Where to start - growing veg, complete beginner

Welcome Nicola.

Before you buy link-a-board [sorry, link a board] but they are so expensive for what they are...my raised beds cost £2 each as I bought some wood from a reclaim yard @ 50p each piece and screwed it together to make raised beds that it would have cost upwards of £30 to buy. They are seriously easy to make - all you need is a drill.

Also, once you put compost/soil on your hard ground, it won't take long to soften up so don't worry too much about that side of things.

I'd start slow, with the crops you mentioned - and spend some time on this forum [and others] - the search facility should come in handy. Don't forget some salads for quicker results, they can be grown in and amongst other crops and it keeps the interest while you are waiting for the longer crops to come to fruition.

Potatoes are good to start in new ground as they will help to break the soil up. Onions and garlic are easy to grow from sets and the legumes (beans) will add nitrogen to the soil.

Rhubarb and fruit canes don't mind too much shade .

Thanks.

I did think about just making my own. I would need to cover the beds in mesh though as I have 4 bunnys that have free-range in my garden that would make light work of any veg patch if not covered so would need a sprt of mesh canopy.
This is one fo the reasons I would like to grow out the front.

Not sure if we have nat reclaim yards out this way but will have a look in B&Q for some wood.

How deep would the beds need to be? I want to grow leeks which are quite long but the beds will be on top of soil, it's just very compacted soil.

Well, in the case of fluffy bunnies - yes I agree you'd need mesh.

I'd make bog standard 4-6 inch beds for the main crops, so spuds, swede and cabbages.

I'd put another on top for the carrots, and have twice the depth. You can put the leeks in with the carrots, possibly around the outside as they will help deter carrot fly. Best way is to use a broom handle to make a hole as deep as the leek seedlings and drop the seedlings in and just puddle some water in. The roots are quite sturdy and will tear through any hard ground - helping to break it up.

then, I'd pop another bed on top with mesh staple gunned straight over the top. For the carrot bed, smooth enviromesh over that - and tie or weight it down.

If you got cheap wood, even at £1 per piece of 1m timber, you'd get 3 layers for £12. As the soil becomes softer, you'd need less height anyway and you could use the beds just for rabbit barriers.

The best thing to do is to - as I said - start with a few things that you really like, and use the first growing year as an experimental year - but try to keep outlay to a minimum. I know buying beds ready made seems easy - but it's so expensive if you want to expand as you feel you have to keep to the same style. Our first year - veg was grown in containers all over the place on the cheap as we wanted to try things first.

Good luck - you've got all winter to plan so take your time!

Hi Nicola...welcome to the vine....

I've only been growing veg a couple of years so from one beginner to another this is my experience. I've tried growing a few different things! I found I can't grow carrots to save my life, they either get eaten or just won't grow well in my soil (clay).

I found potatoes, spring onions, leeks and garlic easy as they don't take too much looking after. The broccoli WAS growing well before the pigeons ate them!!! But not wanting to put you off I would start by concentrating on just a few things that are easier to grow. I found it too confusing and hard work trying to look after plants that I wasn't sure I was planting right or looking after well...

Does Brighton still have that brilliant wood recycling place? It used to be round the corner from Infinity Foods.
here's a link: Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project

I never even new about that place! I have lived in Brighton my whole life as well. Will go and have a look around there, thanks for that.

Rabbit troubles

I have had trouble with rabbits on my allotment this summer. The only thing they seem to have completely ignored are the oriental salad leaves I put in latish summer. Don't know why as they seem to have tried everything else!

When I moved in my garden had flowers, now there is just 2 fushcia bushes that have survived, I have been in this house 2 and half years and I have never had to mow the lawn! Although with all the rabbit poo that has gone on it it is now lovely green and bouncy. Will recommend bunnys to anyone with a lawn, they just don't go well with veg.

I did think actually that I might get some hula hoops, cut them in half and then staple some thin mesh to those and just push them in over the veg. Easily removed and I can also make a fleece one or a small polytunnel type one for winter. Would this work? I need to work out bunny proofing before I do anything else or there will be no point.

that would sound like a plan, also, some of us enterprising peeps, have plans to get some of those cheap metal arches, from woolies and wilkies to make fruit cages with, because you put them together yourself, you can decide how tall you want them, and cover them with mesh or plastic as required.

Ohh Metal sounds better, I did think afterwards that the hula hoops might not stand up for much in a strong wind.
I have drawn a diagram of my garden and where I want the beds (yes I even drew a diagram) I have dad all booked in for some bed making and then just need to work out what to grow and how.

If you want a bit of a more heavy duty support ( terrible grammar but hey, it is 02:10 am !!) go to your nearest plumbers/builders merchant and get some of the blue alkathene pipe that is used for water ( about 1" and a nice blue colour) it will be stronger than your hula hoops ( they are made from potatoes after all )

As to books, the Joy Larkom books are good she did one on veg and one on salads they are widely available. another you might consider is the sq ft gardening book - I know it's american but the principle will be the same even if the varieties are different.