Allotments 4 All

How do you choose what you are going to grow?

I've only started collecting seeds since september and have 4 broad beans, 13 french, 2 runner and a couple of other beans that i'm not sure what the come under, 8 courgette, 3 couliflower, 3 egg plants, 11 squash as well as loads of onions and other stuff. I still have Jeanines parcel and a swap to come :o

Originaly i planed on growing two of each so i could find out what tasted the best and grew the best, but after seeing all the seeds i have there is no-way i have enough room. So i wondered how you chose are are going to choose this year.

Neil

Neil, are those numbers seeds or packets of seeds?

G x

Packets or part packets as some come in swaps and some were collected, at least 6-10 seeds of each.

Neil

Quote from: nilly71 on January 11, 2009, 20:51:18
How do you choose what you are going to grow?
Neil

First I have a plan of my plot with all the dimensions.
Then I have a list of what we like to eat. The smaller beds get the smaller veg and naturally the larger plants (cabbage potatoes etc) get the bigger beds.
Make the use of a vertical space you might have, like walls, fences or trellis.

I also signed up and used growveg.com for a free 30 day trial and printed out several years worth of plot plans.

When you first start out you have so many nice fruit/veg you want to try. The next year you want to try something else or another variety. I think your favs will evolve over time.

Lauren :)

You could always plant a couple of each if you have the room.  Whichever produces best....  then you know what to plant more or less of for year.  It is also a case of growing what you eat. No point wasting room on what you don't like just because it grows well.  Some people try to keep a small area to try new stuff each year.

My decisions for choosing varieties included the largest yield, and the shortest growing time.  For example, some caulis can be grown from seed to harvest in 5 months, leaving 7 months to plant something else.  Other caulis take 10 months therefore reducing the amount you can grow.  I am growing sweetcorn that ripens in August - so if the weather is poor they have an extra month or two to catch up.  Some won't be ready until September.  My Butternut squash is supposed to be ready in as little as 85 days,  other varieties takes 120 days.  It depends on what varieties you like,  the type of ground you have such as soil or clay, and the climate.  Some varieties are chosen for there ability to be kept in storage and when frozen; so you can eat them when out of season.

It's hard to say what we like, as stuff bought from the supermarkets are unamed, carrots are named as carrots, leeks are leeks etc. The only type of squash we have ever had is butternut and do not know what the name was and do not buy courgettes.

I think this year will be an adventures year ;D  ;D

Neil

hi there
i am been wondering what to grow too. with my new plot i have no idea where to start. i think i am going to write a list of what we like to eat and try a cupple of different varities this year and see what happens,  ;)

i have been trying to plan out my beds aswell but i keep getting confussed. i am sure with more experience these things get easyer.  :D

If you need a programe to plan your plot, see my thread...http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,45762.0.html

I have built 3 identical size beds that will be used for a 3 year rotation, the other beds will be used for stuff like asparugus that grows every year, corn and green manure but then i do keep changing my mind ;D

Most of the people over my allotment grow the same stuff all the time, i would like to experiment.

Neil

cheers for that neil i will have a go at the tonight once my son is in bed, thanks