Freedom_Spark said:



Hi, I'm new to growing vegetables & need a little help. I've got a good
sized veggie patch, with raised drills containing farmyard manure & a
top layer of compost. Last weekend I planted carrots and lettuce which
my dad assured me would be fine at this time of year. I have seeds for
cucumber, corgettes, corn, beetroot, red onion (bulbs), pumpkins etc.
I'd also like to grow cherry tomatoes but I'm at a complete loss as to
how to start them successfully.

Beets and onions could also be started outdoors now, along with the
lettuce and carrots.

The tomatoes should be started indoors now, for transplant outside
later, after the days are consistantly warms and night time temperatures
will reliably be above 50F (10C) degrees. Give them plenty of light,
and gradually acclimatize them to being out in the sun. They can
be transplanted outdoors once the night time temperatures are
consistantly

Corn would come next (outdoors) when soil temperatures are
consistantly above 50F (10C). Where I live, usually I can start
planting corn in early- to mid- May. (Planting when "the oak leaves
are the size of squirrel's ears" is the old phenomonological rule.)

Cucumbers, courgettes and pumpkins would be seeded only after the
weather was consistantly warm. (Where I live, very late May.)


Also, I would like to grow a few blackberries & rasberries but I'm not
sure of the best place to purchase the plants. I saw plants in a local
'Instore' the instructions said the roots should be soaked in water for
an hour before planting, but would these particular plants be of
enough quality & would I see any fruit this year?

Starting with bare-root plants is commonly done. Even with potted
plants, you shouldn't expect to be harvesting a crop of berries this
year, though. Most varieties of raspberries and blackberries have a
pattern of growing new canes this year which will bear fruit next year.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)