Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: joyfull on June 03, 2009, 10:23

Title: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: joyfull on June 03, 2009, 10:23

After reading all the posts on the allotment side of these forums (I am usually found on the chicken pages) I must admit to feeling very envious of all of you. Your veggies look wonderfull. So have now been given some raised beds and a greenhouse (although this will need rebuilding as at the moment it looks like a jigsaw puzzel!).  Not going to get an allotment but have a very large front garden about 1/4 acre (just as big rear garden but that is taken up with old lorries, motorbikes, and American trucks and pickup). Will have about 1/3 of this for veg - as chucks have the rest of the space. Am I too late to grow anything? Will not get greenhouse ready until next spring. Forgot to mention this area does have bushes  (rather large laurels) growing along one side.  Suggestions please.

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: noshed on June 03, 2009, 10:50

Salad stuff will be fine now and you could sow cabbage, chard and psb ready to over winter. Lettuce like a bit of shade this time of year too.

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: joyfull on June 03, 2009, 10:54

Thanks for that but at the risk of sounding stupid (nothing new there then) what is psb?

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: thegarybrough on June 03, 2009, 10:57

Purple sprouting broccoli...don't worry it's a regular query by the looks of other topics!

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: poppies on June 03, 2009, 10:57

Hi
you can still sow french beans, and I sowed some more marrows yesterday - I forgot about the marrow chutney

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: Sue33 on June 03, 2009, 10:59

psb - purple sprouting broccoli

radishes are easy and quick, lettuce

I don't think it's too late for runner beans, you could always buy some plants this year from the garden centre, I bought my sweetcorn, 99p for ten plants.  

Now's the time to sow winter cabbage, I've also just sown swede, carrots and beetroot.

Get yourself a good book and a nice glass of wine !

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: barney rubble on June 03, 2009, 11:00

Beetroot - you can keep sowing all summer

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: Trebor on June 03, 2009, 12:26

My advice would be go to the garden centre, pick up some seed packets you fancy and then check the sowing range on the back. Most plants can still be put in now and it is even early for others (like pak choi or winter veg.)

Good luck and if it is any conciliation then I am very jealous you have chickens!

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: Kristen on June 03, 2009, 12:34

Chart of seed sowing and harvest times here:

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/sowing-harvest-vegetable-chart.php

I reckon that newbies should grow what they like to eat - adds some incentive if the will wanes!

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: joyfull on June 03, 2009, 16:32

Thanks for all your replies I now have a shopping list as long as my arm so tomorrow or Friday will be off to the garden centres to buy, buy, buy, then at the weekend it will be sow sow sow. Just hope it won't be too long before they grow grow grow  :D

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: Kristen on June 03, 2009, 16:39

Might be worth checking which, if any, of your local garden centres are doing half-price-ceg-seeds, before you set off.  They tend to start doing seed-sales round about now.

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: Sue33 on June 04, 2009, 09:08

b & q were selling off their veggie plants last week at half price, lots of choice, might be worth a look, I remember seeing brussells, runner beans, french beans, courgettes I think :)

Title: Re: Potential to veg newbie.
Post by: joyfull on June 09, 2009, 09:26

Well have now got some beans in, got some cauli and cabbage seedlings and some sweetcorm seedlings to grow on for my chucks. Plus some tomato plants and today got Johs two books delivered with free seeds and only ordered them yesterday  :D Looks like I'm going to be very very busy.