[sarajane]

It's brilliant isn't it! I harvested my onions last Autumn and we are still enjoying them. I don't know if the joy of growing your own wears off at all but I certainly hope not

No it doesn't well not with me anyway,I've been growing veg for nearly 30 years & still get excited about it each year

Hear Hear.  Your excitement will just get worse with each passing year.

As for the taste of homegrown toms.  I never buy toms  from the shops, except tinned and have learned to live without them in the winter months.  I just refuse to pay for such bland, round red tasteless items.

[JayG]

Even if you only think you like it, don't forget to try home grown sweetcorn GYO girl (your lightbulb moment is guaranteed to change to a Blackpool illuminations moment!)   

[compostqueen]

It sure is!  You can only pick though if you are ready to eat. No storing freshly picked sweetcorn cobs allowed. It's against the law!

I had to extend my arm to pick a chilli last night.  It's hard work but someone has to do it! 

[DD.]

This year I intend taking the rust bucket of a motorhome up to the plot, so it's quicker from plant to pan.

Such is the seriousness of eating sweetcorn fresh!

[GYO Girl]

Sweetcorn seeds are already sitting waiting for a very impatient GYO Girl to sow them!  After reading all the very helpful comments on this forum (thanks guys!) about the dangers of starting off stuff too early, I'm determined to stick with the instructions on the packets.... which means I've got to wait until APRIL to sow them!!! Grr!!!

[JayG]

Very wise GYOG (just noticed you also live in Sheffield - I wasn't able to plant mine out until mid-June last year by which time they were starting to burst out of their paper pots - not good!) 

[gobs]

Sweetcorn seeds are already sitting waiting for a very impatient GYO Girl to sow them!  After reading all the very helpful comments on this forum (thanks guys!) about the dangers of starting off stuff too early, I'm determined to stick with the instructions on the packets.... which means I've got to wait until APRIL to sow them!!! Grr!!!

I'd say worse. I tend to only sow them 4 weeks more or less prompt prior to planting out time.

[GYO Girl]

Sweetcorn seeds are already sitting waiting for a very impatient GYO Girl to sow them!  After reading all the very helpful comments on this forum (thanks guys!) about the dangers of starting off stuff too early, I'm determined to stick with the instructions on the packets.... which means I've got to wait until APRIL to sow them!!! Grr!!!

I'd say worse. I tend to only sow them 4 weeks more or less prompt prior to planting out time.

  Hmmmph!

But its February today, so according to the packets I can sow my cabbages (Hispo and Primo), cucumbers, parsley and Cayenne peppers today!!  "Sow February - May" DOES mean sow on the 1st Feb, right? ;-)

[DD.]

By all means sow a few cabbage, but don't let them get too warm - they hate it and you'll end up with weak and leggy plants.

I've started some peppers, but have done them indoors where a more consistent temperature can be maintained.

Parsley also, I'll start off soon. I do mine in seeds trays in the greenhouse and then plant out later.

Cucumbers are a no-no!

[Yorkie]

But its February today, so according to the packets I can sow my cabbages (Hispo and Primo), cucumbers, parsley and Cayenne peppers today!!  "Sow February - May" DOES mean sow on the 1st Feb, right? ;-)

One of the reasons we ask people to input their location is so that we can advise in relation to that location.

Sheffield is relatively far north so planting dates are often a bit later than the earliest times given on the seed packet.

[Benandbill]

What a great post!!  It's what keeps me going..  I detest my 8 - 6 job and reading about the excitement of taking on a plot and realising how amazing it is to be able to grow yr own veg at a pittance is so fantastic!!   On our new plot I have loads of work to do to  get it straight but I'll be filling it with spuds this yr I think...  Just cannot wait for the spring and summer.  Good on ya GYO Girl and I hope it gives you as much pleasure as it has us for the last yr or 2 

[GYO Girl]

I love this forum already, your enthusiasm is infectious and I'm just itching to get everything started!  I'm hanging on until this cold snap passes as the media keeps saying it's going to get even colder this week... but the peppers only need a nice warm windowsill so I'm going to sow a few of those today.  100 pepper seeds for 60p, what a bargain! And even if I only get 3 peppers off each plant....

I apologize if I'm becoming a supermarket price bore! 

[RobertSongs]

I thought they had made a mistake in morrisons when i got to the checkout with a packet of peppers....I've just bought a pack of california wonder seeds (amongst other things) from Lidl at 29p and there is loads of seed in there...My peppers did well last year but the slugs managed to get a few so i will raise them up onto staging this year..

[compostqueen]

Cooking meals with your homegrown veg is the icing on the cake for me and it's always a game trying to use it all up in ever more ingenious ways.  Getting courgettes into every conceivable dish is my annual quest   

[DigIt]

Getting courgettes into every conceivable dish is my annual quest   

LOL
 

I know that feeling