[CazAmelia]

Hi there, I have just been given an allotment after being on the list for a year, but haven't a clue what seeds to buy as we are now in April.  Maybe if I said what vegetables we would like to grow you could tell me which ones i could buy now:

here goes: Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, cabbage, brocolli, peas, sweet potatoe, parsnips, cauli, mushrooms, cougettes, peppers, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce

Fruit: we like any sort of fruit so any that are relatively easy to grow.

I'm also after where to get my seeds from, is it best from your local garden centre or on one of those seed websites?

Any advice would be great, thanks!

[mumofstig]

Hello CazAmelia and welcome to the site
Potato seed and onion sets, you should still be able to buy in Wilkinsons, or your local garden centre. and these need to go in fairly soon, for best results.
Sweet potatoes are very difficult to grow, and it may be good idea to give them a miss at least in your first year.
People on the forum who have tried to grow mushrooms have not really has much success, so maybe best to leave this for a while as well.
There is still time for all the other seed Either go to somewhere like Wilko or your garden centre and choose from the display stands, or browse the internet seed sites, you can use the allotment shop tab at the top of the page if you like.

Personally I buy most of my seeds from D T Brown they stock all the 'standard' varieties and they don't charge for P&P

[Lottiegob]

Dont worry CazAmelia we're all running late this year and there still should be plenty of choice in the garden centres.  Check the back of the seed packets first to see what you can start now and dont try and do too much at once, there's always next year, best to go for quality not quantity.   If you want fruit this year try some strawberry plants. If you get a carboot near you that could be a good source for value plants.

[CazAmelia]

great thanks for the advice guys - I'll nip to Wilkos in my lunch break tomorrow and have a look at what they've got! 

[UrbanG]

Hi CazAmelia,

I'm also on my first proper year (as opposed to bits and bobs in tubs in previous years) and I have been hunting down similer tips for this time of year.

So all I can advise it what I have found out and what I have done over the last few weeks.

Throw your potatoes, onions and shallots in now.
Get your early peas and broad beans in now (concider the chance of frost still though)
Get your tomatoes, peppers and chillis started indoors asap.

I understand a lot of salad type stuff can go in now but I have only done some tester trays in the coldhouse so far but as it looks like its warming up a bit I think I'm going to go for it straight outside anytime soon.  

I'm not bothering with the colli, cabbage type stuff (due to space reallly) so I have not even looked onto them this year.

Hope that helps a little bit.

[Kristen]

Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, cabbage, brocolli, peas, sweet potatoe, parsnips, cauli, mushrooms, cougettes, peppers, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce

Don't bother (too difficult / not worthwhile for a newcomers): sweet potato, mushrooms

Now / urgently:  potatoes,  parsnips. Too late for Onion seed, but Onions from sets maybe.

If you have a greenhouse then raise plants indoors (.e.g. on windowsill / conservatory) to plant in the greenhouse in a month's time:  cucumber, peppers, tomatoes - but its getting late for Peppers - considering buying plants in Garden Centre instead - and Toms and Cues too if you like / can afford! Wait a while yet though if you are buying from Garden Centre otherwise you will be trying to keep them alive on your kitchen windowsill!

Don't bother with peppers if you can only grow them outside, and make sure you get an outdoor variety for tomatoes, cucumber (personally I don't like outdoor "ridge" cucumbers.)

Sow a few every fortnight: carrots, cauli, lettuce. Note that Cauliflower is considered "difficult". I don't find it so, but I sow literally 4 a fortnight; their harvest period from "ripe" to "ruined" is 2 weeks at best, so sowing a whole row is only any use if you want to freeze them or give them away!

I don't know anything about Peas (but I would guess that "now" is the time!)

cougettes: Sow in pots, inddors, one month before last Frost. They hate the cold, so be conservative. I reckon 1st June to plant out, even though we haven't had a frost in 2nd half of May for years. So I sow on 1st May.

cabbage, broccoli: I don't grow Summer varieties as I consider these a Winter Veg (and lots of other things are available in the Summer). But the Winter varieties need sowing Soon / In-the-Summer, so need planning for now.

Fruit: we like any sort of fruit so any that are relatively easy to grow.

