DIY vegetables!
If you don’t have a garden, think about getting an allotment or use a garden window box.
Is one allotment too much for you? How about sharing it with a friend, and make lots of other friends with the other alotmenteers.
Not only is it good food, good exercise and organic (if you choose to grow them that way) but it cuts down on transport and all that inherent problems with pollution and waste. You also often grow surplus and what better to do with that but to give it away. Generous on all fronts we think!
Grow2eat Supported by the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.
Month by month advise on what to do in your garden Garden Organic
If you want an allotment, the best thing to do is contact your local authority who will have a list of available plots. Plotholders Guide produced by the Government
Linked actions: Try To Shop Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly and Fair Trade Shop Small – look for local suppliers instead of always using online multinationals See If You Can Join A Local Food Cooperative Compost Your Leftovers Plant A Tree Last chance to plant some bulbs
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01 Dec 2005
We built two raised beds in our garden this year – making use of last years compost. We grew beans, carrots, parsnips, courgettes, spring onions, spinache and a pepper (transplanted by my mum). Good fun for the whole family and very tasty too. Must do it again next year. TN
GB , 01 Dec 2005
I managed to get the spring bulbs in the ground in time, so I don’t see why not! This is something I’ve always wanted to do but again not quite got there, apart from some very successful rocket last year. Thanks for the really useful links too, I’ll be plotting, digging and fighting pests shortly…
06 Dec 2005
I don’t have a very big garden, but I got some seeds from the local Seed Savers and I’m determined to plant my tomatoes in time next year!
Taunton, GB , 06 Dec 2005
I was really chuffed in the summer ‘05 when some potatoes that I stuck in the ground grew into more potatoes. So this coming year I want to maximise the use of our small patch. Easy stuff preferably – carrots sound good, always loved corn on the cob though!
Oxford, GB , 07 Dec 2005
I proposed this so I better make a comment. I have been growing veg in the back garden for years but there isnt enough space for cabages and things so I am sharing a alotment plot with a friend for the first time this year! I have had great sucsess with Mange Tout in pots (if you leave them after there first crop you often get a second or even third crop from the plant). I have grown potatos in a pot with mixed sucess.
Haverfordwest, GB , 11 Dec 2005
I have been meaning to do this again for sometime, especially as my daughter has expressed an interest in growing our own vegetables. I just need to find the time to get out and do the digging! Did do it once before a few years ago, and grew some potatoes. Trouble was I stuck the garden fork through my toe when digging them up! Put me off doing it again for a while! Neveretheless the potatoes tasted great. Now, any advise on environmentally friendly weed and pest controls, as we have loads of slugs, ants, weeds, etc.!?
Marlborough, GB , 13 Dec 2005
At last, we have staked out a vegetable plot in our garden and are just finding out how much ex railway sleepers cost in order to make a raised bed.
03 Jan 2006
We got given a book explaining how to grow vegetables in a small garden, so I have no excuses this year. Well, not yet anyway!
08 Jan 2006
I took on an allotment at the end of 2005. It needs a fair bit of digging. I started to dig and after an hour or so realised I had barely got anywhere! I am thinking about hiring a rotivator from the allotment association in the next month or so to get things started. I want to get planting in the spring!
31 Jan 2006
Have been lent a copy of Kitchen Garden magazine which is full of interesting bits on growing your own fruit and veg. March is the month to start planting once the soil has warmed up. Not long now!
07 Feb 2006
A couple of dry days in January and I’ve got a lot of digging done – perhaps this is the year that I crack DIY vegetable supply!
Reading, GB , 12 Feb 2006
Am gonna try growing some potatoes and maybe some carrots in my concrete garden (in tubs etc) this year. Not sure how it’ll pan out as I got a pet rabbit last week and he may just eat everything!!
