I don't think I'll ever be a good gardener

[dawny]

Hi Pidge! I have very little patience myself! This is my 2nd year & now my thinking is going like Nicos servival of the fittest!! There are some veggies that I know wont grow for me so I tend to give them seeds a very wide berth!! see how you go with your plug plants, go with them again next year though try maybe a couple of packets of seeds too see how you go it cant hurt can it!? good luck I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[tamsin]

Spring onions will sit for ages. Last year (well year before) I sowed two trays in November and ate all summer - no sucessonal sowing at all - they just get fatter through the year.

[SueA]

Pidge, sow some salad leaves & you'll be eating them within weeks (not for tonight's meal admittedly!), radish would be up in weeks too & you don't have to fiddle about with either of them, just sprinkle them in a pot or on the ground, cover lightly & water.
Treat yourself to some salad & veg. plants from the garden centre, you can sometimes get some with small fruits already on them & they might give you some inspiration!

[Pidge]

You lot are ace. I've been busy in the garden all day, pics to come. I like the idea of radish!

I nearly bought a red onion plant today as eat them every day, but got scared about how to grow them in containers?

Shady, I think I've already adopted that approach and Jane, you make it sound so easy! Thanks.

[Nicos]

I wouldn't bother with red onions in containers- if it's being sold as a plant it will be vastly overpriced!
Lambs lettuce is quick too- and will fill a gap .
It doesn't grow high( 3")- but would be fine at the front of a flower bed!

[zazen999]

I wouldn't worry about mollycoddling them Pidge.......

I work in 5 different schools and so go to visit once a fortnight[ish]. So, we chuck them in - and more often than not the teachers and pupils totally forget to do anything and we either have to resow next time [should get better as the warmer weather arrives] or I stand there stunned that they are still in situ and growing.

If you are finding it confusing; start with a few crops and stick to those for a year and see how it goes. It soon becomes second nature.

I've not even sown my own carrots or p*****ps yet, or most of my brassicas; and do you know what - I don't sweat it. They all catch up later on.

[Polly Fouracre]

Whereabouts are you? I'm sure that, like me, there will be someone nearby with surplus tomato, courgette, lettuce plants etc. I'm begging people to take mine rather than compost them!

[Snadger]

I wouldn't worry about mollycoddling them Pidge.......

I work in 5 different schools and so go to visit once a fortnight[ish]. So, we chuck them in - and more often than not the teachers and pupils totally forget to do anything and we either have to resow next time [should get better as the warmer weather arrives] or I stand there stunned that they are still in situ and growing.

If you are finding it confusing; start with a few crops and stick to those for a year and see how it goes. It soon becomes second nature.

I've not even sown my own carrots or p*****ps yet, or most of my brassicas; and do you know what - I don't sweat it. They all catch up later on.

And here was me thinking I was the only one!

[Helgalush]

Hi Pidge,

I am a newbie and I too find myself getting confused and a bit bewildered by all the advice. And also noticed that different people have different approaches, have different things that work for them.

I thought for ages that seeds I had sown were not germinating or hadnt been transplanted properly or werent suited to being transplanted at all. Couldnt get the balance between overwatering/underwatering and all that gubbins, surface mould on everything, things too spaced together etc.

But then all of a sudden things started to just 'show up'. I even got really behind with potting on and still am, due to other things in my life taking over. But its generally looking ok and that little buzz, after I had nearly given up was soo cool.

So what I am saying is, dont give up, dont despair - one or two failed crops doesnt mean anything. Throw it away; start again. There are no right or wrongs, just trial and error. When the sun is bright and warm, things catch up anyway and grow really quick. I am just learning this stuff at the minute...

Do you have any books with bright planting ideas? Because I really find visual inspiration helps me. So instead of reading technical books I tend to look at ones with pretty pictures!!

[Snadger]

Define 'Good'?

Good is a state of mind, do your own thing, try and learn from your mistakes, experiment, think 'out of the box', and be happy with your achievements. He/she who makes no mistakes, makes nothing!

[Two_Sheds]

You can make it as complicated or simple as you like...

Ain't that the truth

I would just love even a 2ft row of spring onions
It's the one thing I can't seem to grow

They aren't an easy crop for me either

I like the idea of radish!

I nearly bought red onion plant today as eat them every day, but got scared about how to grow them in container?

It's too late really for planting onions. Make a diary note to do it next March.
I struggle with radish: they go woody, get nibbled by slugs and infested with cabbage root fly.

Go for some spuds. If you don't want to spend money, just plant a couple of supermarket spuds and they will most likely grow. Beans are really easy too, at this time of year they will romp away.

Don't think you have to "know how to do it all" before you even start sowing seeds. You don't. Just follow the general instructions on the packets, see what happens, learn from your mistakes.

[Bramble_killer]

another one who can't plant spring onions here so I've been buying it from the supermarket

Going to try again and see if I've got better this year.

[Pidge]

Hi Pidge,

I am a newbie and I too find myself getting confused and a bit bewildered by all the advice. And also noticed that different people have different approaches, have different things that work for them.

I thought for ages that seeds I had sown were not germinating or hadnt been transplanted properly or werent suited to being transplanted at all. Couldnt get the balance between overwatering/underwatering and all that gubbins, surface mould on everything, things too spaced together etc.

But then all of a sudden things started to just 'show up'. I even got really behind with potting on and still am, due to other things in my life taking over. But its generally looking ok and that little buzz, after I had nearly given up was soo cool.

So what I am saying is, dont give up, dont despair - one or two failed crops doesnt mean anything. Throw it away; start again. There are no right or wrongs, just trial and error. When the sun is bright and warm, things catch up anyway and grow really quick. I am just learning this stuff at the minute...

Do you have any books with bright planting ideas? Because I really find visual inspiration helps me. So instead of reading technical books I tend to look at ones with pretty pictures!!

I think, as others have said, my best approach is to tackle a few things at a time as I can learn from there and hopefully adapt with other things later. Good advice though and I hear you on the buzz aspect. Last year I was VERY pleased with my tomato crop, although I did have hundreds of the buggers at one point!

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Define 'Good'?

Good is a state of mind, do your own thing, try and learn from your mistakes, experiment, think 'out of the box', and be happy with your achievements. He/she who makes no mistakes, makes nothing!

Oh wise one? Yes, I agree re learning form mistakes, good advice.

Ain't that the truth

They aren't an easy crop for me either

It's too late really for planting onions. Make a diary note to do it next March.
I struggle with radish: they go woody, get nibbled by slugs and infested with cabbage root fly.

Go for some spuds. If you don't want to spend money, just plant a couple of supermarket spuds and they will most likely grow. Beans are really easy too, at this time of year they will romp away.

Don't think you have to "know how to do it all" before you even start sowing seeds. You don't. Just follow the general instructions on the packets, see what happens, learn from your mistakes.

OK, challenge for this year is the tomatoes and chillies I planted yesterday (admittedly not from seed). Challenge for next year, from March is red onions and potatoes.

[Two_Sheds]

You can start a potato now, today. It will take about 3 months until you're able to harvest them.

[taff]

Last year I was VERY pleased with my tomato crop, although I did have hundreds of the buggers at one point!

oh my god!!!

I had none, zip, zero, nada tomatoes last year.....so you must be doing something right!!

Like the man said, it's amazing what you pick up on the internet....