Starting out

Hi,

I want to grow vegetables in my garden. I have read countless articles on the web regarding growing vegetables but am still pretty clueless and would rather ask before making any mistakes.

I have two beds in my garden, I want to start out small so have decided to use the bed which is smaller and gets the most sun (picture attached). This is 5 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.

For now I don't really care what I grow, just to get some practice, as long it's suitable for a completely clueless beginner. Courgettes is one vegetable I had in mind.

I have turned the soil a few times, removed loads of stones and weeds. The tree in the middle seems to be on it's last legs but I cant bring myself to pull it out.

The wall at the far end has a trellis so I am thinking I might as well make use of that too.

So questions:

1) Is the space I have chosen too ambitious?
2) Recommendations on veg to grow which is relatively easy for a beginner?
3) How much space to allocate to each?
4) What do I do about weeds?
5) What can I grow up the trellis?

Any other bits of advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

While I am here, anybody able to identify these?

 

Hi Sardo I'm quite new to gardening as well Iwould try up the trellis either some peas green beans or runner beans they seem to be quite easy to grow I grew all 3 last year the only trouble with growing peas is that you tend to eat them as soon as you see they're ready. In your plot theres all sorts of easy to grow stuff like beetroot / carrots / lettuce / radish / cabbage / even try a few onions sets I grew quite a few onions last year & we're still eating them now. Im sure you will get loads of advice on here members are very helpful & always give good advice well nearly always. Hope I've bean some help cheers Mick

 

Hey Mick thanks for the reply.

I guess the first thing I need to decide is how to divide up the plot, and how many different vegetables I should grow in a space this size while keeping it manageable for a novice. I am thinking two or three, but then is this too much space for two or three types of veg?

I really don't have a clue.

 

The best thing to do is first, grow what you like to eat, if you like runner beans, then you'll get loads as long as you keep picking them, if you have too many to eat, pick them cut them in to the size you want to eat them on the plate, then blanch them (boil in water for 30 seconds) then put them in a plastic (see thru) bag and freeze them

 

This is the second time of writing, I wanted to see a larger snap of your trellis and ended up closing down the forum ! ! !

1) Your area seems just about right, you can streach across and not walk and compress the soil. Although it might become a pain having to walk round the ends. Here a walkboard will help.

2) Veg are easy to grow, it is just those woosy T.V. gardeners that make it 'complicated'. Grow what you like to eat and what is expensive in the shops. Remember to sow little and often so you don't have a glut and then no veggies, (my biggest fault).

3) The more you like a vegetable, the more room you allocate.

4) No need to worry about the weeds, they will grow O.K. by themselves! Find out about annual weeds and pernitious weeds, the former go into the compost, the latter put aside to dry, then burn.

5) It depends how much sun the trellis gets, but you can grow courgettes up the trellis. They normally sprawl along the ground using up valuable space. If you tie the shoots of the courgette onto the trellis as it grows, the fruit will stay clean and be easier to spot (so you don't end up with marrows)!

N.B. Don't go at your gardening like a bull at a gate. Do a bit, have a cuppa. do a bit more, have another cuppa. Keep your tools sharp and clean and put away at the end of the day. There is a phrase in fishing that applies to gardening just as much, don't become a "Tackle Tart" ! ! buy only the tools you need, don't collect 'stuff' that turns your eye.
Cheers, Tony.

 

Hi Sardo and welcome to GC Forum.

The advice given above is spot on, especially as Dopey & Kleftie have both noted, - grow what you like to eat and is expensive in the shops. - I think you should try to find space for a few perenniel herbs, sage, thyme, rosemary, fennel (at the back of the bed as it grows very tall, but should screen the fence nicely) & chives etc.,

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

Thanks for the replies everybody.

I realised I am probably overthinking this so went out and planted a bunch of seeds the previous owner of my house had left in the shed. Carrots, radish and parsnip outside and potted some courgette plants in the shed. I think I may have planted the stuff outside too close together, and I have not idea if I have planted too much or too little but it will be trial and error.

I dug out the palm, it was getting on the way and was on it's way out anyway. I also realised all these stones I was digging out were probably deliberately put there for drainage, but no way there are going back in now.

Thanks again everybody.