New garden

[Mortality]

Hello, new gardener here, I will be converting our garden into a proper kitchen garden at the end of January.
We plan to make four, 2ft by 2ft planting areas and to gravel the rest leaving an area for compost etc.
I have been reading loads on the net and checking out this site.
Just need abit of advice for a first time grower, this is what I have planned,
Broad Beans : Red Epicure or Crimson - Flowered.
Carrot : not sure yet, Ive read about carrot fly etc..
Lettuce : Thinking of a mix so they dont all mature at the same time.
Radish : Again thinking of a mix
Potatoes : Arran Pilot (in the grow bags)
Onions : A red and a brown type, not sure which yet.
Shallots : Paris Silverskin, So I can Pickle em.

[Mortality]

[Mortality]

Beetroot : Burpee's Golden for something unusual
Tomato : Tigerella or Zebra
Cucumber : White Wonder
Peas : not sure, husband and I prefer marrowfat types..
Cabbage : a pointed type not sure which

Any advice would be appreciated, ty

[RobinOfTheHood]

There are far more experienced gardeners on here than me, but here's my tuppence worth:

Broad Beans:  doesn't matter, they're not very nice (just joking, I don't care much for them)

Carrot:  nice cheap Autumn King - if you don't net/fleece them you won't get to eat them anyway.

Lettuce:  they only take a few weeks, sow them successionally (every week or two) and grow whichever variety you fancy. Salad Bowl mixed works for me.

Radish:  ditto. You can get packets of mixed seeds from Wilkinsons and probably others.

Potatoes:  put them in the ground if you have any. Arran Pilot are good, but consider a maincrop too. Sarpo Axona are foolproof if you can get them.

Onion: start with sets, again foolproof. Stuttgarter/Sturon/Red Baron/whatever the shop has.

Shallots:  go for it, can't really comment.

Beetroot: mine is always crap, your selection might be better.

Tomato: Tigerella is good, not grown Zebra, consider a cherry. Sungold is in my eyes head and shoulders above all else.

Cucumber: Burpless Tasty Green for me.

Cabbage:  Greyhound is a good 'un.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.   :)

[davyw1]

Welcome Mortality,
You will get lots of good advice but the best bit i can give you is to make a list of what veg you like the most no point in growing what you wont eat, then ask for the best variety to grow to get the best results.

[manicscousers]

Hiya, Mortality, welcome to a4a  ;D
don't forget to grow some stuff up, beans at the back of a bed or peas, there's something called 'square foot gardening' which might be useful, plus, tumbling tomatoes in hanging baskets will give you a bit more room, lettuce grown as cut and come again, just pick leaves as and when you want them, plus, when the broad beans come out, cabbage could follow  :)
we like tigerella toms, greyhound cabbage is a really good, small one.
anyway, enjoy your veggie growing  ;D

[Mortality]

Another thing I am tempted to grow later in the year is some sort of butternut squash.
Is it best to buy seeds or just save seeds from a shop bought squash (since we buy them all the time) ?

[SMP1704]

Hi Mortality

Your choice of veg variety will depend on your particular taste buds - I don't bother with radish because no one in our house eats them.

I do wonder about the size of your beds - 2x2 is pretty small.  My tip would be to make the beds as big as you can, if you only have a small space, don't waste it on paths - get yourself a couple of lengths of gravel board to walk on between the rows.

Welcome to A4A

[manicscousers]

we've grown radish, lettuce and round carrots in troughs of multi purpose compost, saves a bit of ground  :)

[pigeonseed]

Welcome - sounds like great plans, very exciting.

Another thing I am tempted to grow later in the year is some sort of butternut squash.
Is it best to buy seeds or just save seeds from a shop bought squash (since we buy them all the time) ?

Squash cross-pollinate with other types, and so their seed sometimes produce things which aren't nice to eat. So buying seed would be best for them I think. It would be so disappointing to find you'd spent months growing something with the texture of old socks.

[Mortality]

Thanks for the advice everyone ;)
oops and its four squares at 4ft by 4ft, dunno what I was thinking ;D

[chriscross1966]

Will offer advice on stuff I know, so there'll be big gaps :D


Onions, although I'm an inveterate seed-grower for trhese I'd suggest sets if you can buy them loose, with that little space you won't be able to do loads, however if you can live with putting a few seeds on a windowsill in some modules now to transplant out in March (by which time they'll be in pots or at least bigger modules) then I'd suggest Long Red Florence for the Red cos it does well in cramped conditions... you'd put four or five seeds in per module/pot and plant them out at 6" intervals....Given how few you'll be able to grow then maybe start them in pots.. For  a white why not go for either a shallot either from a set or seed (similar to above), otherwise something reliable like Aisla Craig or Rjinnsburger rather than a long-store specialist (Sturon) or monster (Kelsae, Spanish Giant, Russian Standard/Size) though I can let you have a few seeds of all of those if you want..

Beetroot: Boltardy  is bulletproof but you might want to go for a monogerm like Moronia or Monopoly and start in pots.... I can let you have a few seeds of Boltardy if you want....

Squash: not butternut, anything but butternut.... get something easy to grow that fruits early, Winter Festival is the easist thing to grow I know of and sets a good crop of sensibly sized, good tasting decorative looking fruit on a plant that doesan't ramble too much, I can send you a couple of seeds if you want. Don't save commercial BN seed, it won't come true....

