Tips on growing your own veg in the garden

[littleme]

I am told you can grow new taters in old tyres.
Stack two tyres on top of each other, fill with compost and plant your taters, as they start to grow, stack another tyre and more compost. Repeat until about six or seven tyres high. When ready to harvest just kick the tyres over, so no digging.
I have heard of bumper crops using this method.

Hmmm not wanting to p!ss on your parade, but my Nan used to do this many moons ago - but many people refused to eat veg grown in this way as apparently the tyres give off some chemical that gets into the veg and is carciogenic???? This of course could be total hogwash (hope it is) but worth checking?!

 

[db]

If you do grow stuff in pots, then you do need to be a little more systematic with the watering regime..

this is actually a plus for me - i am systematic with most things, to the point of OCD, so that works well.. i.e. i water my current plants (aforementioned 'erbs) at 06:30 every morning before my cornflakes, then again as soon as i get in from work, then again at bed time.. same regime every day, without fail.. loves it..

If I were you I'd build raised beds over part of your grass area (just wooden frames about 12" high) as big/small as you like. Fill them with topsoil/compost and you can grow whatever you like.

hmm, not a bad idea.. that way, i can dedicate part of my garden to it, and not have pots everywhere, yet i won't be tearing up my grass.. i'd have to buy the kits, though, despite...

If you are going to go down the raised bed route, DO NOT BUY THE KITS! They are exorbitantly expensive. Just buy some Gravel Boards ( find them in the Fencing section of yr preferred DIY supplier) and cut them to the length/width proportions which suit yr garden.

...because i'm a lazy sod.. i don't even own a saw, and i'm not about to buy one just so i can actually SAW something when i can buy it ready made

seriously, i'm that lazy - i am the definition of "get a man in" (paging basil to this thread).. i've got a toilet roll holder that i need to put up in the downstairs loo - it only needs 2 holes drilling in the wall, but it's been sitting around for 2 months waiting to be put up because i'm waiting to collar a passing builder to do it for me lol..

they're not that expensive anyway - amazon seems to suggest £20 or so: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=outdoor&field-keywords=raised beds&rh=n:11052671,k:raised beds a few bits of wood, a saw, and some nails would cost me that, so i may as well get the kit!

 

[Spelunker]

If you are going to go down the raised bed route, DO NOT BUY THE KITS! They are exorbitantly expensive. Just buy some Gravel Boards ( find them in the Fencing section of yr preferred DIY supplier) and cut them to the length/width proportions which suit yr garden.

As Monkey Bidness says don't buy the kits. I used 150mm wide decking , comes pre-treated and in 2.4m lengths. use 50x50 as corner bracing and one across the middle and with 4 lengths you have a 1.4m long x 1.0m wide x 300mm high planter.

 

[tek-monkey]

I just got some lovely sleepers delivered, make great raised beds. Then I got the chainsaw out

 

[Gramaisc]

One of the reasons for not using the kits is that the dimensions may not produce the best use of the space that you have available. Perhaps, you might hunt down Neon Jay and see what he might do for you..?

 

[Hetairoi]

I would recommend four raised beds using either gravel boards (6"x1") or cheap decking, you might be able to find some old decking for free.

Each year you rotate different types of veg round the beds something like this:-

Bed 1 - Early Pots (Rocket are very good) followed by leeks
Bed 2 - Onions, Shallots, Garlic
Bed 3 - Carrots and Beetroot
Bed 4 - Peas and Beans

Fit lettuce, radish etc wherever you have a little room.

A fifth bed can contain permanent fruit, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrents.

 

[flossietoo]

I can recommend Autumn raspberries. I planted five canes last year. I'm getting about a cup full of fruit each morning at the moment, with loads more flowers and fruit ready to ripen. I guess they will keep going until the frosts start.

The advantages of Autumn raspberries are:
* They don't need stringing/staking. The canes support themselves.
* Pruning is simple - you just cut them back to the ground each February
* I am finding that the late fruit means that there are fewer pests around to eat the raspberries before I get to them.

