Where to buy and what/when to plant?

Hi folks (jsut joined ,

I started with an allotment last year and only grew potatoes and onions. Potatoes were hit by blight but the Sarpo survived (it was an awful wet summer). Onions never really grew. I got the onion sets from Sutton Seeds.

I have already got my seed potatoes this year and they are currently chitting.

So a few questions:

I am going to be planting my potatoes in the coming weeks. I will probably plant my onion bulbs at the same time.

Is there anything else I can plant this time of year?
I can't propagate from seeds as where I rent has no room for this. I would be more likely to buy vegetable plants from Sutton seeds again, Is there anywhere else people can recommend?

In terms of veg I like:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Onions
Cabbage (red and green)
Celery
Leeks
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Parsnips

I like all of the above but unsure when it best to plant them all (and harvest) and where to get plants to grow them (if possible). I get married on the 12th July and will be abroad for 2 weeks. So I can't really plant anything that must be harvested or planted from the 12th July to the first week of August.

Any advice appreciated.

Thank you

One of the best ways to see whats ready for planting is to spend time walking around a good garden centre,
you'll see all the plants they've grown and are ready  to be continued on in your garden etc,

By buying pre started veg etc it saves you having to sow seeds and keep them at a germinating tempature but its always more costly than sowing your own seeds;

The very best way to know when to sow/plant etc is to get hold of a good garden book and study it during those cold winter evenings when you cant really grow a lot due to weather conditions etc,

One of the very best and cheapest places to buy good used gardening books is in the likes of the red cross shops or animal rescue shops,

these book you'll find in these places once we're bought by very keen gardeners who proberly have no use for the books now or are gardening in heaven (get my thought on this one?)

But seriously ive a book case of over 100 books ref all kinds of gardening from sowing to planting to garden construction to how the victorians did gardening and i'd say 75% have come from the red/cross and animal rescue type shops.
And everyone of them is well worth every penny i spent in buying them and im for ever looking things up so they're never redundant or a waste.

Look if you've any independent nurseries in your area, these are usually far cheaper than garden centres.

Look if you've any independent nurseries in your area, these are usually far cheaper than garden centres.

Hi, the first thing im going to say is this,
IF you really think what on seed pkts is for all parts of the country then you are not listening to what ive said,
seed pkt do give a mine of info but they can't give any indication of weather or condition from any one spot on the map in the uk,
Ie southern englad can be a lot warmer in easter than in scotland, so the info on seed pkts needs the experience given by tried and trusted methods,
the exact same thing can and is said via garden centre displays,
ie if for some readon the indoor sections of the unheated dept of a garden centre has lets say cabbage plants growing, they will not continue if you plant them in your garden and it freezes that very same evening,

This is why i said do your home work first via reading all the info you can during the likes of the winter when you have the time to study all the needs of what ever your thinking of growing and you'll find again these readings will tell you what to look for ref weather and conditions the verious plants will need and what they dont need but no book will give you any direct info for your part of the uk,
After all the writers dont know what the weather is going to be like in your area when they write thses books
thats your job to ensure you have the likes of a frost free greenhouse or a building that tends to keep a temature thats above freezing through these cold times,
I keep all my geraniums in my work shop that above my barn ive had this area bothed lined via the walls and ceiling and the tempature stays above 55deg throughout the coldest winter hence the geraniums live in the workshop during the winter and are removed into the greenhouse around march/april time.

Your question was ref what to grow this time of the year and as i said "have a look in any good gardencentre and you'll see whats coming up for future planting,
Now its up to you to plant out your buys when the chance of all frost has gone.

But again you can use verious precautions to help the plants should you get a late frost, ie fleece around the plants, the plastic covers for the likes of individual plants,
But as ive said do your home work before you even buy any plants/shrubs and you'll soon know if your condition are good for what ever your thinking of doing.

Suggest you make a friend at the allotment who isn't away at the same time in the summer and swap watering services - then as someone (surbie?) said on this thread, follow the month by month guide on this thread for outdoor sowing (beans, carrots,snips, brassicas, etc). You may find just a little space at home for a pot with cucumber and courgette plants? On a window sill?  You only need a few.  Not sure why your onions didn't grow, but someone else will know.

hi if you are any where near East Yorkshire there is a commercial plant raiser that sells vegetable plants in 1" blocks to the public they range from 15- 30pence each its called GreenSide up  jezza