do you think i am growing too much

[Snadger]

If you get some chooks I can guarantee that NOTHING will be wasted!

[cupcake]

I had 22 tomato plants last year for 2 of us. I was told (on another forum) that that was too many. ROT! It kept us in fresh tomatoes till november and then I had lots of tomato sauce base in the freezer and the green tomato chutney is wonderful! Just go for it, it's the only way to get experience! Keep a diary and then you can plan for next year.

[Mrs Dobby]

I had 22 tomato plants last year for 2 of us. I was told (on another forum) that that was too many. ROT! It kept us in fresh tomatoes till november and then I had lots of tomato sauce base in the freezer and the green tomato chutney is wonderful! Just go for it, it's the only way to get experience! Keep a diary and then you can plan for next year.

Lol, try 55 tomato plants for just 2 of us!! Lots of fresh tomato sauces, 15 jars of tomato puree, 52 x 1 1/2lb bags of passatta in the freezer, 12 bottles of homemade tomato ketchup, none were wasted, and we're still eating them now! You cant have too many tomatoes, as long as you process them as they ripen!

My only regret, we didnt have enugh left to do any green tomato chutney!

[Naga]

Here is what I am growing, really excited!

Chilli (names for the chilli heads)
Habanero
Red Cherry
Cayenne
Hungarian Hot Wax
Early Jalape�o
Santa Fe Grande

Spuds
Onions
Radish
Toms (three types)
Lettuce
Aubergine
Cucumber
Cauliflower
Parsnip
Carrot (two types)
Cabbage
Leeks

[ann-the-nan]

do you think I am growing too much.

I grew too much last year, and still have the other half of the packets of unplanted seeds. I am hopeful on germination as I think I have treated my seeds kindly. like some of you, I couldn't give things away up our road, as there are a lot of GYO'ers here. What I couldn't lose went to compost.

[Paulottie]

Veg are a whole currency for us. All manor of favours returned...kids clothes, horsemuck, eggs (when the chooks aren't laying.) Trading to replace our failures!!! Plus we try and drop some off with the older folk in the village who always appreciate it.

Nothing is wasted.

[Naga]

Must say though, it's really easy to get carried away with buying seeds if you see them for �1 or or less.

[matthew2riches]

As I always say.....

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH!!!!!!!

Unless your house looks like a jungle :-) :-)

[Iamhanuman]

Hi Yellow Strawberry

I am in the same boat as you - see my very similar thread!
Am I Being Crazy

I am a mixture of excited and nervous, but i'm going to pretty much go with my original list I think.

Keep on going, keep us posted and we can compare notes!!!

[pjh75]

I say go for it... last year was my first and I was quite ambitious too. Not everything worked out, but I learned a lot for this year and my list has got even longer.

[lavender lou]

mrs d

after reading your post did you find that everything worked ok cos you planned it like you did? did you have to much veg?

And what did you end up growing?

I found that post really interesting and me and my OH sat down last night with our plan that we had made and looked at yours and we discussed what we used more off and less off and came up with our finally plan.

we decided fruit wise we would have :

Strawberry
Raspberry
Gooseberry

Vegetables

Peas - various varieties
Beans - various varieties
Broad beans
Carrots - various varieties
Parsnip
Celery
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Swede
Broccolli
Sweetcorn
Asparagus
Onions - these are in modules i have 85(which includes red and white)
Spring onions
Garlic - these are in modules and i have 32
Leeks
Marrows
Tomatoes -various varieties
Chillies - various varieties
Peppers - various varieties
Cucumber
Lettuce - various varieties
Cress
Radish
Mushrooms

Herbs

Parsley
Tarragon
Chives
Bay
Mint - after reading posts on here is it right to have mint in a pot?
Dill
Fennel
Feverfew
Coriander
Lovage
Hyssop
Thyme
Basil

We are currently building our raised beds and redesigning our back garden so i can't wait for it all to come together

[lavender lou]

oh and i forgot potatoes!!!

[Mrs Dobby]

mrs d

after reading your post did you find that everything worked ok cos you planned it like you did? did you have to much veg?

And what did you end up growing?

I found that post really interesting and me and my OH sat down last night with our plan that we had made and looked at yours and we discussed what we used more off and less off and came up with our finally plan.

We are currently building our raised beds and redesigning our back garden so i can't wait for it all to come together

Hi LL,

We did ok that first year, didnt have too much of anything, and those crops we did have gluts of we soon processed for keeping. The plan gave us a starting point, but as you'll find yourself, not everything you plant will grow to cropping, slugs, birds, insects and wabbits will mean you're harvest wont be as big as what you plant, but by planting plenty of everything you will still have enough to make it worthwhile!

If you want to see what we actually harvested, then the details should be on our blog, or one one of the balance sheet threads on the vine from the past 2 years!

I gotta say tho, the main reason for growing is the fun, the delight at seeing the seedlings pop their heads up, the pleasure of watching them grow, the fab taste that comes from eating ultra fresh organic food that you have grown yourself, the free exercise and connection that you get from working the land out in the fresh air and although the money saving is useful, it is only a part of why we grow!

[lavender lou]

i love growing my own too i did it myself for the first time last year and it was great to go outside and get what you wanted and eat it fresh that day.

My dad and grandad(when he was alive) and my aunt have always grown there own and so i have grown up with fresh organic veg. so i think it was only natrual for me to start. My brother can't see what all the fuss is about but we love it!!!

I love it when i sow my seeds and they put up and grow into something that you can eat it gives me so much pleasure.

I've even got my 8 year old nephew coming everyday (he only lives across the road) saying to me is it time to plant, like we did last year, he loved it over the 6 weeks holidays helping me, and at the end he had a book that he had to write about what he did for the whole of the 6 week holiday. so i helped him cos he spend most of it with me in the garden.
So we put it in all about the seeds and when they germinated and when they grew and when he could eat what we had grown. He drew pictures and wrote about it all and when he went back to school and handed it in he got a certificate because it was the best they had ever seen and they regaularly ask him what he's growing with his auntie.

so it gives me so much pleasure that i can pass on to him what i have learnt and hopefully he will contuine with it when he's older

[crichmond]

do you think i am growing too much

Yes I reckon you need to stop putting manure in your shoes...