anyone planning on growing their own this year?

[jo.b]

Hi
Was wondering whether anyone was planning on growing some of their own veg (or fruit). I've got a blank canvas of a garden and am hoping to grow some veg iny garden (as I seem to be spending the equivalent of the national debt of greece on fruit and veg each month). Has anyone else found success growing their own? What have you found works for you?

 

[Happy Holidays]

I generally grow my own lettuce and tomatoes, I have grown potatoes and beetroot successfully we have a yard so are limited to what we can grow.

 

[mission thinpossible]

hi :happy036:
im so motivated to grow my own this year as last year i did grow my own, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberrys, cabbage, peas, beans and herbs but we're hopefully moving this year so im reluctant to start unless i do them all in pots or containers but they dont grow as well and as big in my opinion. so im undecided at the minute whether i will be doing it this year or starting again net year.
i find it does help, not as much as i hoped as i expected me to not have to buy any of the veg i was growing but i hadnt staggered it and so it all came through in the space of a week and then none
good luck in growing if you decide to x

 

[jo.b]

Thanks for your responses and ideas. Last year I grew some strawberries in the ground, so I'm hoping they'll come back stronger and also some runner beans (had loads, and probably saved me a small fortune as they're so expensive to buy). Just wondering about growing some peas and broad beans. Think I'll also give lettuce a whirl (may be in pots out of the reach of my chickens!)

 

[Pootle]

I like to grow my own lettuce and runner beans. I've also got 20 asparagus plants maturing nicely, they should be harvestable this year. I have raspberry canes, blueberries, a cherry tree and strawberries but annoyingly the birds eat them usually before I get to them. Really must net them off this year.
I tried growing beetroots this year but they weren't very successful, loads of tops but no t really any bottoms. Baby corn worked well but only a few cobs considering the massive amount of space they took up in my 8ft by 4ft veggie bed. Try peas every year but something eats them, usually pigeons or caterpillar things. As you can see, I'm no gardening expert!

 

[Samantha26]

I would love to grow my own, but I've no idea where to start

 

[Kerry:)]

I grew my own courgette , chillis and tomatoes last year and will defiantly growning some again this year x

 

[Happy Holidays]

I would love to grow my own, but I've no idea where to start

Try with something easy like lettuce in pots, they won't die on you & are easy to maintain

 

[NotsofattyPatty]

Hi - welcome to the happy world of kitchen gardening! I have an allotment and grow a lot of my own fruit and veg but still manage to spend a fortune on fresh and frozen fruit and veg in the shops!

My tip is to think what you actually like to eat, how much those things cost in the shops and then grow accordingly. I don't grow carrots, for example, because they don't grow well in my soil and they're cheap in the shops. Similarly, I don't bother with onions, but I grow shallots from seed. Runner beans and French beans are quite easy, and pretty, but believe me, you'll be sick of them before they finish producing! Broad beans are also easy but grow in batches to try and avoid a glut. Peas are not really worth the time, effort or the space but I always grow them because I adore fresh peas straight out of the pod! Mange tout or sugar snap peas are a bit better value for money.

Sowing little and often is important for things such as lettuce, spring onions etc. To keep lettuce out of reach of chickens, have you considered growing mixed leaves in a hanging basket? Add some edible flowers and it could look really pretty!

I always grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, aubergines and chilies, which give me a huge sense of achievement and are cost effective. Don't forget about herbs as they can be expensive from the shops but are quite easy to grow and can be dried or frozen. Just don't try transplanting the pots from the supermarket as they're too weak - either grow from seed or buy from a reputable garden centre or online nursery.

I've also found that what does well one year might not do as well another year, and the reverse is true as well because conditions are never the same from year to year. Fortunately seed is cheap and lasts for several years, so you can keep trying.

Sorry, that's turned into a bit of a lecture but you can probably tell I'm enthusiastic about the topic!

 

[NotsofattyPatty]

Salad leaves (and chives?) in a hanging basket. I think this looks beautiful!

 

[jo.b]

Oh wow. What a great lot of ideas (I love the hanging basket of salad leaves (it's attractive in its own right). I guess you're right, some veg are just too cheap to bother putting the effort into, but will def try courgettes this year (along with beetroot, courgette is one of my favourite veg to finely grate into chillies, curries and bolognese (boosts the veg intake if the entire family if it's too small to see/complain about!). I might also try peas this year as I live pea shoots in salad and remember eating them from the pod as a kid just going to have to convince my choocks that the borders are no longer their personal playground!

 

[BinkyBonk]

This year I am going to try and grow some of my own vegetables in my garden, I have a vegetable box and am trying to decide what to grow in it?

I have bought seeds to grow leeks as someone recommended them to grow inside now then plant outside once they begin growing

I am unsure what else I will be growing tbh, I am thinking of getting a couple of grow bags to grow tomatoes from, I am going to use slug pellets as I lost most of my veg last year to them boo, can anyone advice about nets etc? X

 

[blades4life]

I tried last year and kinda got lazy and forgot to weed & water so ended up with bugger all lol xx

 

[BinkyBonk]

I tried last year and kinda got lazy and forgot to weed & water so ended up with bugger all lol xx

Are you going to try again this year? X

 

[blades4life]

This year I am going to try and grow some of my own vegetables in my garden, I have a vegetable box and am trying to decide what to grow in it?

I have bought seeds to grow leeks as someone recommended them to grow inside now then plant outside once they begin growing

I am unsure what else I will be growing tbh, I am thinking of getting a couple of grow bags to grow tomatoes from, I am going to use slug pellets as I lost most of my veg last year to them boo, can anyone advice about nets etc? X

I grew my toms indoors on windowsill when i was a kid and they turned put really nice

 

[NotsofattyPatty]

Slugs and snails are the bane of my life!

For netting, many people use the blue waterpipe to support the net (just push into the ground to make half-hoops) but you could just use lengths of cane topped with something to stop the netting slipping down the cane. Those little bottles that 'health' drinks such as Yakult come in are popular, but you could buy a bumper pack of plastic balls (the sort sold for ball pits) and use them - just cut a slit in them. They might not look professional, but they're cheap and colourful.

 

[BinkyBonk]

Slugs and snails are the bane of my life! For netting, many people use the blue waterpipe to support the net (just push into the ground to make half-hoops) but you could just use lengths of cane topped with something to stop the netting slipping down the cane. Those little bottles that 'health' drinks such as Yakult come in are popular, but you could buy a bumper pack of plastic balls (the sort sold for ball pits) and use them - just cut a slit in them. They might not look professional, but they're cheap and colourful.

Thank you, those are great ideas x

Last year the slugs and snails ruined my attempt so I have bought the pellets this year, hoping they work? X