfully, all in wall troughs or hanging baskets.
We have used Susan Berger book Allotment Gardening and found its calendar particulalrly helpful.
All the very best of luck
Mouse
-
Hi Jo, I'm a newbie to allotmenteering, but when I had a little garden I grew lots of edible things in pots, all the things already listed plus sweetcorn! Some great books for beginners out there- I found Alan Titchs How to be Gardener books really helpful to understand growing from 'roots' as it were!!
As for making mistakes, gardening is all about that and as long as you learn year on year, they don't matter- the things that work make up for them!! It depends on what's right for you and your garden.
Best of luck, Emmy :)
-
As Mouseski says the Susan Berger's Allotment Gardening For beginners is very a useful read. ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Thank you for all your advice.
I will certainly look out for that book.
Thank you for that tip, Macleaf. I am going to grow tomatos in my new greenhouse (which 3 panes have blown out of today!!!) so I will bare that in mind.
It's good to know that there's someone not too far away, Mouseski. Where abouts in Garforth do you live? I live just off Fairburn Drive. I know all about Swillington Nursery, my hubby bought lots of my Christmas pressies from there!!!! Where do you have your allotment? My hubby's uncle has an allotment at the back of Church Lane and his brother has one in Colton. Hubby's uncle grows most things on his.
Don't forget everyone, I need lots more tips!!!
Jo.
-
Hi Emmy,
Thanks for your tips. I'm pleased to hear that you grew sweetcorn in pots as this is one thing that I would LOVE to grow. I absolutely LOVE sweetcorn. Can you give me any tips?
I should explain that one of the main reasons for me wanting to start growing my own veg and salad is that I'm the only one in my family who will eat it!!! Even hubby won't eat veg and very little salad. I have a son of nearly 12 and daughter of 8 and try as I might they just won't touch veg or salad. Well.....daughter will eat parsnips by the bucket full and a few carrots and very few peas, son will eat a little cabbage and a few carrots but hubby won't touch anything!!! I LOVE my veg and salad and could eat plate on plate of veg so I really can't understand why they don't like it. Anyway, last year I started growing bedding plants and the kids were so enthusiastic about it that I thought that if I start growing veg and salad it might encourage them to eat it.......they might even pass the enthusiasm onto my hubby!!!!
Thanks everyone for listening to my ramblings,
Jo.
-
Hi Jo,
My garden is mostly hard landscape due to my dog and GF liking to sunbathe that's why I have gone for a plot this year.
I may be wrong (please someone correct me if I am) you might want to look at Morrison flower buckets. I plan to grow tomatoes in these this year, am sure there must be other things you could plant in these.
Last year i had lettuces next to lobelia and even in pot on top of the daffs when the died back.Strawbeery planter was 3 gravel boards in a horse shoe shape with end caps filled with compost just laid on my gravel. As is my tomato planter, that is 3 boards along the bottom and 1 high enough room for six toms marigolds down the middle and more lettuce at the front.
Gary
-
Yup! Good ol' Morrisons' black buckets (the ones they use to display their cut flowers) are ideal, and at only 99p for 8, you can't go wrong. I use them in my garden for my salad/ summer/ tender fruit & veg.
Last year I grew cucumbers, courgettes, gherkins, chillies, aubergines, peppers, cape gooseberries, squash and... MELONS!!!
At present I'm using them as temporary planters for young fruit bushes I bought recently, and I'm overwintering my edible passionfruit - which are going great guns - before planting them direct in spring.
As for books, if you go on to Amazon (via the A4A link of course!) you'll find several good books on container gardening.
You'll be amazed at how much you can grow in a small space. Good luck!
-
we got some buckets from Morrison's last week, 8 for 99p, we got 13 in our stack, and, they don't split when drilled for drainage !! ;D ;D ;D
also, jo, what about home made tomato sauce for topping pizzas and pasta, will your hubby eat them ?
it's amazing what you can hide in there, onion, garlic, peppers, chilli ;D
-
Hi Jo,
I grew all my stuff in pots last year as I have no lottie and no available ground to plant things in (well, managed to sneak some strawberries in one corner!). I grew all sorts, like - carrots, tomatoes, sweet peppers, chillis, spring onions, herbs, aubergines... I imagine most things will grow in pots with varying degrees of success I guess! I think peas and beans need more root space?
