Newby needing advice please

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Outofdepth

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Newby needing advice please
« on: May 08, 2011, 20:06 »
Hello there,

I am new to the site and to allotment gardening. At the moment I feel totally out of my depth as I have no experience.  :blink:  We got an allotment in December, had really bad snow and frost here in North-West, so far clearing site and sorting years of neglect.

I wonder if you good people would have advice for the following....though more questions are bound to follow.

Garlic: ( not sure what type it was, bought from garden centre)

I followed video from this site on how to grow garlic, I have 6 cloves planted in my green house in compost. They are now starting to shoot up, I have prepared a bed for them next to my shallots, which are doing well.

1. Is it ok to plant them out, if so any tips welcome and

2. Are they ok near shallots.....also when should I harvest them.

Herbs from seed/ plants.

I like the idea of having a Permanent  herb garden, I am currently growing chives , thyme, dill and basil from seed, in the green house which seems to be coming along.  

3. When is best to plant out and can you have a permanent herb garden. I am aware softer herbs will die out during seasons, but rosemary etc should be ok. Any advice?

We are very newand lack experience and knowledge, we planted out lots of seeds (carrot, parsnips)  to quickly learn that this was not good idea due to lack of knowledge, we were unable to tell seedlings from weeds. I dug over it all today, cleared the section of allocated site again and have decided as this is our first year we will just prepare the beds, and buy plants already started off by others with the knowledge.

4. I wonder though, is it too late to plant carrot seeds and parsnips in green house and then plant out later in the year?

5. Same question for cabbage/ Broccoli .  ( We are so late as only bought green house last month.

Corn :

6. I am looking to grow corn on the cob, advice please!

 ??? Thanking you in advance xxx
« Last Edit: May 08, 2011, 20:18 by Yorkie »

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Yorkie

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Re: Newby needing advice please
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2011, 20:28 »
Welcome to the site  :D

It will help greatly if you could edit your forum profile (click your username) to show your location as this is highly relevant for some questions.

You've asked an awful lot of questions in that post.  It's very difficult to answer them all so I've numbered them for you.  Can I suggest that in future, you start a separate thread for each different question / plant, or things will doubtless get overlooked and others get confused.

Anyway, on to business...

1. Yes.  Put some general purpose fertiliser down, try not to damage the roots when you plant out, water well.

2. Yes it's OK as they are the same family.  Harvest in about August when the foliage dies down.

3. You need to know what herbs you are planning, and whether each is perennial (i.e. permanent) or annual.  You will not move the perennials each year so need to decide where they go permanently.  Do not plant mint directly into the ground as it is a thug. 

Annuals are generally not frost hardy so I'd avoid planting them until your last frost date has passed.  (This is an example of why we need to know your general location).

Most herbs prefer sunny, open, well drained site as they come from the mediterranean. 

4. Sow carrot seeds direct - make a shallow drill in the soil, water it, then sow seeds, then move earth back over them.  Too late really to start parsnip off - always use fresh seed when you do do them.  Advisably, don't plant in soil manured in the last year.  Some people do start parsnips off in toilet rolls or paper pots, but they need to be planted out very quickly as their long tap root develops fast and will be permanently damaged by late planting out.

5. Look at this chart for general sowing / harvesting times.  I'd get small plants from a reputable supplier (so you know there's no disease in the compost). Don't start them in a warm greenhouse as they don't like heat.

6. What do you want to know?  Suggest a new thread for this one.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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brownp

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Re: Newby needing advice please
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2011, 20:50 »
Hi
Just to reassure you - we have just started our second season. In one year , my knowledge of veg growing has improved beyond anything I could have dreamed. Just keep plugging away, asking questions, and reading those of others. This time last year I knew virtually nothing- wouldn't even recognise potatoes growing - but I know most common veg now.
one tip I learnt to help with your problem of not knowing what seedlings look like and ending up starting again -is to mark out your row clearly with string or twine - then when the seedlings appear on that line you know what they are.

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Outofdepth

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Re: Newby needing advice please
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2011, 22:19 »
Fantastic advice, reassuring too.

I really appreciate your time ( thanks Yorkie) for the detail, I agree my last post was rather all over the place !

Cheers xx



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