19 Feb 2006
bought new house this year with veg plot (about 6 times larger than last one) intend to have pots, carrotts, onion, leek, brussels, butternut, parsnips and plenty of soft fruit with toms and chillis and sweetcorn in the green house oh and the grape vine at the bottom of the garden. i feel the good life setting in already. ill have a goat this time next year(ha ha)
Richmond, GB , 26 Feb 2006
One good thing to come out of the encroaching panic about Avian Flu; our chickens are having to move into a covered run. Now we can garden without crops being prematurely eaten.
28 Feb 2006
Even managed to put in some winter veg this year, so am enjoying spinach and have sprouts and purple sprouting broccolli to look forward to! No luck with the winter onions though…
12 Mar 2006
Being disabled I am going to grow onions, beans, garlic and tomatoes in tubs this year. Ineed motivation and maybe signing up to this task will help! Pleas ask me how I am doing. :)
06 Apr 2006
Been growing vegetables for 3 years now. It’s an ongoing thing. The best and easiest are garlic, tomatoes and potatoes. I have 6 1m x 2m beds. I should do more but it’s the weeds I tells ya! I’ve also grown corn, onions, peas, courgettes, pumpkin, herbs, radishes.
15 Apr 2006
We didn’t have much luck in our raised beds last year- mostly just got beans. But we’re giving it a try again this year. We’re going to grow just a few basics and also add herbs.
15 Apr 2006
Trying our tomatoes in the open soil rather than a pot this year. That’s to try and beat the drought.
I see there are several places selling things which you can attach to plastic bottles to create self watering systems. Poss useful to you Wulise ?? How is the prep going ?
Reading, GB , 16 Apr 2006
Very excited as tiny shoots are coming through where I planted my carrots and there are some pretty healthy looking shoots from my potatoes.
You can make something to water plants gradually using a plastic drink bottle (eg 2 litre bottle). You punch a hole in the base and fill the bottle with water then do up the lid, but not completely then put the bottle in your bed/pot upside down. It’s a bit of trial and error as to how tight to do the lid up. The water’s then slowly released into the pot. It’s a tip a friend gave me.
Milton Keynes, GB , 24 Apr 2006
Is it possible to grow veg in containers? – we are trying to move this year and feel would be good if could take “fruits” of our labours with us – particularly if doing it with the kids – any suggestions on good crops (child friendly ones- grew some brilliant chillis last year but don’t think they would like them!) for container growing??
Nottingham, GB , 27 Apr 2006
Yes – you can grow all sorts of veg in containers. Gardeners World on TV showed it last year with all sorts of reused containers too – from old cans to stacks of tyres. I’ve grown cut and come again salads, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes (all good for kids). Courgettes not so good – or maybe just needed a bigger container or more feeding/water. This year I’m having a go at salad potatoes in an old dustbin, rocket and baby spinach. Dwarf French beans supposed to be easy in a container too.Then of course herbs such as basil and coriander. I think it’s best to concentrate on 1. Things you like! 2. Things that are expensive to buy.
30 Apr 2006
If you have a pile of small pebbles/stones
Try growing potatoes in it. I did accidentally once and the potatoes came out beautifully formed and even better, clean. Very simple to find and remove too.
Maidenhead, GB , 02 May 2006
At the weekend we bought some tomato plants and a grow bag for our first attempt at growing something edible. I’m not very green fingered so we’ll see! The tomato plants are currently in the lounge as the instructions said not to plant them out until they had a flower. How do you stop birds eating any tomatoes that might appear?
Worthing, GB , 08 May 2006
We have a veg patch where we are growing a range of vegetables. We are also growing potatoes in compost sacks and buckets on our patio. At my school, I have also got 8 classes growing potatoes in compost sacks, which is providing much enjoyment, and helping the kids to undestand where their food comes from, and to attach value to home growing.
25 May 2006
I grow more attention seeking plants such as tomatoes, carrots, courgettes, lettuce & radish at home in either our small garden or in containers & my husband grows most of our annual supply of fruit & veg in the allotment.Saves a fortune on gym fees as we get loads of exercise as well as fresh air.(Not to mention many soakings this year).Plus all the produce is organic & friends love us when we are trying to find homes for any surplas. Its hard work,time consuming,great fun, very satisfying,& I reccomend it to anyone.
