Allotments 4 All
News:
Picture posting is enabled for all :)
Home
Forum
Help
Search
Calendar
Gallery
Chat
Login
Register
Allotments 4 All
»
Allotment Stuff
»
The Basics
(Moderator:
Admin aka Dan
) »
Topic:
It's my first year
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Author
Topic: It's my first year (Read 1957 times)
Bello
Newbie
Posts: 4
It's my first year
«
on:
January 05, 2006, 15:41:24 »
Hello Everyone and Happy New Year.
I am preparing my allotment for my first growing year......It's feels somewhat daunting.
I thought I would start looking at which seeds to buy........there are Millions!!!
I mainly want to grow salads for the summer and experiment with other things.
I was wondering if anyone could recommend any variety of potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers etc, to help me on my way.
Thanks.
Logged
tim
Hectare
Posts: 18,607
Just like the old days!
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #1 on:
January 05, 2006, 17:23:56 »
Do you have any protection for cus & peppers?
How many to provide for? Are they fussy about food?
Logged
Bello
Newbie
Posts: 4
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #2 on:
January 09, 2006, 12:24:57 »
Hi
I am only growing for my wife and little boy. He's not fussy and likes anything that's given to him.
I wasn't going to start planting until late March early April, is this to early for peppers.
Thanks for you reply.
Logged
Hyacinth
Hectare
Posts: 8,276
I love Allotments 4 All
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #3 on:
January 09, 2006, 13:02:58 »
Hello! No, not too early for peppers; they need an early start, with heat, to get the growing season they need..
If you want salad leaves - look for me in Swap Shop - loads going free!
Cheers and good gardening,
Lishka
Logged
supersprout
Hectare
Posts: 4,660
mulch mad!
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #4 on:
January 11, 2006, 17:34:09 »
Hello Bello, lucky you having the prospect of grow your own for the first time!
Just write down all the things you & your family enjoy eating that would grow, then grow as many as you might need or have space for! There's no shame in growing only ONE courgette plant for example, even though you might have squillions of seeds. You want to keep your friends after August ... ;D
For seed varieties, I always ask around my neighbours - and keep a close eye on when the peeps with immaculate lotties are planting, and what. If it's your first season and you are charming 8), your neighbours may give you seeds and seedlings to try, and there are loads of lovely peeps on A4a who offer seeds in the swap shop, so you could save ppps if you want.
Just grow what you & your family love to eat, and enjoy experimenting. (chants, 'there's always next year ...') ;)
Logged
Derekthefox
read only
Hectare
Posts: 3,284
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #5 on:
January 11, 2006, 19:00:52 »
Being one of the less knowledgeable members, I will restrict my comments to simple fare - lettuces. I grow two varieties with some success ... early on, I start with little gem - seeds are available everywhere, and they are very easy to grow. You can afford to grow them close together and just harvest the hearts ... sheer indulgence ... Then for later when the slugs starting having parties, I grow a red variety - Red Fire, I find the slugs regard red lettuces at less appetising ... by successional sowing, you can keep the lettuces going all summer, winding down at the end with little gem again ... not imaginative perhaps, but along with peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions ... it all looks terrific on the plate!
Logged
daveandtara
Acre
Posts: 318
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #6 on:
January 11, 2006, 19:15:28 »
everyone will probably groan because i always reccomend the same firm but the vive verde 'real seed catalogue' are fab ;D.
we grow to persuade our kids to eat more greens ::) so we've chosen their 2 inch cucumbers so babes can just pick and eat like fruit.
most of their stuff is pretty easy to grow, they include full instructions and recipes and because they're REAL seeds, you can save your own seeds for the following year.
we got ours just four days after ordering online.
definately worth a look,
good luck,
Tara and Dave
Logged
John_H
Half Acre
Posts: 234
compost happens
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #7 on:
January 11, 2006, 19:57:53 »
That’s spooky Derek, I grow little gem plus a red lettuce, for just the same reasons.
Because of the size of Little Gem they just make 1 meal and then I can start on the next fresh lettuce from the plot, it saves me feeling like I have to eat something old which has been in the fridge for a few days.
Don’t forget some flowers are edible too, so you could grow pansies and nasturshums and add them to salads.
Logged
Indian build small fire, keep warm.
White man build big fire - keep warm chopping wood!
http://www.20six.co.uk/johnhumphries
Merry Tiller
Hectare
Posts: 1,901
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #8 on:
January 11, 2006, 23:19:34 »
Quote
I find the slugs regard red lettuces at less appetising
I don't blame them ;)
Logged
spacehopper
Hectare
Posts: 533
Its a jungle out there...
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #9 on:
January 12, 2006, 11:36:33 »
Probably contravertial, but my advive would be to read the description on the packets, make a choice and not worry too much about it. As this is our first year we have looked for keywords such as 'hardy', 'reliable', 'easy' and so on. Chances are you'll end up with a load of lovely veg, and if there are one or two things you don't like then just strike them off the list for next year. And there is always next year to try different things. It's easy to over analyse with the huge choice of seeds available. As David Brent from the office would say, you could become 'paralysed by paradox'! ;D
Logged
Make the most of today, because you'll never have it back again.
glow777
Hectare
Posts: 971
up in the hills in Buxton
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #10 on:
January 12, 2006, 13:42:17 »
Don't be afraid of wasting seed, most of the seed keeps or can be given away or swapped and in reality you usually only need 1 or 2 successful plants (or a bunch in the case of carrots) to recoup the cost of the seeds
Most importantly have fun
Logged
Moggle
Hectare
Posts: 1,458
My island home is waiting for me
Re: It's my first year
«
Reply #11 on:
January 12, 2006, 15:57:52 »
I had reasonable success this year with Marvel of the four seasons red lettuce and red salad bowl too :)
For potatoes, I would say get yourself to a potato day, or at the very least a garden centre that lets you buy seed spuds by the tuber and get yourself say 5-10 tubers of lots of different spuds. That way you can see what varieties work on your soil. Would need good labelling for that method though both when buying and when planting :)
Logged
Lottie-less until I can afford a house with it's own garden.
Print
Pages: [
1
]
« previous
next »
Allotments 4 All
»
Allotment Stuff
»
The Basics
(Moderator:
Admin aka Dan
) »
Topic:
It's my first year
anything
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal