How are all the newbies doing?

Teen76 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 17, 2008, 22:30 »

Hi there

I've had my plot since the end of Feb this year and I really worked hard on in til I became unwell. Went back to it after two weeks on Thursday and found it was overrun with bindweed. Gut wrenching I can tell you.

The other thing was everyone else seems to have lots of things growing and all I have is two rows of potatoes and onions growing and lots of spaghetti (bindweed). I actually felt even more intimidated than before when I saw all neat plots apart from mine.

My cabbage and sprouts seedlings had wilted quite badly in the heat in my potting shed at home and thought I'd lost them.

One nice thing was I found a pile of horse manure at the bottom of my new (pallet) compost bin (which I hadn't put there even when I was drunk ha ha) and other plot holders had offered given me free kale seedlings and chitted potatoes. I'm wondering if they're feeling sorry for me ha ha

I just feel incredibly behind because everyone else has lots on there plot.

I have sow some more cabbage, calabrese, squash, courgette and runner beans in the hope of catching hope. Its just getting the knack of germinating them!

As far as I'm concerned I'm still a learner and hope it gets better each year. I wish!

CZ Silhouette · « **Reply #31 on:** May 18, 2008, 08:09 »

I've been growing veg on a very small scale for a couple of years, but one morning this spring I grabbed my spade & dug up the 43 year old lawn.

My humble little plot

mashbintater · « **Reply #32 on:** May 18, 2008, 09:04 »

CZ Silhuette, your dinky plot is similar in size to mine, I dug up my excuse for a lawn too, you've never seen soooooo many dandelions in such a small area in your life!
The main difference between our little plots is mine is no way as tidy & systematic as yours. In it I have 3 sprout seedlings, a dill, rhubarb (tho' nothng is happening with the tiny rhizome I planted, even tho it's covered with a plantpot), 8 cauli seedlings, several lettuce & chinese cabbage varieties, rocket, coriander, perpetual spinach, a couple of swedes, onions, spring onions. I've carrots seedlings in pots stood on a crate & leeks to go in at the end of May, parsley almost read to go out. I've intermingled all mine; onions, & chives surrounding carrots & lettuces to deter pests, that sort of thing. All my toms & spuds, runner beans, dwarf peas, cucs & mint are in containers, complete with coriander in spuds, & marigold and basil in toms. Straws in hanging baskets (Tho' nothing happening there either) complete with nasturtium seedlings to attract hoverflies to my roses)
My sage, rosemary, thyme and tansy are germinating, nothing happening with my liquorice or anise or comfrey seeds yet, sweet & chili peppers coming on on my windowsill. So far, we've harvested rocket, chives, coriander, basil & perpetual spinach, tho' it went to seed so I took the flowering chunk out. My other spinach isn't ready yet. All in all, not bad me thinks

bb_odiham · « **Reply #33 on:** May 18, 2008, 21:40 »

Jaysus!

And I thought this was a newbie thread

My vege area is so tiny compared with CZ Silhouette's lawn area - it's about half the size. I don't have any of the fancy bits 'n bobs all over the show.

Nice work.

Cazzy · « **Reply #34 on:** June 05, 2008, 08:32 »

Hi everyone ltns, well done to all the other newbies.

We've had the plot for four & a half months now and its been quite the challenge.

We often sit and think back to the cold days in late Feb when we tackled the first job of building a greenhouse out of old wooden framed windows and laugh at how we thought once that was done things would get easier

There have been lots of successes and a few failures, backaches and exhaustion but best of all we still get loads of excitement and satisfaction.

This forum has been a real crutch for us and thanx to everyone for the encouragement, support and patience with daft and repetitive questions.

A special thanx to author Eckhart Tolle for his quote 'What you resist persists' because of it I have made peace with the weeds, so much so that I actually find myself enjoying the time we and the hoe spend together :shock: LOL

Here is a wee pic update

Looking forward to hearing everyones harvest stories.

senrab_nhoj · « **Reply #35 on:** June 05, 2008, 09:41 »

Took on a half plot in February which had been fallow for two years... some bindweed but mostly grass and dandelions...

to-date

Raised beds at home:
Broad beans... three successional sowings... first forming pods
Peas as above... ready this weekend
dwarf french beans.. now about 6 inches high
Runner beans on teepee 2-3 ft

Brocoli * 5
Minicole cabbage * 5
Brussels * 5
PSB *2

Onions/Red onions/shallots/garlic

Carrots
Parsnips
Leeks growing on ready for allotment
Radish
Mixed salad
Rocket
Perpetual spinach (first crop last night.. spinach fritarta (sp)
Beetroot

Tomato, three varieties * 3 (9 in total)
Peppers * 3
Chilli * 3

In the allotment
(duplication as I only got the allotment in Feb and wasnt sure how far I would progress)

Brassica Bed 1.2 * 5m
Cabbage
PSB
Brussells
White Brocolli

onion bed 1.2 * 5
Garlic
Shallots
Lots of onions
leeks awaiting transfer from raised beds

Potato bed 1 1.2 *5
Earlies: Anya/intl std/lady chrystl
Mains: Kondor(?)

Potato bed 2 1.2*5
Mains: Stemster /Golden Wonder
Courgettes * 2
Bean frame at end facing south climing up and over
Raddichio
Swiss chard

Other bed: 1.2 * 5
Half full of berlotti beans... rest TBA

Squash bed 1.2 *5
Giant pumpkin for allotment competition
Halloween pumpkin for gf's younger siblings
Butternut squash * 2
harlequin * 2
Turks Turban * 2
Crown Prince * 2

Salad bed 1.2 * 5
Little Gem
Webbs
Pak Choi
Two cucumbers to grow in and out of a cold frame at end

Aspragus bed
12 crowns in the year... all bar one showing a spear and now earthed up 6 inches in trench
[/list][/list]

Bigblanch · « **Reply #36 on:** June 05, 2008, 10:13 »

So far so good, neet to find some time though!

So busy at the moment (getting married in 7 weeks!)

Just a couple of pics to show the start of the plot and what its like now sort of thing.

When i got there 2 months ago:

Well this is a couple of weeks ago, there are not more plants and some wood chip paths to walk between the beds.

Still got some sugarsnap peas and cucumber plants to go in, i'm planning on sat or sun for that.

nipper31 · « **Reply #37 on:** June 05, 2008, 16:10 »

I'm a bit worried to be honest. I've not managed to clear enough good ground for all my baby plants and have still got to plant out courgettes, squash, leeks, brassicas, sweetcorn and tomatoes. I just haven't had the time and hope I don't lose all my stuff because they all die in their pots before being planted out.

I've had my plot since last September but with working full time/family etc...not had chance to get all the weeds cleared

Aidy · « **Reply #38 on:** June 05, 2008, 16:21 »

Quote from: "nipper31"

I'm a bit worried to be honest. I've not managed to clear enough good ground for all my baby plants and have still got to plant out courgettes, squash, leeks, brassicas, sweetcorn and tomatoes. I just haven't had the time and hope I don't lose all my stuff because they all die in their pots before being planted out.

I've had my plot since last September but with working full time/family etc...not had chance to get all the weeds cleared

If you can clear little areas and plant your sweetcorn, courgettes and squash in plastic sheeting this year, this will act as a mulch and keep the weeds down, I always grow my courgettes and pumkins this way.

chelseablue · « **Reply #39 on:** June 07, 2008, 06:57 »

hi

my husband made us a veggie patch beginning of the year, sowed seeds in the green house and planted out middle of may, potatoes are doing well got some flowers, had our first lettuce and raddish last week, lost the cucumber so have more seedling growing now, we lost all our cabbage and cauliflower to root fly that was our biggest learning curve next time we will net them :evil: still live and learn, tomatoes are starting to flower, carrots and parsnips also ok and the beetroot should be ready soon, we are really pleased with our efforts as this is a our first attempt at growing anything

rich and pauline

titch · « **Reply #40 on:** June 07, 2008, 21:27 »

Wow, reading all these threads is just getting me excited

- we have only just begun - have raised beds waiting for soil and compost to arrive (hopefully this week) and then we can begin some planting - although in containers i have carrots (enough for one dinner, maybe!!) spuds, strawberries, lettuce, tomato, peppers, chilli's and sweetcorn - though not sure the corn will make it unless i get them in the ground real soon. :?

I am dying to get out there in my little garden and crack on but am having to wait for the stuff to fill them - maybe tomorrow i can get the paths done around them instead!!

its going to take a while i know, so til then i will live vicariously through everyone else's growing news, and dream of next year (or later this year if i can get it all sorted), when my own food will be on my plate.

Enjoying this forum immensley and only been a member for 48 hours

fluffybunny · « **Reply #41 on:** June 08, 2008, 10:48 »

I'm doing half well and half really not-well-at-all!

My rhubarb, potatoes, elephant garlic, onions and lettuces are all absolutely fine. Even my runner beans seem to be growing well. Planting lettuces close to the garlic really does seem to keep the slugs off them!

But everything else I've planted has failed miserably - my tomatoes stopped growing at about 8" high, my cucumbers and courgettes are still like little baby plants with only 2 or 3 leaves, my sweetcorn and purple sproutings died really soon after planting, and my carrots haven't grown at all.

But hey it's my first year so any harvest is a bonus and then I've just got to work out what I'm doing wrong on the rest of it for next year!

calone2008 · « **Reply #42 on:** June 08, 2008, 15:00 »

I have just seen the first signs of potatoes growing and gave them a good watering. just trasferd broccoli and beans. already got corn onions carrots cougettes fennel and stuff on the grow I hope it all turns out ok for the first time. but if not I will know what to do for next season.

Caddi fuller-teabags · « **Reply #43 on:** June 08, 2008, 17:08 »

Quote from: "calone2008".... I hope it all turns out ok for the first time. but if not I will know what to do for next season.[/quote

I think that sums it all up for me, I have loads of things growing for the first time - I can recommend rainbow chard - grows strongly, looks lovely, tastes delicious. My parsnips are a bit of a shame - just four out of two rows, so another 2 rows went in and I await results!

I have just picked myself a salad from my plot: a lovely crispy lettuce, chard, and rocket leaves, some dill , chives and mint and the first (rather tiny) spring onion. When the tomatoes come through I will be a very happy Caddi.

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How are all the newbies doing?

Teen76

How are all the newbies doing?

CZ Silhouette

How are all the newbies doing?

mashbintater

how are all the newbies doing?

bb_odiham

How are all the newbies doing?

Cazzy

How are all the newbies doing?

senrab_nhoj

How are all the newbies doing?

Bigblanch

How are all the newbies doing?

nipper31

How are all the newbies doing?

Aidy

How are all the newbies doing?

chelseablue

newbies to growing

titch

How are all the newbies doing?

fluffybunny

How are all the newbies doing?

calone2008

How are all the newbies doing?

Caddi fuller-teabags

How are all the newbies doing?

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