25 May 2006
To rachelandrew.I have never known birds to eat tomatoes.What sort of birds live in Maidenhead? I usually put my toms out the end of May in growbags or my own comost in containers & start feeding with tom feed when the 1st flowers set & you can see mini toms behind where the flower was.
26 May 2006
I don’t have a garden of my own, but luckily a friend of mine has given me the use of his, as he’s not very green fingered! I’ve built 3 veggie beds, filled 2 with well rotted manure from a friends stable yard & so far planted out garlic, onion seeds, spring onion seeds & spinach seeds. At home I’m starting in doors the tomatoes, broccoli, peas and something that I forgot to label!!! Can’t wait for some it to be ready for tasting. Watch this space…..
08 Jun 2006
We’ve been growing veg in our garden for the last three years and it’s great to wander down to the bottom of the garden and pick some lettuce and rocket or some peas to eat fresh with our supper. Beats plastic bags of lettuce from the supermarket any day.
12 Jun 2006
We only have a small garden, but we planted Chard, Lettuce, Courgettes, Cucumber and peppers. The slugs had the courgettes, and the cat knocked the peppers over.
The Chard is starting to look very pretty, we have 4 lettuce (slugs had the rest) and the cucumber is a little yellow!
We were also given 11 strawberry plants and had our first strawberry yesterday.
We have just planted some more courgette seeds, it maybe a little late in the season, but we’ll see if they grow.
12 Jun 2006
We only have a small garden, but we planted Chard, Lettuce, Courgettes, Cucumber and peppers. The slugs had the courgettes, and the cat knocked the peppers over.
The Chard is starting to look very pretty, we have 4 lettuce (slugs had the rest) and the cucumber is a little yellow!
We were also given 11 strawberry plants and had our first strawberry yesterday.
We have just planted some more courgette seeds, it maybe a little late in the season, but we’ll see if they grow.
Hull, GB , 21 Jun 2006
Trying sprouts, cabbages and turnips this year.
GB , 10 Jul 2006
My tomatos are coming, the beans are shooting up, corgettes are looking very promising and the aubergines are gowing well even if they’re not showing any signs of producing any fruit. Really enjoying this.
Belfast, GB , 25 Jul 2006
I’m only just signing up now but i am an experienced bean and tomato grower, (by experienced I mean that i grew beans and tomatoes last year too and they didn’t die). anyway, yesterday we had the first eight beans for a starter and they were delicious. I LOVE growing stuff.
Reading, GB , 11 Aug 2006
Harvested my small potatoes from my old dustbin yesterday. Have some more growing in a tub and also some carrots
15 Aug 2006
Grow courgettes, they take very little effort and you get loads, then use them fried with pasta, raw in salads, grated in sandwiches, in courgette cake or let them grow and make marrow soup.
15 Aug 2006
In our annual generous review, we decided that we’re too slack and ought to be growing veg. Off to see the local allotment tonight – apparently it is very overgrown and underused. So that could be a bit of a challenge.
22 Aug 2006
My friend gave me a tomato plant which she had grown. I am lovingly tending it and fruit abounds…..does that count?
22 Aug 2006
Aug 06. I’ve signed up so that I do indeed find out about winter growing crops. Carrots were a complete disaster this year, and onions no better (note to self: hubby does not know about plant spacing, so just stick to my own ideas next year!). So all that needs to be done now is digging over the veg plot (again, there’s always digging to be done) and getting some seeds in – presumbably very soon. Of course, that does mean harvesting and pulling up some other things first. Sigh, a gardener’s work is never done!
South London, GB , 06 Sep 2006
We share our allotment with another family which works well. We’re too busy and away too much to manage it on our own and it’s also fun when we’re all down there together. Hoping to unearth our Jerusalem Artichokes this weekend…yum!