I also use the black buckets from Morrisons and managed to get 12 or so in a pack a couple of times! You could always bat your eyelashes at a male staff member to wangle a good deal with them! (not that I am encouraging manipulation and exploitation of men using feminine charms, of course!) ::)
As for books, I have Andi Clevelys "The Allotment Book" which I have found really good, and also Sarah Ravens "The Great Vegetable Plot", also good. Just got Alan T's "The Gardeners Year" so will stick my thoughts on the Wiki when I've read it!
Check the book section on the Wiki http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_mambowiki/Itemid,61/ (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_mambowiki/Itemid,61/)
;D
-
Thanks everyone,
There really doesn't seem to be any reason for not giving containers a go. You've all gone to show that most things will grow in them.
We don't have a Morrisons nearby, but there's one in the centre of Leeds which I will have to pop in to next time I'm there.
The home made tomato sauce is a great idea. Yes, I would be able to use this on a pizza base and hubby would eat it that way. Does anyone have a good recipe?
I just need to decide now what I'm going to grow.........definitely tomatos and peppers. Quite fancy spring onions, garlic, carrots and raddish and perhaps lettuce, and maybe try potatos. Do you think I'm trying too much for my first attempt considering they're going to be in containers?
Joanne.
-
go for it Jo, if you've got the time, there's no limit ( apart from space) ;D ;D
our tomato sauce
roast as many tomatoes as you want, throw in some peeled garlic, chopped onion, chopped peppers, bit of chilli to taste, roast for about 40 mins, push througha coarse seive, salt and pepper to taste, then boil it down until it's
a/ thick enough for a pizza topping or
b/ thin enough for pasta
we make loads as we always have a surplus we can't give away, and it freezes brilliantly ;D
-
Thanks so much. I will hopefully be able to use some of the other things that I'm considering growing in this recipe too :)
Jo.
-
I just need to decide now what I'm going to grow.........definitely tomatos and peppers. Quite fancy spring onions, garlic, carrots and raddish and perhaps lettuce, and maybe try potatos. Do you think I'm trying too much for my first attempt considering they're going to be in containers?
Joanne.
Not at all! Last year was my first year and I started off with a couple of tomato plants and a chilli and ended up with loads of things cos you just get hooked. Oh yeah, I grew courgettes too, they were a great thing to grow for a first attempt and they kind of look after themselves and give loads of produce. They could go in the sauce too...?
-
Go for as many veggies as possible, if some don't crop you will have wished you had planted some more, and scousers I hope you didn't slip some extra morrisons black buckets in that stack of 8. :o :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Thanks for all your replies. Wow, you lot are such a friendly bunch, I never expected to receive so many replies and such good advice too.
I signed up to a yahoo group, asked a similar question and didn't get one response :(
I was a little apprehensive asking my question on here as I don't even have enough garden to grow any veggies in, never mind an allotment, but you lot are fantastic :)
I will let you all know what I do decide to grow in the end. I came onto here wondering if I should grow anything at all, then with the first responses thought "yeah, why not try it'', then with further replies I got ahead of myself, wanting to grow so many new things but wondered if I was getting a little ambitious, trying to run before I can walk. You have all given me so much encouragement. I now just hope that I can manage to grow SOMETHING, lol.
Of course, I will keep you all updated. I'll let you know what I'm growing and post piccies of the results (hope they're not ALL failiures), but you've given me the encouragement to give it a go and try. I'm sure there'll be many, many more questions along the way!!!
Thanks everyone,
Jo.
-
A lot of us giving advice have only been growing for one or two seasons so before you know it Jo you be answering questions of your own. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Jo,before you go out and buy books,try the Garden Register,on http//www.gardeningregister.co.uk,everything you will need to know will be there,i think they will even give you monthly guide, free of charge :-* :-*
-
Hi Jo. I'm oop norf too. You mentioned potatoes. I've grown some of my earlies in a dustbin for a few years (well, it is a container, isn't it?) with good results, but I'm sure if you've read some of the books people have recommended the idea will already have occurred to you. I don't know if your family's eating habits include potatoes but, once you've eaten a portion you've just dug up, I daresay you won't be too distressed if you have to eat them all yourself. ;D
Good luck.
