A few veg questions

This year I'm having a go at growing some stuff I've never grown before, or growing only one or twice before. That means I don't really know what I'm doing which in turn means I can't effectively plan. So I have a few questions.

I'm just planted onion sets. I'm expecting the results around august. Forgive my ignorance, but is that august this year?

I know my peas will grip onto their supports (string) but how do you get them to find it in the first place? I've set a string about 4 inches up, horizontally, and set the pea plants directly under it. They are tall enough to grab it but they haven't yet.

If I want to get 2 or 3 courgettes per week in the peak of the season, how many plants should I grow?

Assuming the peas, courgettes and onions are out of the ground by late summer, what can I have ready in pots to replace them? Basically, I figured I'd start more seeds off a month or two before stuff is due to come out, so that as soon as ground becomes available, something is ready to occupy it, so that I get a succession of veg.

Oh, broccoli. My seed catalogue describes one broc as 'all parts are edible', whereas another says 'edible florets'. In the case of the latter, does that imply that some parts of the broccoli plant are not edible? In the case of the stuff you buy at the shops, I actually don't like the florets, but I love the stems. Surely I haven't been poisoning myself all this time?

 

Yup. If you have planted plenty of Onions start using them as-required as soon as they are big enough, and then dry & store once the main crop is harvested.

They will probably find their own way to something 4" above their heads.

I reckon your'd get 2 courgettes per week off one plant - but probably not at the same time ... so to get a meal of 2 or 2 courgettes, at the same time, you'd probably need 3 plants ... but you'll be giving them away (or converting to something you can freeze) at times too. Others may propose different harvest-rates though?

Good plan, I start pretty much everything off in pots. However, most things will have wanted to actually be planted by late Summer. You can take some catch-crops, and in particular things like Chinese Cabbage / Pah Choi grow quickly at that time of year (but they tend to bolt if transplanted I think).

The Sprouting Broccoli that I am harvesting now has incredibly short stems, so probably wouldn't suit you ... hopefully you will be able to find a long-stemmed varieties