Spuds... hmm... Pink Fir Apple taste the best, Setanta is supposed to be good and pretty blightproof, all the Sarpo's are pretty much totally blightproof but are different to the spuds we're used to culinary wise, though Mayan Twilight is radically different and gets praised for it.... There are places that will ship out spuds individually so you could get a mix and have a look... a 4 foot by 4 foot bed will only realistically hold  8-12  or so potato plants... if you put an ultra-1st early like rocket in the middle of the other spuds (label label LABEL! , when you dig the 1st earlies out (end of May) you could put the squash in its place and it'll grow on as you harvest the spuds out of its way....

Lettuce: a mixed leaf pack, they like compost and nitrogen BTW, ditto radish though they don't need the nitrogen.

Tomato: Sungold for a cherry, Black Krim for a biggie.

If you can get a bed up a south facing wall then tall beans (Borlotti for a shelled bean, Cobra for a green) or tall peas (Telefono, Alderman etc) is a  good idea...

Carrots: fly resistant or fleece, your choice.....

chrisc

[Vinlander]

A point about size - a single courgette plant will have covered an entire 4ft square plot by mid July - shading out everything else it shares with. A single squash plant will do the same to all 4 beds if you let it run, will cover one bed if you train it to a (very strong!) climbing frame.

Try growing courgettes in a 1ft diameter pot (minimum) - they look good and are controllable. The yield is usually no smaller than you would expect from a small plant.

Yellow beetroot are incomparable in stews (don't bleed) but are not as sweet raw or pickled.

If you can get free seeds from a plant you know tastes good then use them - commercial growers' fields are so big there is little crossing - and a cross between 2 good squash is nearly always a good squash anyway.

The same goes for most other veg... main exception is brassicas - a plant that's halfway between a cabbage and a sprout or cauli isn't much good - though they all produce good edible broccoli sprays in spring.

Good luck.

[Mortality]

Yes, just been looking at the Mayan ones, Gold, Queen and Twilight, im pretty tempted to try those, anyone else already grown them?

[manicscousers]

we grew jack be little and baby boo up trellises, it cut down on space and we got quite a good crop from them  :)

[lewic]

Is it best to buy seeds or just save seeds from a shop bought squash

I wouldnt bother with butternut seeds unless you have a heated greenhouse with plenty of light. Spent ages nuturing my seedlings and they refused to grow. Bought a small 99p plant later on and it produced loads!

[Mortality]

A point about size - a single courgette plant will have covered an entire 4ft square plot by mid July - shading out everything else it shares with. A single squash plant will do the same to all 4 beds if you let it run, will cover one bed if you train it to a (very strong!) climbing frame.

Try growing courgettes in a 1ft diameter pot (minimum) - they look good and are controllable. The yield is usually no smaller than you would expect from a small plant.

Yellow beetroot are incomparable in stews (don't bleed) but are not as sweet raw or pickled.

If you can get free seeds from a plant you know tastes good then use them - commercial growers' fields are so big there is little crossing - and a cross between 2 good squash is nearly always a good squash anyway.

The same goes for most other veg... main exception is brassicas - a plant that's halfway between a cabbage and a sprout or cauli isn't much good - though they all produce good edible broccoli sprays in spring.

Good luck.

Im not keen on courgettes (note commercial ones), they always taste too bitter for me.
Im really tempted now just to buy a butternut squash and use the seeds just to see what surprise I might get  :P

[Mortality]

The basic (rough) plan is :
(to be rotated in future years)

Plot 1 Broad beans and peas
Plot 2 Carrots and onions/shallots
Plot 3 Radish, cabbage, beetroot.
Plot 4 Lettuce followed by cucumber or squash

The legumes in plot 1 together for their nitrogen root fixers. (I think I have that right)
The carrots and onions together in plot 2 because I've read that the onions deter the carrot flies.

Potatoes grown in bags dotted around.

Tomatoes in a plastic greenhouse http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/catalogue/product/greenhouse-4-tier-with-extra-cover/99167/
and or in hanging baskets.

[emmy1978]

Welcome Mortality- not much to add except that plottie courgettes are absolutely nothing like supermarket offerings. I loathed them before I grew my own-I pick them while they are still quite small and chuck them into sauces and stir-frys-they are so sweet and tender-gorgeous!
My beetroot worked really well-I've grown it twice-Boltardy both times. I hate the stuff but grow it for Small and the OH. They love it cooked or pickled.
;D ;D ;D

[lancelotment]

Hi Mortality, fairly obvious observation but anything you can grow vertically means more space for what you can't.  Runners, French climbers and outdoor cucs will work in that kind of space as will some of the higher growing peas.  Don't forget to throw a few sweet peas in there for colour, cutting and pollinator attraction.  Can I make a recommendation for lots of herbs in pots as well.  Fresh coriander, parsley, chives, rocket etc. can put a spark into the blandest of salad leaves and are so easy to grow.  Cherry toms in hanging baskets (grew Gartenpearle last year with some success) can be another space saver.   Have fun.  Lance

[Mortality]

Hi Mortality, fairly obvious observation but anything you can grow vertically means more space for what you can't.  Runners, French climbers and outdoor cucs will work in that kind of space as will some of the higher growing peas.  Don't forget to throw a few sweet peas in there for colour, cutting and pollinator attraction.  Can I make a recommendation for lots of herbs in pots as well.  Fresh coriander, parsley, chives, rocket etc. can put a spark into the blandest of salad leaves and are so easy to grow.  Cherry toms in hanging baskets (grew Gartenpearle last year with some success) can be another space saver.   Have fun.  Lance

Thanks hun, my husband decided he would be looking after the herb side of things, leaving me to do the vegetables....I think ive been conned. We will probaily have herb pots dotted around the garden.
Sweet peas are a great idea, as they are another nitrogen root thingy whatsit, is there no danger of them cross pollinating with peas or beans since theyre similar?