Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

Regards,

Stuart Forbes
Edinburgh, Scotland

"Stuart wrote in message
I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about
it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!


It's an excellent time to start a veg garden, just right for the preparation
of the soil for next springs start of the growing season, digging, manuring,
laying out the beds, etc.
You could try planting some Broad Beans but we always found we lost a few
over winter and resorted to planting in early Feb.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

In article , Stuart Forbes
writes
Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!


You could try some over-wintering crops such as broad beans (Aquadulce),
spring cabbage or autumn sown onion sets. IMHO though you would do
better in the longer term to begin even now to make preparations for an
early start for growing next spring.

For some detailed information about veg. and salad plants, have a look
at the urg FAQ on the subject at:
http://www.fuchsiazone.co.uk/veg-index/vegindex.htm
[not as shown in the FAQ list]
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Stuart Forbes" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about
it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!


There's some really good info he
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/

I prefer to use books though. Monty Don's books are my personal fave.

Mark.

"Stuart Forbes" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about
it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

How about reading an introductory book first?
Try one of Dr. Hessayon's books. I would be surprised if he did not do one
on vegetable growing.

Franz

"Stuart Forbes" wrote in message ...
Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

Regards,

Stuart Forbes
Edinburgh, Scotland

If your soil is light start by clearing the site if you have not
already done so, do a soil test for pH at least, and lime if
necessary.Spread out some farmyard manure, garden compost or mushroom
compost (which itself contains lime) and leave it over the winter for
the worms to break down.
You could sow Aquadulce but the flavour is not reputed to be very good
although I have no first hand knowledge of this.
If your soil is clayey(?)you might be better to dig in the above
organic materials and leave the soil rough for the weather to break
down. If it is heavy and clayey don't be too anxious to walk on the
soil too early next spring.
In any event you can then relax over the winter and read your seed
catalogues!
Tony Bull www.caterpillarfountain.co.uk

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 08:35:43 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Stuart Forbes" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've decided I want to start growing vegetables in my garden, can anyone
direct me to any web pages that might give me an idea of how to go about
it?

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything
I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

How about reading an introductory book first?
Try one of Dr. Hessayon's books. I would be surprised if he did not do one
on vegetable growing.

We started off with a RHS book on vegetable growing.
--
Martin

We started off with a RHS book on vegetable growing.
--
Martin

Yes, this book was fantastic. I renewed mine three times at the local
library.
http://tinyurl.com/rq01

Mark.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 12:27:23 +0100, "Mark Allison" nomail@please
wrote:


We started off with a RHS book on vegetable growing.

Yes, this book was fantastic. I renewed mine three times at the local
library.

but it's out of print now?
--
Martin

In article ,
(Stuart Forbes) wrote:

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

You'll be given lots of advice about preparation but it looks so BORING
you'll probably be totally put off. You want to plant something NOW and
so you shall, or nearly.

Clear a small area. It's too late to use weedkiller or some of the
alternatives so dig weeds out as best you can.

Check the pH and if it isn't weird, dig in loads of multipurpose
compost.

In early November, sow a winter hardy Broad Bean. Try "The Sutton". I
expect you get a lot of serious frost in Edinburgh so cloche them.

You should see shoots before Xmas and the sight may inspire you to
prepare more ground ...


Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 12:27:23 +0100, "Mark Allison" nomail@please wrote:

~
~ We started off with a RHS book on vegetable growing.
~ --
~ Martin
~
~Yes, this book was fantastic. I renewed mine three times at the local
~library.
~http://tinyurl.com/rq01
~
~Mark.
~
~
I agree. Very useful. You could also browse a few secondhand bookstores or
charity shops for veg growing books. I could have spent hundreds in Hay on
Wye the other week...


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:
In article ,
(Stuart Forbes) wrote:

Also, I realise this is a bad time of year to start, but if there's
anything I can plant now, I'd welcome any suggestions!

You'll be given lots of advice about preparation but it looks so BORING
you'll probably be totally put off. You want to plant something NOW and
so you shall, or nearly.

Clear a small area. It's too late to use weedkiller or some of the
alternatives so dig weeds out as best you can.

Check the pH and if it isn't weird, dig in loads of multipurpose
compost.

In early November, sow a winter hardy Broad Bean. Try "The Sutton". I
expect you get a lot of serious frost in Edinburgh so cloche them.

Yes, can't fault that. There are some root vegetables ISTR which you
plant in the autumn.

There was a small ad in the local shop offering eight detachable
double-glazing elements 'to a good home'.

The trouble is, four of them will fit my windows. Bang goes a really
*BIG* cold frame.

You should see shoots before Xmas and the sight may inspire you to
prepare more ground ...

Yes, there is no spur to enthusiasm like actually actually seeing results.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

The message
from (jane) contains these words:

/RHS gardening book/

I agree. Very useful. You could also browse a few secondhand bookstores or
charity shops for veg growing books. I could have spent hundreds in Hay on
Wye the other week...

I just daren't go anywhere near Haye. I found a new (to me) bookshop in
Norwich a couple of weeks ago and came away with four books - and a
wallet lighter by eighty pounds.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

The message
from Jaques d'Altrades contains these words:

The message
from (jane) contains these words:

/RHS gardening book/

I agree. Very useful. You could also browse a few secondhand bookstores or
charity shops for veg growing books. I could have spent hundreds in Hay on
Wye the other week...

I just daren't go anywhere near Haye.

It's a seriously addictive place. We stopped there for lunch and
stayed three days

Janet.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 00:23:07 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

~The message
~from Jaques d'Altrades contains these words:
~
~ The message
~ from (jane) contains these words:
~
~ /RHS gardening book/
~
~ I agree. Very useful. You could also browse a few secondhand bookstores or
~ charity shops for veg growing books. I could have spent hundreds in Hay on
~ Wye the other week...
~
~ I just daren't go anywhere near Haye.
~
~ It's a seriously addictive place. We stopped there for lunch and
~stayed three days

I managed to restrict myself to a day - and 34 books. Have read about
half so far. Must make it an annual trip, or at least one to be
repeated when I have the cash...

:-)

Seriously, my best starter books are old ones, specifically
calendar-based ones that detail what you do each week. I am
particularly fond of an old 1940s Hellyer, though I've noticed that
this year I've been going more by my previous year's notes.

Nobody's said it yet: Keep a diary!!!!! That way you'll know when you
planted something, when you harvested it, whether it could have been
useful to plant earlier/later etc so you can adjust your dates the
following year. Eventually you will just *know* what to do, but the
diary will be there as a reminder.

do a search on google for allotment diaries - if you find moonbells,
that's me... there's a page for folk just starting up, linked to from
the main allotment page.
(yes I could print the url but then the spambots would get it too)

Good luck

--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!