Luton, GB , 13 Sep 2006
I do quite well on fruit – blackberries and tayberries and apples (the latter if I get the pruning right!)but veggies are proving tasty to the slugs and snails but I am trying to stay organic. Any bright ideas anyone?!
14 Sep 2006
We have are own allotment, we have had many berries, potatoes, sweetcorn, runner beans, peas. and in the garden carrots, garlic, more potatoes, apples and shallots. Yummm
Maidenhead, GB , 24 Sep 2006
Our tomato growing experiment worked out well here is the proof
My daughter has really enjoyed going and picking the tomatoes, we might try something more adventurous next year.
04 Oct 2006
Had an allotment for the last season but it was quite hard to keep up to. I am determined to make a go of it though. Anyone know how to deal with whitefly organically. My next door neighboury people on the allotment didn’t like me as I wouldn’t use pesticides and they said all my buggies would go on to their stuff.
London, GB , 11 Oct 2006
Despite the hose pipe ban, we still managed to grow a good crop of tomatoes. We carried out the washing up water to keep them from getting thirsty. And I hear that the black/green/white fly don’t like the soap in the water either – so a double benefit.
Amersham, GB , 20 Oct 2006
We have a small garden, but with very little effort (other than baling out the bath water with watering cans to water the garden all summer!) we have mangaged to grow tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, worcesterberries, cabbages, chives, rosemary and sage.
My Dad took on an allotment in April 2006 and we ahve been amazed at what we have produced in one summer, especially as we’d never tried growing veg before. Now we are enjoying a variety of different squashes, courgettes, runner beans, sweetcorn, raspberries and potatoes, all organically grown. Every time we eat something home grown I am filled with such childlike excitement. Watering in the height of summer in th eface of a hose pipe ban was a pain (Dad made various rain-water collecting tanks), but it was well worth the effort. The whole family is hooked!
29 Oct 2006
We’ve had an amazing time growing stuff this year. I had not a clue what to do so just ordered some seeds and tried to follow the instructions as best I could. We had an incredible quantity of courgettes – quite the easiest things to get lots of. We’ve struggled with pests though on the leeks in particular. Anyone have any tips for keeping slugs and maggots off the veggies without causing a problem for the local bird population?
Southwick, GB , 03 Nov 2006
I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but have no gardens and nearest allotments aren’t very near… can anyone elaborate on the window box option – what can be grown this way apart from herbs? Or can anyone recommend a book or website? Thank you :)
Cardiff, GB , 27 Nov 2006
Kitchen garden magazine is a very good read if you are learning what to grow and how. Very good month by month “what you shoul dbe doing at teh moment” feature
Harpenden, GB , 09 Feb 2007
We’ve just got an allotment. It’s 2 mins from the house so can’t avoid it really. Broad beans went in last week. Let’s hope the mice are feeling generous too and leave them alone!
20 Feb 2007
After dabbling with this last year, have gone all out and am turning my little garden into an allotment for the summer. It’s good fun, very therapeutic after a stressful day at work, really satisfying, and cheaper than filling your garden with flowers. And until you’ve tasted a carrot that you’ve only just picked, you haven’t lived.
Pumpkins and squash were the most satisfying and impressive of my crops, whereas french beans provided the most yeild for the least effort.
Give it a whirl. And get some funky wellies to help along the way. (Mine are a dashing shade of pink and I love them lots)
Nottingham, GB , 13 Mar 2007
I recently bought some strawberry seeds designed for growing in pots – they don’t send out runners. Sadly they don’t seem to want to germinate – does anyone have any bright ideas on how I can help them along the way?
Taunton, GB , 29 Mar 2007
I have my first vegetable garden ready for planting this year – currently all kinds of seedlings growing on sunny windowsills around the house. The greenhouse arrived today and will be erected this weekend – ready for the toms, aubergine, and peppers. Courgettes almost have flowers on them already. How very exciting!
