New to Veg and Raised Beds

Hi All

I am looking to start growing my own veg. I hace only a small amount of space available and I am will be creating either three 6' X 4' beds or Four 6' X 3' Beds each with 2 foot space between. Hopefully starting the beds this weekend.

I want to make best use of space and produce as much home grown veg as possible.

Veg that I have identified that I would like to grow include the following

Broad Beans
French Beans
Peas
Carrots
Spring Onions
Garlic
Leeks (Oher onions if space allows)
lettuce (Various types)
Radish
Chillies and Tomatoes ( I have grown a copld of these in containers last couple of years)
Peppers
Cucumber
Courgettes
Baby Turnips
Kale maybe some winter cabbage

Also some New Potatoes if space allows


I have looked at Carol Klein Grow your own veg book and also a few sites on square foot gardening but would like some basic advice on planting plans and spacing or any general advice as this is my first major attempt at growing our own veg.

We only needveg for two people but if we generate surplus there are plenty of family of freinds to pass on any gluts

Cheers

Pat

 

Well we`re in it together then Pat as other than a few half hearted attempts at lettuce, this will be my first season as a veg grower. Quite exciting. I only hope I can do veg as well as I do fruit bushes-although I rather suspect Mother Nature has done the hard work with those. Good Luck

 

Thanks for the replies

Re cold frame I have a couple of those frames with plastic covers so I can try some toms and chillies in their but this will be in the back garden where we do not recieve so much sun.

My intendeed plot for the beds should get far more sun and is reasonably sheltered. i think I will try some in both areas and see which performs best. I must have got the bug already and keen to carry on next year.

I will go for just the one cougette and thanks I had forgot about the runner beans.

 

Chillies do well in pots on a sunny windowsill, as long as you keep an eye out for aphids.

 

Having seven separate raised beds is a great idea because it'll let you rotate your crops each year between the beds.

I raised vegetables for many years on a large traditional plot but when I moved to a much smaller garden, I only had room for a couple of raised beds. I really like them because they make you plan more carefully - you can squeeze a terrific amount of good veg from a very confined area if you resist the temptation to plant too much of the same thing!

Good luck!

 

Hi Flinty, I have 11 raised beds and this year I will be adding on 4 more. Already have got the wood from 'freecycle' I find it much easier for weeding and turning the soil over.

 

Your tomatoes and peppers will need sun to ripen well

 

I am thinking of putting some of the tumbling toms and gardeners delight in a hanging basket-any particular soil care? They will be against a white southfacing wall so quite a sun trap.

I saw this on a neighbours wall and thought I`d copy it.


Edit-maybe not the gardeners delight on second thoughts, they are cordons aren`t they?!

 

I had great results with Tumbling Toms last year, against a cream sunny wall ....Err actually not much sun

 

They look gorgeous Dee-definitely look as good as they taste.

 

Im gonna try strawberry's in baskets this year Lolli..

 

Ooh clever girl, I will too then. I`ll have to buy them in though I only have the alpine strawberries I propagate, although with a tweak or two they should do for a try, which type are you going for?

 

:dh:Just had a thought though, wouldn`t that mean the birds will probably get them before we do? I might have a think about one of those stands you can get that will hold two or three baskets-that way I can net it and keep them all for myself.

 

You can buy Trailing Strawberry's Lolly, especially for hanging baskets. But i thought Strawberry's Trailed Naturally????