am i too late to start and some

[garycrossan1981]

Hi again,, I just wanted to know if i have started my garden to late this year,, i hope not .. I used to do a bit of gardening when i was achild with my granny, but for the life of me i cant remember much about it,, except that it was fun.. Right i know that we have just came into spring but i have been having a look around the forum and i am now starting to worry that i've left things to late

I want to get some seeds and i was going to buy them from tesco's as im doing my garden on a budget,, tesco do there seeds for 99p a packet,, now they do have a decent amount of verieties but then i dont know what there quality would be like.. I was looking on the net and i came accross a site called seeddirect.co.uk. and they really do seem to do seeds at a fantastic price,, again i dont know what they are like for quality... Help...

Ok,, so i've clarified that i know that we are in spring. But what veggies would i be better to grow from seeds and what veggies should i buy that have already been started for me

Im starting from the very beggining so i can only ask you guys not to get frustrated with me, i got the name of a book to get from another thread " the vegetable garden expert2 by dr hessayan. I dont know how good it is,, but still i find it easier talking to someone about what i want to know,,

One more thing please could you guys tell me what veggies i can still start from seed using propogation tanks and the likes.. Like ive said in my other thread i dont have to much space and i want to get maximum usage out of my garden.. So that when one vegetable come out another goes in and so on,, until the season for growing ends and the time to prepare for next year begins, i really want to make a go of it this year so i can do better next year,, next year i have the chance of using some friends gardens also, so i would like to have a better idea of what i'm doing and what veggies would grow better in there gardens,, taking into account the diiferent factors of there locations. I.e the amount of exposure to sunlight they recieve.


One more thing for now, i want to keep it all natural and would like to know what is the best way to fertilise my garden and if there are any types of plant food that i can use to help them grow better..

Thanks Guys .. i know that ive almost written a book there, so i apreciate it if anyone does take the time to read this and reply,,, Thanks again

[paulsherwin]

You're certainly not too late. Most veg grown from seed is started indoors in March or April and planted out in May.

Seed is available at a wide range of prices. If you are a beginner it's a good idea to pay for seeds described as 'F1 hybrids' because these will germinate easily and produce vigorous plants. They are a bit pricey but you don't need many seeds. At the other end of the market Netto sell seed packs for 19p - OK for things like perpetual spinach (spinach beet) and lettuce. eBay is normally the cheapest place to buy hybrid seed. Lidl are currently selling some hybrid seed for 49p (I bought a packet of tomato seeds there last week).

Courgettes are very easy to grow and are a good beginner's choice. Don't try to grow dozens of different vegetables if you are short of space - just grow (say) courgettes, perpetual spinach, French beans and lettuce, all of which are easy crops.

You can make a propagator from any plastic tray, such as the sort supermarkets use for meat. Just put in an inch of compost, water it, compact it down with your fingers, and push the seeds just below the surface. Cover the top with a sheet of clingfilm and put it on a sunny windowsill.

Grow bags work well if you are short of cultivatable soil, and have the advantage that they're free from weeds and pests. You can use the contents as a soil conditioner at the end of the growing year.

Good luck, Paul

[garycrossan1981]

Thanks for the reply Paul,, So you reckon that time wise i'm still in with a shout at starting off with some seeds? I forgot all about lidl's and where the seeds on sale there of good quality
I'll tell you what i want to grow, Onions, Carrots, Beetroot, Lettuce, Chalots, in fact i could go on and on,, i want to grow it all,,
I'll lay my card on the table,, what really got me annoyed was shops selling really bad quality veggies at extortionate prices,, so i just thought,, well i have a little bit of space, i think i'm going to grow my own this year,, not loads just enough for my wee family,,

I wanted to know if there are different strains of the same veg that can be grown at different times throughout the year so that i can make the most of what space i have, i mean like early carrots and late carrots or early onions and late onions and on and on for different types of veggies, i know there must be but i just dont know what ones to get

Also do you know of any good books for begginers..

One more thing for now.. can i grow asparagus because we really like it.. yum

Thanks for your help

[mor]

you may also think of growing tomato and english spinach

[itsme]

hi well done looks enough there for a couple of years i saw some lettuce type veg there are they oriental type veg if so what are the ones you have most success with

[paul]

Hi Gary,

You are growing at the right time as its only now that the tempreture is getting up a bit and theres less frost on the ground to destroy your crops.

As for books, I have 'the small kitchen gardner' by Alan Titchmarsh which would be ideal for you to start with. Its an easy read and covers all the basics that you need.

[fivespud364]

Dont panic with all the cold weather we had i bet anyone that did start too early is seriously regretting it now, I actually put the sowing of seed for my orders back because of the cold weather no matter how soon people want them i am not going to waste money on serious amounts heating to get them ready the plants will only suffer in the long run. and now we are getting some decent sunny days everything is catching up fine we can get stuff ready to go out in 2-3 weeks without spending money on heating and using the temperature difference between day and night in the polytunnel to control growth

Your on the right lines with books Carol Kleins Grow your own veg is also another good book it must be i read in a trade magazine the other day its sold 300,000 copies

[growernotashower]

Hi, I'm doing the same thing this year, trying out some container vegetable growing! Find out what your area's expected last frost date is (ex. you can google "last frost Denver") once you know when it's likely to be, read the back of your seeds and maybe google the specific names for when to start (in relation to last frost). I decided because I'll be growing several different varieties of lettuce and onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers i should plan all my days to start seeds on a calender to make it easier.

Some vegetables (like many lettuces) can be planted every few weeks if you want to have crops throughout the season. Having a calendar can really help you to know when to do what.

[snohare]

Lidl's seeds are supposedly the cheapest seeds you can get, for quantity and still meeting the EU germination rate regs. I have used them for years, and with one single solitary exception - presumably my fault - done wonderfully well.
When growing seedlings, worth noting that it is always best to water from underneath rather than above, and if possible with sunwarmed fresh rainwater, Small seedlings are very prone to "damping off" - dying from fungal diseases - a good tip to avoid this is to steep a chamomile teabag in a bucket of water before watering, or sprinkle some cinnamon on the soil surface.
If you are short on space Gary, I reckon you are out of luck at present, because asparagus takes up a lot of space. But...if you are likely to have gardens to play with next year, then buy a packet of seed this year, grow on a handful of seedlings in a pot; by far the cheapest way to get an asparagus bed started. That gives you a head start on the delay before you can start cropping. (They take a while, but then produce for years).
Think about square foot gardening, and also look on You Tube for videos on vertical gardening.