MaryC – if you are looking for advice re strawberry seeds still, I’d recommend you sign up to Rivercottage.net forum – lots and lots of help there regarding not just fruit and veg growing, but all kinds of topics relating to eating generously. I’d recommend it (and am also there with the same forum name).
03 Apr 2007
Also for MaryC, I’d suggest a windowsill propagator. It sounds very grown up (I was quite terrified at the prospect), but not too expensive, very straightforward to use and I’ve been able to get loads of things going that wouldn’t work last year. My Strawbs came up in less than a week, and since it fits on the windowsill it’s not taking up loads of space
Bath, GB , 12 May 2007
Hi All,
Being in a first floor flat, this one is going to be a bit challenging, but we are thought we could try peppers/tomatoes/courgettes and grow them in window boxes. Any other ideas? I guess we are looking for high yield veg….!
Godalming, GB , 14 May 2007
Enjoying my best ever crop of broad beans. If you grow them yourself you can enjoy them when they are still small, young and tender.
Reading, GB , 26 May 2007
This looks exciting for any would be container vegetable gardeners. They’re suggesting tomatoes in a hanging basket! Think I might try that. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.html
Reading, GB , 28 May 2007
You can actually buy tomatoes ‘designed’ to grow in a hanging basket. My local Wyevale actually had some plastic hanging baskets planted up with tomato plants. Didn’t get that but have got some tomato plants in my window box, some aubergine plants in tubs and am trying to grow some herbs from seed mats!
Bristol, GB , 13 Jul 2007
We are into our second attempt to work an allotment. The first one failed when I had to go back to work full time for a while and could not find enough time to make it work. The jury’s still out on whether this second attempt will be any more successful.
Reading, GB , 16 Sep 2007
I managed 2 courgettes, a number of cherry tomatoes and some small carrots. It’s given me eideas of how to do better next yr. Also have some netteles that started growing in one of my tubs so have cultivated them with a view to nettle soup before long! The weather just wasn’t right for some things.
22 Nov 2007
Red potatoes seemed less prone to slug damage than the white ones. Just dug up some more.
Nottingham, GB , 05 Dec 2007
Everyone should plant an apple tree at home! ;-) You can get baby ones if short of space. Pick a disease resistant variety so organic and no work. Leave nettles growing near to keep off the pests. Free food for barely any work! Apart from delicious apples, it frees up money to give to charity, or, spare apples to give to people who need food, or sell for charity…
Come to think of it, why doesn’t the council just plant apple trees all over the place? Thats one way to feed the homeless!
Leicester, GB , 14 Feb 2008
we have a balcony and last summer I grew tomatoes, mange tout, nasturtiums, lettuce, rocket and cress and this year I have spinach and of course herbs. Trying to figure out how to compost…
Port Hadlock, WA, US , 09 Mar 2008
I miss the stone raised beds we put in at our old place! We need to focus this spring on getting veggies and fruits in at our new home, putting in raised beds and gardens, and deer protection!, and transplanting what we can from the old place, like some of my well established herbs and berries.
Sheffield, GB , 04 May 2008
well having moved to our new house 6 months a go we bought our first onion sets this weekend am very excited
Reading, GB , 05 May 2008
I’ve just got 3 ‘patio fruit trees’; one green apple, one red apple and a pear. Off out today to get other stuff to grow in my tiny garden
Godalming, GB , 29 May 2008
My broad beans have got a bit of blackfly, but I’m hoping they won’t be too bad this year. I planted them a bit late. We’re hoping for runner and French beans, too if they survive the slugs etc, and the peas aren’t looking too bad. This year we’ve sown some root crops and have brussel sprouts in the ground and cabbage seedlings still in their tray. In fact we’re hoping for quite a bit more veg this year.
I’ve been reading about permaculture recently and wonder if hubby can be persuaded to have a hazelnut tree and maybe a plum or a pear, or both. We’ll have to see come autumn.