Hightower Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 Yesterday we invested in a small greenhouse and seeds/compost/other things needed to grow a bit of your own at home. It's just a little thing that can't fit a rain forest in it, but I have set up a few tomato pots, a few chilli pots, and few pea pots and some herbs. Can anybody offer any advice to a beginner gardener? Do I water daily? What's the best way to water (hose, watering can, tray with an inch of water in the bottom etc)? Do I need to use any foods of any sort, or is water all that's needed. Any advice would be appreciated, and the more beginner it is the better I think.
Steve21 Posted May 2, 2011 Posted May 2, 2011 From my parents one, they generally set a few pots into a tray. Still water the plants from the top (watering can style, small one), but then any excess/spare is shared between the few plants in that tray. In terms of watering them depends on the weather a lot of the time, If it's the heat it's been last few weeks (at least here) they need more regular, or a bigger helping in the tray in the first place. In terms of food, it's really down to you. I mean, It's same as outside plants, Sure food "can/should" help with growth, but a) If it's going to die it's likely to either way, b) If it's purely down to saving money etc, Do you want to spend the extra on chemicals etc etc. Only thing I will say, is even when you have a few more plants, The amount you can get varies hugely, some pickings it's a handfull others it's 2-3 trays. Good luck! Steve
Hightower Posted May 3, 2011 Author Posted May 3, 2011 What about pest control for the plants I've chosen? Do I need to worry about it or should it be ok?
featured_spectre Posted May 3, 2011 Posted May 3, 2011 BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides < best help around I have found. My mum used a lot of the tips from that last year and this year she has strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes, about 30 different herbs, carrots, parsnips, lettuce, cucumber, marrow etc growing in her garden
Hightower Posted May 13, 2011 Author Posted May 13, 2011 I'd been getting worried about my tomatoes - I felt like I hadn't sowed the seeds properly, and wasn't sure whether I was over watering or even under watering. Went out to the cold frame this morning and I have shoots in 4 or 5 of the pots! Each pot has about 3 or 4 shoots! These were the ones I was worried about because, although they are meant to be easy to care for, you are meant to sow the seed in a propagator - I didn't have a spare propagator so I had to do without, but it's worked. So now, I have 2 shoots out of 5 coming through on my peas (will plant more tomorrow), about 4 or 5 tomato pots with 3 or 4 shoots each, basil, marjoram, and dill shoots (no thyme or sage yet) and my chili plants are growing tremendously quick. Not bad for 12 days huh.
sparkeh Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 We are growing our own this year, great isn't it. Turned our garden into a big veg patch and having loads of fun. With regards to watering, you have to do your research on each crop as they will have different requirements. For example only water onions if the weather has been hot and dry for quite a while whereas I have found that tomatoes need constant watering else they shrivel up quite quickly (its also good to water the tomatoes from underneath, eg put the pot in a saucer and fill that.). Again with pest control you need to look into each crop. A nice way of doing it is to find complementary plants. For example I put French Marigolds with the Strawberries as the Marigolds attract an insect that eats the insects attracted by the fruit.
mjs_mjs Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 Our strawberries have come up early this year. we're growing them outside with no pestersides and no fertilisers. just good old compost. we've experimenting with putting hey around them to stop slugs ect eating our food and to keep the produce off the compost. we grow spuds, carrots and strawberries successfully in our garden.
sparkeh Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 Couple of good books: Vegetable Growing Month-by-Month The Vegetable & Herb Expert
sippo Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 On a similar note, well sort of, I can't beleive that Jamie Oliver now sells his 'own' mud!!
HarryMonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 The tomato plants will need feeding. Get some Tomorite (other tomato foods are available) from your local garden centre and feed as per the instructions.
Hightower Posted May 13, 2011 Author Posted May 13, 2011 The tomato plants will need feeding. Get some Tomorite (other tomato foods are available) from your local garden centre and feed as per the instructions. Already have, but not meant to start feeding them until they've grown their 2nd trusses.
HarryMonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 I usually start feeding mine once they start to flower.
witch Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 All I know is - my peas havent come up this year -why, I have no idea! The corn is looking good, as are the carrots, lettuce, raspberries and gooseberries, but no sign of the peas *sigh*
elsiegee40 Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 I'm growing salad leaves in near commercial quantities... one hungry tortoise to feed!
maniac Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 All I've sucessfully grown this year is grass . . . . No not that sort silly, I sowed a new lawn!
sparkeh Posted May 13, 2011 Posted May 13, 2011 I'm growing salad leaves in near commercial quantities... one hungry tortoise to feed! Me too. In retrospect I sowed too much but the rabbits are very happy
Hightower Posted May 14, 2011 Author Posted May 14, 2011 Well, yesterday I phoned an alottment association to put my name on the waiting list. Expecting the fella to say "waiting list is 2 years" or something, he actually told me there's two gardens available now, but 4 people in front of me. He said he's been trying to contact the first three (who have been on the list for over a year, so may have moved/lost interest etc) but couldn't get through. He says he'll give them another week, but if he still gets no response he'll be offering the gardens to number 4 and number 5 (me). I'm not scared of a bit of hard graft to get a disowned garden up to scratch, but my only wish it that if I'm offered a garden I would love it to have a shed and greenhouse already constructed. Wanting to get into gardening to reduce food bills, so could do without having to fund a new shed and greenhouse on the patch. Even if it's something shoddy that will only last the first year - at least than I can find out if it's all for me before spending a load of coin.
maniac Posted May 14, 2011 Posted May 14, 2011 I'm not scared of a bit of hard graft to get a disowned garden up to scratch, but my only wish it that if I'm offered a garden I would love it to have a shed and greenhouse already constructed. Wanting to get into gardening to reduce food bills, so could do without having to fund a new shed and greenhouse on the patch. Even if it's something shoddy that will only last the first year - at least than I can find out if it's all for me before spending a load of coin. Check e-bay if you need a shed, there's always sheds on there. My dad picked up a great condition 6ftx4ft shed the other week for £45 which is dirt cheap! To be fair, the actual savings you make once you factor in everything are fairly small, but the taste of home grown veg makes it well worthwhile, along with the satisfaction of eating the stuff you've worked so hard to grow. Mike.
john Posted May 14, 2011 Posted May 14, 2011 I'm growing salad leaves in near commercial quantities... one hungry tortoise to feed! Not forgetting your hungry children!
elsiegee40 Posted May 14, 2011 Posted May 14, 2011 Not forgetting your hungry children! The salad leaves are definitely more popular with the tortoise than the teenage bottomless pit! Although the tortoise has started being picky and not eating the purple leaves... at least I can tell my teenagers off if they start being picky!
dhicks Posted May 14, 2011 Posted May 14, 2011 my only wish it that if I'm offered a garden I would love it to have a shed and greenhouse already constructed. Might be a good opportunity to get yourself a decent shed sorted out. If you build your own you can sort out some half-decent insulation in the walls while you're at it and have something you can sit in to do a spot of work on a laptop, if you fancy having somewhere quiet to work on occasion.
elsiegee40 Posted May 14, 2011 Posted May 14, 2011 Keep an eye on freecycle / freegle for your area. Sheds seem to come on offer fairly regularly round here.
SpuffMonkey Posted May 16, 2011 Posted May 16, 2011 Our strawberries have come up early this year. we're growing them outside with no pestersides and no fertilisers. just good old compost. we've experimenting with putting hey around them to stop slugs ect eating our food and to keep the produce off the compost. we grow spuds, carrots and strawberries successfully in our garden. Slugs seems to hate coffee grounds - we're using that up our allotment
SpuffMonkey Posted May 16, 2011 Posted May 16, 2011 I'm not scared of a bit of hard graft to get a disowned garden up to scratch, but my only wish it that if I'm offered a garden I would love it to have a shed and greenhouse already constructed. Wanting to get into gardening to reduce food bills, so could do without having to fund a new shed and greenhouse on the patch. Even if it's something shoddy that will only last the first year - at least than I can find out if it's all for me before spending a load of coin. There were quite a few abandoned sheds at ours - chat up the people in charge and try and get one - we did!
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now