Geoff.
-
We don't have a Morrisons nearby, but there's one in the centre of Leeds which I will have to pop in to next time I'm there.
Try your local florist - mine happily flogs me 10 buckets for a quid.
I grew carrots, spring onions, potatoes, radish, lettuce, land cress (yum), rocket, salad greens, chillies, peppers, tomatoes and strawbs in pots and trays last year - they all did well, but blimey they needed a lot of watering in last year's heatwave. ::)
Last year I grew cucumbers, courgettes, gherkins, chillies, aubergines, peppers, cape gooseberries, squash and... MELONS!!!
Amazin - were these all in black buckets? :o
Want to try cape gooseberries and squash this year, but thought I'd have to put them in the ground. I've only got a little plot of earth, so try to save it for the big stuff.
-
A happy cape gooseberry plant, say in a greenhouse is a monster...
;D
-
Hi and welcome as you can see everyone is so helpful and as a newie I have found them so helpful
books I have found helpful - The allotment handbook Caroline Foley and The Allotment Gardener's handbook Alan Titchmarsh
Good luck and happy growing :) :) :)
-
Hi Jo, If you only have a 'VERY' small piece of land take a look at Grown Your Own BBC2 Fridays At 8. 30 Two ladies from RHS are producing veggies all the year round in 3metre square
-
Thanks again everyone for all your advice.
Sorry I haven't been around over the weekend to answer or acknowledge but I've been away with work in London.
You've all given me so many ideas that I can't wait to get started now. I might just have to plant SOMETHING at the weekend!!!
Jo.
-
Their is a book called the "Square Foot Gardener" or something similar. Their method is to grow your plant in small blocks as apposed to rows. I think that is the principle that "Grow your own food" BBC2 are copting?
-
Thanks for the advice.
Now what I want to know is:-
I've decided to grow ..definitely tomatos and peppers. Quite fancy spring onions, garlic, carrots and raddish and perhaps lettuce, and maybe try potatos. Sooooo..........can I get anything started now? I'm so impatient and I want to get planting. I do have an electric windowsil propagator and a cold greenhouse.
Any advice?
Jo.
-
my lettuce came up 2 days ago, in an unheated propagator on the windowsill, they're now in individual fibre pots in the same propagator in the unheated greenhouse, later will be planted in to the polystyrene box i keep for growing early mixed salad leaves in :)
-
Am I still ok to start growing lettuce then or have I missed my time for sowing?
Jo.
-
no, you can plant lettuce all through the season, just a few at a time, don't do what I did first time, 36 lettuce, all ready at the same time, ;D if you want baby leaves like in the supermarket, just sprinkle a couple of different varieties, I grow them in a trough, and pick them as you want them, ;D
-
Thanks to tim and others, I realised that there's no one time to sow - better far to sow in succession for fresh, tender crops :)
Sow a few carrot, beet, baby parsnip, green beans (and probably lots of other fast growing veg) every ten days or so from March to August inclusive.
You can start carrot, beet, and lettuce indoors in modules now.
-
yes, I'm starting my beet and carrots off tomorrow, can't wait :)
-
When you say beet, do you mean beetroot or spinach beet type stuff?
-
well, mine are beetroot, 1 'seed' planted in a pot, these will be going in the border of the polytunnel when they're big enough, how about yours, supersprout ?
-
Three beetroot to a module - I might reduce to one or two like you scousers ::) Baby varieties so early i.e. Pronto. They'll go in a pot in the greenhouse, or under cloches in the back garden, once they've taken.
I'll keep sowing every ten days or so til the end of August and never be without baby veg again
;D ;D ;D
No reason why you shouldn't start spinach beet - if you like it ;)
-
Cool, thanks, just thought i'd check - being a newbie is no fun you know! :D
-
Hi All,
Best of luck with the new season everyone. :)
We got onto our first plot after Easter last year - in the middle of a newly rotovated 10plot site in Pudsey that had been mostly derelict for 10 years. We've already had a lot of produce on it - including sweetcorn - and are still enjoying surprisingly tasty kale.
