newbie veggie gardner

[gaz]

Hi there, I am new to this forum so hello everyone!
I have set out a plot in my garden to try & grow some veggies for me & the family, for eating & fun.
I would like to ask for my first season what should I plant & when.

Any ideas tips would be welcome


Thanks

Gary

[Durgan]

Hi there, I am new to this forum so hello everyone!
I have set out a plot in my garden to try & grow some veggies for me & the family, for eating & fun.
I would like to ask for my first season what should I plant & when.
Any ideas tips would be welcome :roll:
Thanks
Gary

How about some details regarding garden size, amount of sun on the garden per day, and type of soil? I think you are in Zone 6, but not sure.

Durgan.

[gaz]

hi durgan

The plot is 16 ft x 12ft, relatively full sun throughout the summer, the soil is clay.

looking to get started soon, just waiting for the ground to dry up some from the heavy rains we are having here & if possible would like to see some early crops,

Many thanks

gary

[Durgan]

hi durgan

The plot is 16 ft x 12ft, relatively full sun throughout the summer, the soil is clay.

looking to get started soon, just waiting for the ground to dry up some from the heavy rains we are having here & if possible would like to see some early crops,
Many thanks
gary

Hi Gaz.
You have a good size for the first time.

Probably raised beds are a good idea. Two small rail height is excellent, and they are usually cheap enough and available. Here is what I did when I enlarged my bed. It might be helpful. Clay is good soil providing it is well drained and you can work it. Have a look for a start. Probably three yards of compost worked in will break up the clay for the first year, but even a nine yard load probably wouldn't hurt. Your size is such that probably as small rototiller will work just fine a Honda or Mantiss Four stroke. Rent or buy, since hand tools are too much labour, and don't do as good a job.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://xrl.us/nqb9
The pictures above indicate the work in progress.

Today 30 April 2006 Zone 5 I decided to enlarge my vegetable garden by 8 feet. It is 36 feet long. First I removed the sod with a kick sod cutter, then spaded about a foot deep, then rototilled the lumps, then raked the chunks that wouldn't crumble. Today's effort took me about 8 hours. It is a real good workout.

I broke the sod by hand and put it through a Yard Machine to shred the clumps and put it back onto the bed. This took about three hours. Not a bit of grass came up later in the season. The Yard Machine effectively killed the grass roots.

https://xrl.us/nqca
Adding compost to my new bed. I can only pick up about half a cubic yard per day from the city, so it will take me a few days to complete the bed. I worked it in well with the underlying soil using my new Honda mini-tiller. I will add about three cubic yards. I think the pictures depict the high quality of the compost. I can purchase this compost for $40.00 per yard, but I prefer the free compost and don't object to the labour. I pick up about half a yard per day. Two fourty five gallon garbage cans. I have a wooden box in the back of the van that takes exactly one-half yard.

https://xrl.us/nqcb
7 May 2006. I decided to add some fiber to the new garden bed. The tree mulch was put through my yard machine to make smaller pieces then spread over the bed, and worked in with my new Honda mini rototiller. Now all I need is some rain and then I will plant my vegetables.


https://xrl.us/ntyj

Pictures of what is growing in the enlarged bed on 30 June 2006. Apparently the effort was not in vain. All plants are growing extremely well.
Durgan.

[Newt]

Hi Gaz,

Welcome to The Helpful Gardener! Are you in Surrey in Canada or the UK?

Newt

[gaz]

Hi newt,

Surrey in the UK

Gary

[opabinia51]

From your location I am assuming that you live in a temperate climate?


Usually in these situations, planting can start around May or June 1st depending on the frost situation. Basically plant after the last frost.

Squash take up a lot of space, so don't plant them unless you either have a lot of space or plant them on a trellis of some sort.

Squash, beans and corn are companion plants and aid eachother in growth and insect and weed deturance. The squash and beans will climb the corn so, this helps in the space allocation dilimna.

Other than that, it doesn't really matter, just go down to your local nursery and peruse the seed collection, I always like to plant carrots. It's nice to have some berries, you can purchase already started plants in the spring.

Also, intermingle some flowers with high nectar content like violets, cosmos and so on to attract beneficial insects. Baby blue eyes also work along these lines. Marigolds are good to attract aphids away from your other plants.

Plant some peas and/or beans to help feed the soil.

Also, at the end of the growing season turn all the plants back into the soil rather than pulling them out.

[Newt]

Gaz, you've already have some great advice so I'll try not to repeat anything. Knowing that you are in the UK does make a difference for when you can start planting. You might want to add 'UK' to your location in your profile. That will help avoid confusion with our Canadian friends.

Here's some helpful sites about starting a garden. At this first site from the RHS click on 'fruits and vegetables'. There's loads of helpful info.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/problems_archive_total.asp#Trees

This is an almanac by the month or plant.
https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Indexes/index.htm

The BBC has some helpful topics.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/gardeners_world/index.shtml

Other helpful sites about starting a veggie garden.
https://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel1550&site=
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1228/
https://www.savvygardener.com/Features/harvesting_vegetables.html
https://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/L291-w.htm

Companion planting to attract beneficial insects as Opabinia mentioned.
https://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
https://www.moonsweb.com/companions.shtml
https://www.eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/EAP55.htm

Newt

[gaz]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your kind & generous advice, I will certainly have my work cut out for the first season.

The advice you have all given me is excellent, I shall set up a plan & get to it, I hope you don't mind me asking the odd Q now & then

Al the best,

Gaz

[opabinia51]

Good luck with your endeavours gaz, be sure to keep us up to date as to how things are going.

[Newt]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your kind & generous advice, I will certainly have my work cut out for the first season.

The advice you have all given me is excellent, I shall set up a plan & get to it, I hope you don't mind me asking the odd Q now & then

Al the best,

Gaz

Gaz, you are very welcome! Of course we don't mind the questions. That's what this is all about, helping other gardeners. We learn along the way too.

Newt

[opabinia51]

Oh, and Gaz; there is a lot of so called work in maintaining a healthy soil and garden but, I don't really consider it work as I have a lot of fun digging around the soil. And I love to think about all of the organisms that are living in my soil and garden.

Every year when I turn in the Rye and legumes; all of these grubs are turned up and then, the robins fly in and eat them up. It's really neat.

So, don't think of it as work. Think of it as fun and rewarding. It's especially rewarding in a few years when you've turned your clay or sandy soil into a lovely soil with lot's of tilth that is just teeming with life and your plants just grow like weeds.

(You should see how well even the lawn is doing at my mothers since I started placing all the grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds and manure in the beds.) Instant conversion from chemical users to organic gardeners.