New here and to proper gardening.

Hi

I am new here and to proper gardening. Done odd little bits before but nothing serious. I am really lucky as I have a big front garden, a much bigger back garden, a small lean to greenhouse and plenty of space for a veg patch.

All I have done garden wise for the last 6 years is help my good lady keep the garden reasonably tidy. The credit crunch made us start to think about growing our own veg and some soft fruit. Being diabetic limits my diet and I got fed up with paying supermarket prices for veg that tastes so bland. We also plan to keep a few chickens for fresh eggs.

We started digging a veg patch, got the fence up for the chicken run, then I had a heart attack, ending up in hospital. Got out of hospital last wednesday. I have to take things very easy for a while to build my strength up, but I have been doing a few bits outside in the beautiful sunshine. Very relaxing and therapeutic.

So far we have planted some broad bean seeds, three varieties of onion sets, garden peas, lettuce, raddish, spring onions all in the veg patch. I bought some plug brussel sprouts and cauliflowers, got them potted on and under cover. I cleared some space in the greenhouse and started off some runner beans, french beans, sweet corn in trays in the greenhouse. Also sewn some Pompom and dwarf Dahlia, giant Aster and sunflower seeds in the propogator.

We had an 8 x 6 foot greenhouse that got smashed in the storms. Last year I took down the wreckage and left the base with wooden walls 18" high. I found some 6' x 6" boards to make some sides and the unbroken glass I had from the old greenhouse I have used as lids to make cold frames.

Besides having home grown veg and lots of colour in the garden we have decided that we will do the best we can with whatever materials we already have. As I am not working at the moment money is tight. Using the shell base from the old greenhouse and some timber I already had means not having to buy a cold frame. Not being mean, just cutting my cloth to suit. Does anybody else do this?

I will try and do some pictures and post them here if anybody is interested.

This really is a good forum with lots of information.

Regards

Chopper.

 

I reckon you'll be starting a market stall with that little lot! Well done.

 

Hi Chopper and welcome. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm a bit concerned that you have started some plants a bit too early. Namely, runner beans, french beans and sweet corn. These are not hardy plants and will be killed by any frosts. I appreciate that you have them in the greenhouse, but sooner or later they'll have to go outside, and I doubt that they will hang on until the end of May (normal plating time). Cheers...freddy.

 

Some Sweet Corn is ok started in march - Kelevdon Glory, for example, and I think that Runners are OK from 1st April (so not desperately early ...) although I think for French Beans mid April is about right, but they need to have heat, and I think that anything that climbs and is started too early becomes a nightmare to handle by the time it can be planted out. My Runners were 4' or 5' when I planted them out and a tangled mass of foliage :( which got severely cut back as it was too tender ... so on balance wasn't worth it

I think its worth sowing, say, 1/3rd of the seed early, planting out early-ish, and if there are no late frost they will give an early crop, and if there are ... then the other 2/3rds of the seed will be the "Crop"

But maybe Chopper is in Cornwall?? :D

 

Hi Kristen.The thing is, I know we're all desperate to get things going (none more than me), but last year I lost my r/beans to a late frost so I had to sow the lot again. Someone on here once told me that to be a gardener, one has to learn patience, true that. Trouble is, gardening is so addictive, we can't wait !

 

Hi Freddy

While I have been laid up, I have been doing lots of reading and also going through seed lists. I am down in among the green fields of Somerset, just at the edge of the Somerset Levels. We seem to miss the worst of the bad weather here.

All of the seed that I have started off says on the packets that they can be started off about now. My little greenhouse is perhaps not in the best of positions to get the full benefit of the sun, but it is well sheltered. I am deliberately NOT using any form of additional heating as I do not want to force any plants and risk losing them.

The seeds I have started in the propogator are all doing very well, so I have switched off the power. The propogator is in my utility room so has more shelter than the greenhouse. Everything I have started off has been done since we had that cold snap, really just the last two weeks.

I am just getting started, have a minimal budget and am very keen to learn more from experienced gardeners. Really, everything I am doing is experimental. I will be taking note of results.

What I am aiming for this year is to get the garden tidied properly. Make best use of what I have. Get a big splash of colour. I am planning to start off some perenials later on.

Thankyou for your advice mate, much appreciated. I am listening.

Tell you something folks. I never realised that there was so much involved in gardening. It is contagious and so therapeutic. Just being out in the garden reading books about plants etc. Better than all the drugs I have been prescribed, cheered me up no end.

Chopper.

 

"he reckons he gets early runner beans 4 out of every 5 years"

Last frost here for the last five years has been 1st / 2nd week of April ... here's hoping !

"I am deliberately NOT using any form of additional heating as I do not want to force any plants and risk losing them"

Some of your chaps will need a bit of help at night though ...

 

Welcome to GC A few of us here also keep chickens - there is a Livestock section if you need advice on them, what breeds to go for, feeding, etc, etc, etc! One piece of advice for now though - make a bigger house and run than you think you'll need as chickens are nearly as addictive as gardening and you're bound to want more after not much time:thmb:

 

Thanks for that Kristen. I listened to what you said and did a bit of research. Couple of things. First of all, at the moment I cannot afford to buy any sort of heating equipment for my little greenhouse. Due to being off work, my budget is very tight.

Second thing is that I have listeneed to a some folk with a lot more experience an dknowledge than myself. Had to come to a compromise. My vulnerable stock like seedlings, I have made sure are under cover at night. Been lovely these last few eevening to go out to the garden and cover everything up, have a cuppa under the stars. Not something I have eer considered doing before.

I know I have a hell of a lot to learn and really appreciate the tips. Thankyou.

Regards

Chopper.

 

I asked a question about Toms and Cues and the upshot is that they want 10C, maybe a bit less, at night. If your greenhouse cannot maintain that (and in particular if a heavy frost is forecast) I would consider bringing anything tender, which is in pots, into the house for the night.