No quick-return here that I can think of. Strawberries will probably give you some crop this year, Raspberries might if you choose an Autumn variety; for a Summer variety you get nothing/little in the first year; Apples etc. generally even longer. I have 10 varieties of Raspberry from "earliest-early" right through to one that barely fruits as the frosts arrive.

I'm also after where to get my seeds from, is it best from your local garden centre or on one of those seed websites?

Given your starting point I would recommend a garden centre. Allow at least an hour! sit and read the back of the packets, make some notes about what to sow when, and when it will be ready for harvest so that you can decide what you need. Do NOT get too carried away - 10 varieties of anything is NOT required!!! (In fact 2 varieties of most things is overkill).

As a Newbie my most important recommendation is to grow what you like (no point growing something you hate, have it fail, and then think "Why am I doing this"!!)

Also, grow what is relatively expensive (e.g. Early Spuds), or "tasteless" (Tomatoes), in the shops

e.g. don't bother with Main Crop spuds if you have a small plot - they are 10-a-penny in the supermarket in Winter, and better to use your land for growing "fresh" produce, rather than growing to Freeze / Store - what you grow to Freeze / Store will taste little/no different to the Supermarket.

However, there are a couple of things you have not included in your list that you might want to consider:

Summer beans: Runner Beans are the most popular (and prolific), otherwise Climbing French or Dwarf French. Plus Broad beans?

Sweet Corn? Particularly the SuperSweet varieties such as "Swift". Must be in the pan within a minute or two of picking, but it tastes like "heaven" compared to shop bought.

Also consider what you will grow for the Winter: Brussels, Leeks, (Parsnips are on your list), Spring Purple Sprouting Broccoli ("PSB") as well as the Autumn "Calabrese" Broccoli

There is a calendar of when=-to=sow and when-to-reap here:
http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/sowing-harvest-vegetable-chart.php

If you are a detail-person, and like fiddling with spreadsheets etc., I have one for crop planning  which you are welcome to. Details here: http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34306.msg411041#msg411041

[grenhouse]

Seeds, have a look online. Sites such as moreveg.com, dt browns and seedsdirect are all good places to start. Cheap, reliable seeds!

this is my 2nd year, just have a go, don't be frightened to fail, thats what i learnt!

Fruit bushes, lidl have good quality ones, j parkers online.

Steve

[Loubs]

I've had some excellent germination rates from some of seeds bought at pound shops, Aldi, etc. You get little or no choice of variety, but might be a good option for some veggies while you are finding your feet and they're much cheaper than garden centre or seed supplier.

[paintedlady]

I called in at Wilkos on Saturday and found myself ....  wandering down to the gardening section even though I didn't need anything and was amazed to find there are still loads of seed potatoes and onion sets on the shelves - I haven't even planted my onions yet, and only just started planting the potatoes and to me that is the start of the growing season so plenty of time to grow lots of stuff.

I'm a great fan of Wilkos seeds & plants and never been disappointed by what they have on offer.  They also had loads of fruit bushes like redcurrant, blackcurrant, gooseberry etc

May I suggest you make a list of what you'd like to grow before going to visit any seed stall or you'll be overwhelmed by what you see ... or put another way, it'll be like being let loose in a sweet shop and you'll walk out with far more seeds than you actually need LOL (I think we've all done it) 

Also get to know your neighbours at the allotment - they are a good source of advice of what grows well at your site and any problems.  And do you have a shop at your allotment?  It's always worth a visit    A lot of allotment shops buy in bulk and some things work out cheaper.

[Snoop]

I hope I won't get shot for saying this but: don't forget that you will be able to buy plug plants for some of the things you want to grow. They work out more expensive than seeds, but if you're pushed for time they're still cheaper than buying veg at the supermarket or grocer's. They're especially useful if you don't have a seed bed prepared and will save you the cost of buying compost to start seeds off in pots.

[Kristen]

Its a good point Snoop. Most seasons I buy some Veg plants from the Garden Centre because of failures (and too late to sow-again), or because I was busy / away when I should have started them off. (They are usually in Modules, i.e. somewhat bigger than "plug plants" though).

"I will grow all my own plants from seed this year" is probably my worst-keep new year's resolution!