[matt80]

Hi everyone

I am keen to start growing my own herbs and veg and think my garden is pretty well suited to it, but have never really done much gardening up until now.

I have two empty patches of soil which get sun for much of the day, and would like to turn these into herb/veg plots. I've read through some books on the subject but am not entirely sure how to begin and how ambitious I should be given that this is my first attempt.

I have already weeded the area and given the soil a good digging over.Things I would like to grow include: lettuces, rocket, cabbage, broad beans, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, basil, coriander. (Many other things too, but these are the ones I'm most interested in).

Can anyone suggest what my next steps should be? Should I be looking to create raised beds before I start?

Any help would be much appreicated.

Thanks
Matt

[ParsnipPete]

Hi everyone

I am keen to start growing my own herbs and veg and think my garden is pretty well suited to it, but have never really done much gardening up until now.

I have two empty patches of soil which get sun for much of the day, and would like to turn these into herb/veg plots. I've read through some books on the subject but am not entirely sure how to begin and how ambitious I should be given that this is my first attempt.

I have already weeded the area and given the soil a good digging over.Things I would like to grow include: lettuces, rocket, cabbage, broad beans, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, basil, coriander. (Many other things too, but these are the ones I'm most interested in).

Can anyone suggest what my next steps should be? Should I be looking to create raised beds before I start?

Any help would be much appreicated.

Thanks
Matt

You could grow the lettuce, rocket, and the herbs in pots. Rocket bolts quite quickly, I grow it in long tubs. Basil likes the heat. But if your garden if sheltered and warm it might be ok. I've never grown basil successfully outside the polytunnel.

You could do raised beds but I'd wait. Basically you learn as you go with veg growing. It takes years. All plots are different and you need to get a feel for your soil and what works and doesn't.

Do what it says on the back of the seed packet and see how it goes.

Pete.

[matt80]

Thanks... I was planning on growing some things in containers both indoors and outdoors purely for my own experience and to see how it goes.

I've actually got some coriander, basil and sage which I planted into those peet pellet type things about 10 days ago and they are coming along quite nicely. There's a couple of things I'm not sure about with this:

1. When I transfer them into their full size pots, how many do I put in each? I've got some 5" pots for indoors and some larger onces for outdoors. Is it one seedling per pot, or more?
2. What type of soil / compost should I use in my containers? Is it the same for the indoor pots as outdoor pots?

[ParsnipPete]

Thanks... I was planning on growing some things in containers both indoors and outdoors purely for my own experience and to see how it goes.

I've actually got some coriander, basil and sage which I planted into those peet pellet type things about 10 days ago and they are coming along quite nicely. There's a couple of things I'm not sure about with this:

1. When I transfer them into their full size pots, how many do I put in each? I've got some 5" pots for indoors and some larger onces for outdoors. Is it one seedling per pot, or more?
2. What type of soil / compost should I use in my containers? Is it the same for the indoor pots as outdoor pots?

It depends on how big the root ball is when you transplant them. I start them off in plug trays so the root ball is tiny but very dense. With basil, I'll put three into a six inch dia pot. You don't really need to move pots unless the plant is "pot bound", the roots have no room to grow.

Compost:
Sage and thyme are shrubs, perennials. One per pot. John Innes loam based compost. "woody" herbs like free draining quite crappy soil. Too wet and they'll rot.
Lush "fleshy" herbs like basil like compost that holds moisture, a cheap general purpose compost is fine. You can add water retaining granules to this compost to prevent drying out.

Pete.

[matt80]

Thanks a lot, this is just the sort of basic stuff I've been unable to find in books

I've got some rosemary and thyme that I'm going to put into larger pots outdoors (I reckon they must be about 8" pots). Would I be right in thinking that these are quite large herbs and I should put one in each?

If basil is difficult to grow well outdoors I'll probably just leave it on the windowsill. Are there any other herbs that are notoriously difficult to grow outdoors in this country? Will I be ok to plant out parsely and coriander?

Thanks again
Matt

[WhippetMaster]

Im also new last year, just built raised beds. You've got to grow broad beans, runner beans, rocket, little gem-lettuce, radish and if you have the space sprouting broccoli. Iv'e got this lot in modules/trays at the mo and it's going well.

Also tomatoes for tubs/growbags and if you have the room why not try rhubarb in a corner or other fruits up against a sunny wall!!

This site is brill with lots of nice genuine helpfull people with a common interest so dig in!!!