Hi from Paisley, Scotland

[Caro]

Just came across this forum through an internet search, so decided to join up.

I'm a 50 yr old living in South West Wales. As I live in rented property, I didn't want to go digging up the landlords lawn, so have had a go at growing some veg in pots.
I may be being a bit adventurous, but so far have planted beets, french beans, carrotts, prickly cucumbers (which are a bit slow), mixed salad leaves, red onions, spinach, tomatoes, birds eye chillies and some red and green peppers.

If things go well this year, I may be a bit more professional next year and think about creating a raised bed.

Dockleaf, lovely to hear from you and welcome to the Vine. It is indeed a lovely friendly place full of help and information.

Could I just suggest, though, that you start your very own thread rather than post on someone else's hello? You'll be noticed more that way and will get more response.

[glaw5]

Hi,

Supraflyguy I'm from Carmarthen. What about you?

Shirlthegirl43 -where in south west Wales are you just now?

Caro - sorry to put a dampner on things with the blight issue! Hopefully it'll hold off this year! I managed to grow tomatoes the year before last fine enough but from what I've read the weather conditions last year were perfect for blight. Sounds like my setup with the raised beds and sacks is similar to mine. When did you plant your potatoes? How long have you been gardening? And what about these cold nights we've got just now? Gotta keep a close watch on everything eh!

CaroltheCarrot - are you getting plenty of cold nights at the moment too? Did you suffer with blight last year?

Anna - lucky you to avoid the blight. It's so demoralising when all your hard work turns into a brown squidgy mess!

DockLeaf - where in south Wales are you?

Thanks for all the other welcomes! Much appreciated!

[Caro]

Hi Glaw5,

My potatoes went in at the end of March, apart from a couple of roosters which went in in the 2nd week of April. They all seem to be storming ahead. The frosty forecast has me worried, though, so I've been out with newspapers and fleece - hope everything is sufficiently covered up.

I'm new to the whole GYO thing. Had a bit of a try last year when i got the greenhouse and the beds, but really they weren't ready until the end of May so it was a bit too late to get stuck in.

How about you? Are you a bit of an old hand at gardening? Have you found anything is particularly suited to our cold, wet climate?

[glaw5]

Hi Caro, I've sort of staggered my potato planting just because I didn't have enough bags available to begin with. I started them chitting at the same time but then as I've finished a bag of compost I've turned it inside out and used it to plant some more potatoes in. First lot went in the first week of April. I've just made sure I've kept earthing them up so the shoots are protected from the frosts. A tip I got last year off Gardeners World to save on compost when earthing up is to use shredding paper with a little bit of compost on top just to weigh it down. Over time the paper rots down and this way produced some good enough potatoes last year.

I'm in the process of trying to put up a second-hand greenhouse I bought last year but putting down our new patio has taken priority so far as there are loads of bags of gravel filling the back garden and in the way.

This is only my third year of GYO. In my first year I found courgettes were brilliant. Just a couple of plants produced so many courgettes through the summer. Although I didn't have as much success with them last year. Dwarf French beans in larger pots were really good last year. The more you pick the more they come. Had loads. Salad leaves and peas were good as well along with radishes and the potatoes.

What turned out most successful for you last year?

[Caro]

I had some peas, which was fabulous. My courgettes started out brilliantly but then I went on holiday and my neighbour, who does a bit of gardening herself, for some reason didn't pick them for me So I came back to several marrows and plants that smugly felt no more need to produce. Still, the marrow, lemon and ginger jam was delish

My tomatoes, planted in my greenhouse border, were a disaster. I'm going to try growing them by ring culture this year. I had some radish, and a few small beetroot.

But I'm definitely hoping for success with peas and beans this year, not to mention desperately hoping for some spuds!

[DockLeaf]

Hi All,

Thanks for the welcome. As a newbie at GYO, I'm a bit like an expectant father, every day I'm patrolling the garden just checking that all is OK. Apart from my dwarf root stock pear trees, ((which I believe have blister mite) and also in pots), all is well so far. I came across this forum while researching what to do about my pear problem, so on the advice of other forumites, will be out today stripping the leaves. Hopefully that will encourage them to re-leaf as they did last year when all the leaves dropped off of their own accord.
Please keep all of your green fingers crossed for me.

Glaw5....I'm in Pembroke Dock

[glaw5]

Yeah courgettes seem to be strange plants Caro. Hopefully we both have a bit more luck this year! I've found my beetroots don't get very big at all but I've used the same type of seed so going to try some different varities this year. What is ring culture?

[supraflyguy]

Hi Glaw5

I'm from Llandogo in Monmouthshire originally... been living in the West End of Glasgow for 20 years, and this is my first year of growing veg. Plenty of great advice on here!

I'm growing courgettes too, seem to be doing well so far in my plastic greenhouse and starting to flower too

[glaw5]

Ah right ok Supra. What brought you up here? What else are you growing?

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi,

Shirlthegirl43 -where in south west Wales are you just now?

DockLeaf - where in south Wales are you?

Thanks for all the other welcomes! Much appreciated!

Glaw5....I'm in Pembroke Dock

Andi I am just the other side of the Cleddau bridge Hi and welcome DockLeaf - best of luck with those pear trees.

[supraflyguy]

Ah right ok Supra. What brought you up here? What else are you growing?

Moved up here when I was 14 with my mother. My father had passed away 2 years previously so it was a fresh start for the 2 of us.

I'm growing garlic, onions (red and white), asparagus, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, cauliflower, potatoes, courgettes, cucumber, tomatoes and chillis. Also trying raspberries and strawberries and various herbs.

Hoping I'm not taking on too much for my first year!

[glaw5]

The more you try the more you learn! What I told myself in my first year was it was going to be an experimental year and anything I got was a bonus. That meant I wasn't disappointed then!

[supraflyguy]

Thats what I keep telling myself! Luckily so far every seed I have sown has germinated, hopefully I will get crop too

[northepaul]

Hi Glaw and welcome to the vine!

[glaw5]

Thanks northepaul!