I'm a newbie and so thrilled to have come across this site! such an incredible community, so supportive and an inspiration for those of us who are venturing out into self sufficiency for the first time!
I think I've chosen a dud month to do it though I tried buying some seeds today, but there's nothing to be planted in august from what I can see! I'm sneaking some carrots in, reckoning that it's been a late summer (I don't have a greenhouse) I can't get hens (I'd love to!) because we're in a small rented place & the garden is tiny.
can anyone give some advice on what I can do to keep my momentum up .... I saw some lettuce that had already been grown in the nurseries but I'm really keen to start this from scratch and anyway, how long does lettuce last if I don't have a greenhouse? I've got some herbs growing so that's something.
any suggestions will be great ... because I'm reading about everyone else's achievements!
You'll find lots of help here, everyone is fantastic!
Just to start you off, try sowing some salad leaves.
You can buy french varities, spicy types, chinese leaves etc.
Just sprinkle them in a little seed tray and either grow them in a window sill or outside ( but watch for snails!)
You can start picking leaves from 3 weeks, sow every couple of weeks for a continus supply of yummy fresh leaves!
Hope this helps, let me know how it goes!
2 children, half a springer Spaniel, a Hamster, 2 Goldfish and an allotment. And a very excited, now mummy of some chickens again, Daisey, Dotty and Master Yoda!
yes salad leaves will grow in (i do mine in old bread trays), you will still be able to pick up tomato plants (too late to start them from seed now)
There is another thread called "spare bed" that has some advise on what you can still plant now, like some all year cabbage, kale (ithink) and turnips. That might get you thinking......
5 dogs, 15 chickens (6 ex batts) 1 cockerel, and very limited tech skills
baaa bok, if I grow something inside, do I still need to adhere to the timings on the seed packet? If I grow lettuce for instance inside, can I grow it all year round?
thank you for the tip spudley, I'll have a browse through that topic now!
A long visit to a Garden Centre reading the back of all the Packets may be beneficial as Gardening Books can only give you so much information and with all the varieties etc.
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I even let mine grow through the winter - I just leave them in the ground and any that don't get used just carry on growing in the spring. They tend not to run to seed, just get nice and plump white bulbs.
You could be thinking about what to sow in September/October and get those beds ready I prefer onion sets (baby onions ready to plant) to seed, then there's broad beans to sow - they will over winter and produce a crop late spring/early summer next year. I'm not a bit brassica fan, but I think you might be able to sow a spring cabbage now, and maybe cauliflowers but I don't know the varieties.
Be careful of what you are growing indoors - as winter draws in, the sun's intensity and the number of daylight hours will have a radical effect on plants. As the indoors will also be warm, the usual outcome is weak, spindly pale green growth which won't produce very much. I have a mini greenhouse (a 3 shelved one) outside the house which I have wedged up to my dining room window (they are easily knocked over by wind) and it gets all the winter sunshine & warmth which has been perfect for growing lettuce in pots, and being so close to the house, even at temp of -5oC, it does not freeze inside (I confess I put a couple of rugs & spare carpet tiles on top if it is forecast freezing at night).
Richard - I went to the gardening centre near me and I knew immediately what I was supposed to plant, because all the seeds were sold out! :cry: ah well. I'll keep going back and familiarizing myself with what's what.
I think I might also try doing growing some potatoes based around that tip you gave elsewhere, of growing them in a bucket.
good grief though I'm so new to this I wonder if *anything* will grow!
then I'll also try some onions ... and lancashire lass, I have a conservatory that we don't use, I might try planting some things in there? it does get cold though ... still, worth a try so I can really contribute something special come Christmas!!!
Hi,
how about an allotment? Speak to your local council office, rents tend to be under £20/year and are usually allocated in october. The perfect time to dig over and allow the winter to break up the soil.
Buy some unheated propagators to start seed in small divisions known as plugs, these fare well on the window sill, then plant out into 3 inch pots, (often available 2nd hand from commercial nuseries, speak to other allotment holders for their location and about buying seeds and pre grown plugs.
As for planting now, try some spring cabbage, sprouts, savoy cabbage, broad beans, cauliflours, and broad beans, although you may get similar results planting these in the spring.
I took on an allotment in England to learn about growing vegtables before I moved to France, money and time very well invested, there's nothing like takeing a fold up chair to the allotment, doing your task for the day and sitting back and relaxing in peace away from the normal 1000 mph existance of modern UK life!
Do not be to impatient, do not try to do to much, take your time and enjoy the produce.
Mike
Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.
I think lancashire lass has answered your question better than I would !
Try cauliflower - 'all year round' varitey Mine always get eaten in the summer by cabbage white, but by planting now and protecting I usually have good sucess for when you want a nice cauliflower cheese with yur sunday roast!
Swede is also a late planter ( usually june/july) but you could try now, Turnips are great and easy - watch for flea beetle.
'Eskimo' carrots for overwintering, I am playing with perrenial broccoil this year, you harvest in april, so I will keep you updated on that! and last years onion sets that overwintered were fantastic! they are all hanging in my kitchen, keeping me going until the main crop arrives!
Suttons do seeds online and offer free delivery if you can't get what you want in the garden centre. They also offer pretty good advice.
You'll have your own market stall at this rate!
2 children, half a springer Spaniel, a Hamster, 2 Goldfish and an allotment. And a very excited, now mummy of some chickens again, Daisey, Dotty and Master Yoda!
You can order seed/plant catalogies free online, I just ordered some from the Real Seed Company, Dobies and Suttons. They all turned up, and the last two are practically identical as far as I can see, the Real Seed one has some interesting stuff in it ( but no pictures, so you'll have to use your imagination, they do have some illustrations though)
It's enough to keep you planning what you will grow next year though ;)
I tried buying some seeds today, but there's nothing to be planted in august from what I can see! I'm sneaking some carrots in, reckoning that it's been a late summer 
(I don't have a greenhouse) I can't get hens (I'd love to!) because we're in a small rented place & the garden is tiny.
I saw some lettuce that had already been grown in the nurseries but I'm really keen to start this from scratch and anyway, how long does lettuce last if I don't have a greenhouse? I've got some herbs growing so that's something. 
reading about everyone else's achievements!
Just to start you off, try sowing some salad leaves.