We built a big compost area out of pallets and I stuck the canes in against the back of the pallets, then forgot about them until I noticed the fruit.

You can also get some really good vegetable plants from Swan Pit nursery each year. From about March onwards. He does the difficult bit with seeds and you buy a tray of baby plants. It's cheating a bit but much more rewarding for the non-expert gardener because you have a better chance of success. I buy onion plants from there. They turn into massive onions. I've got about a dozen, drying on the barbecue at the moment (I mean lying on the rack, not actually cooking) and they look like something an old man would exhibit at a show.

 

[Gramaisc]

They turn into massive onions. ..... and they look like something an old man would exhibit at a show.

...?

 

[flossietoo]

Maybe not that big.

I don't think any of them are actually bigger than my head.

There was a very nice retired gentleman where we used to live, who grew all his own vegetables. I would walk past with a spaniel and 'happen' to pass when he was in the garden. I'd ask him what he was doing and know that it was time to do something similar. I never knew his name but referred to him as The Man With Big Onions.

Flossietoo.
AKA The Woman With Big Onions.

 

[Gramaisc]

I just got some lovely sleepers delivered, make great raised beds. Then I got the chainsaw out

Always keep a chainsaw out - never let it come in..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26855139

 

[Helen Goff]

this is actually a plus for me - i am systematic with most things, to the point of OCD, so that works well.. i.e. i water my current plants (aforementioned 'erbs) at 06:30 every morning before my cornflakes. loves it..

You water your cornflakes? Prefer milk on mine

 

[littleme]

Did anyone grow anything this year?

I planted 10 of each Broad Beans, Berlotti Beans & Runner Beans... but they've all failed miserably! The Runner beans died shortly after i put them out, the Berlotti beans only 2 germinated & only grew a foot high & only made 3 bean pods, the Broad beans did best - but I reckon I only have enough for 1 meal! Im blaming the compost that i bought from Tesco!

How did everyone else do?

 

[Lucy]

We've got tonnes of stuff, already got 4 ice cream tubs of peas in the freezer, eating carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbages and courgettes rwguarly, the cucumber is now coming out and we have 18 rows of potatoes. I think the OH is aiming for self sufficiency.

 

[littleme]

We've got tonnes of stuff, already got 4 ice cream tubs of peas in the freezer, eating carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbages and courgettes rwguarly, the cucumber is now coming out and we have 18 rows of potatoes. I think the OH is aiming for self sufficiency.

Wow! Thats great - I have no idea what I did wrong....

 

[Lucy]

We germinated everything but the potatoes inside before planted out, started in February so things are early

 

[age'd parent]

doing quite well, 3 lb gooseberries from 1 bush, 3lb white currents, rose hips just starting to set, not a bad crop for wine making,

edit... forgot the wife's potatoes, loads!

 

[cbaz]

We're just starting out too, and this year the big hits outdoors have been peas, potatoes and courgettes. Established raspberry canes are going like wildfire and i'm doing a roaring trade on them through an honesty box. Next year we aim to do proper rotation and add 2 more beds.

You say you don't want to ruin your lawn, are you okay digging up sections?

whats an honesty box and man u lots

 

[littleme]

whats an honesty box and man u lots

An honesty box is a box left outside with fruit/veg/eggs kindling (anything) in, there will usually be a sign with the 'suggested' price for the items - you take what you want & leave the correct money, or sometimes more money if you think the produce is worth it.

*In some areas such as very small villages, people will leave other things in place ie cake or biscuits.....or sometimes an I.O.U.

 

[cbaz]

An honesty box is a box left outside with fruit/veg/eggs kindling (anything) in, there will usually be a sign with the 'suggested' price for the items - you take what you want & leave the correct money, or sometimes more money if you think the produce is worth it.

*In some areas such as very small villages, people will leave other things in place ie cake or biscuits.....or sometimes an I.O.U.

It wouldn't work where i live, good idea low.

 

[Glam]

There's a few round where my sister lives (Wetwood), they have honesty boxes with eggs in. £2 a dozen, and they are some of the nicest eggs I have ever tasted.