As part of my work for Social Services, I'm also setting up a project supporting adults with mental health support needs into gardening, allotments and the nature side of life, which is developing nicely - it certainly makes the week better when you start Monday morning on a community allotment :D
We've got the "patio veg" collection from the organic gardening catalogue (www.organiccatalog.com) to play with this year - their suggestions for Aubergine and Sweetcorn are "little finger" and "minipop" respectively. I can really recommend their website and the HDRA is worth joining too - free entry to Harlow Carr and 10% off purchases too.
Did anyone get to the Harlow Carr "Grow Your Own Veg" day yesterday by the way ? The talks were worth the sludge & rain. :)
-
Hi Jo.
I just got half an allotment in garforth behind the community centre ,
(I am in dover street) . Wilkinson is good for quite a few things (crossgates)
and the swillington nursery is the best one in the area.
-
RedSquirrel, Just had a look at the website, I can't find the patio veg collection, which sub-heading is it under?
I would have loved to have gone to Harlow Carr yesterday, unfortunately my darling son was having a sleepover. I had one of his friends here from Friday night until last night so all ideas I had of going anywhere on Saturday went out of the window!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it though, I thought it would have been a good idea for me to go and get some information from them before I start my first season as a veggie grower ;D Isn't it Harlow Carr where they are trialling the 3 X 3 metre beds as seen on Grow Your Own? Did you happen to see anything about this while you were there?
Timeoff, Dover Street is just over the railway from me. Is your allotment near to Firthfields?
Jo.
-
Hi Jo,
sorry, it's under their "seeds collection" at www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_225&products_id=2379
the "community allotment and orchard" is on Cobden Road, near Matalan. Our own plot is by Pudsey Cemetry.
ps. I also grew up in Upper Wortley, where my dad was the archetypal draughtsman who dug up half the garden as an allotment a la "Good Life". ;D
-
Hi jo.
Yes, allotment is one of those near firthfields. Just a five minute walk away. And yes i am just the other side of the railway wishing the weather was better lol......
-
I have a friend in Pudsey (Marsh) who has just got into veg gardening Red Squirrel I won't be passing your details on to him, his wife would never forgive me!
;D
-
Thanks for the link Redsquirrel. It does look rather expensive seed though (perhaps I am wrong). I got Spring Onion, Parsnip, Radish, Leek, Chives, Beetroot, Lettuce, Pea, Garlic and 2 packs of Lillies all for £7.56 from Wilkos. The seed packs were cheap to start with but then there was a 2 for 1 offer on too. I hope it's not false economy and that the seeds germinate though.
Timeoff, I agree with you. It's been awful weather here in Garforth. How often do you get down to your allotment?
Jo.
-
Good luck to you Jo, I think getting the kids involved is a great way to get them to try new stuff!
I am grateful for the Tom sauce recipe manicscouser, I have tried loads already but they have all been such a palaver! I know you freeze yours but do you think it would bottle up ok?
Donna
-
Jo. I get down about once a week at the moment, just to check the sheds still standing, as its a bit of a sad case, and i have got a few things done. But come better weather i will be going 3 times a week i hope. Meanwhile, i have my little growhouse full of seeds in the the side conservatory. And a lot of rain outside .... lol.
-
I am grateful for the Tom sauce recipe manicscouser, I have tried loads already but they have all been such a palaver! I know you freeze yours but do you think it would bottle up ok?
Donna
[/quote]
don't know much about bottling, apart from pickling..maybe someone else ? :)
-
I have a book called The Edible Container Gardener,fresh food from tiny spaces, by Michael Guerra. It has tons of practical advice. XX Jeannine
-
Thanks for the replies.
Machman5, I have never made a Tomato Sauce recipe in my life so I'm grateful for the advice too.
timeoff, the weather here in Garforth has been lovely the last couple of days. I hope you have made use of the fine weather and been up to the allotment? How long have you had the lottie and what do you grow on it?
Jeannine, thank you for the book recommendation, I will look out for it. OK, you have the book, have you container gardened yourself? If so, what have you grown and what would you recommend?
Jo.