Advice wanted for growing Veg

Jesus Nut

Would like to start a veg garden. I think I will go down the raised beds option.
It is coming up on september, what do I need to do and what time of year etc do I do things ?
I would like to grow common Irish veg and Lettuce.

Thank you and I look foward to your replies.
I live very near the coast so I will use seaweed for what ever time of year it is that people spread it on. Think I will need to buy soil aswell.
Thanks

redser7

Your approach will be decided by the size of your wallet Jesus
Do you have a budget in mind?
Cheap approach would be to get hold of some secondhand scaffold boards (donedeal.ie or adverts.ie) and make up some 8 x 4 beds. Start a compost heap/bin now, no time like the present. To fill the beds you could excavate a few inches of topsoil across an area in your garden where you plan to put the beds. Throw this in. Before you do this, single dig the soil beneath it to loosen it for the roots. Ideally source some manure, also available on those sites. Dig it in and cover the beds with plastic over winter to stop rain washing the nutrients away and eroding your soil. Come spring time you should have a nice workable medium to sow and plant in. Ammend the soil with fertilser like fish, blood and bone if needed. Oh and keep chucking the seaweed on.
More expensive option, you could buy some sleepers to make the beds and buy good quality planting mixes by the ton from garden nurseries.

joseph brand

Be careful using sleepers as they are coated in creosote. Dangerous stuff if it leaks into your veg.

I've used decking boards (free waste) on one bed and 12 " timber boards (Chadwicks) on the other.

Slugs have been a nuisance this year. My beer traps were busy.

Get lots of manure, compost and good top soil into your beds.

I bought some Comfrey online. It's next to impossible to find in garden centres. It has many many benefits.

A handy guide for veg growing rotation is PLBOR (People love bunches of roses).
Potatoes
then
Legumes (Peas and beans, nitrogen fixers)
then
Brassicas (Cabbage, cauliflower)
then
Onions
then
Root veg. (carrots and parsnips)
Rinse Repeat.

My cauliflowers have tiny heads, so I've taken to eating the leaves too. Stir-fry the leaves (chopped) in a wok with chopped garlic, pepper and lemon. Exotic!

It's been an absolute horror of a summer for growing anything. My apple trees were a no show. Next summer better be drier/ sunnier.

Jesus Nut

Thanks for replies.

Where is best place to buy seeds and is there a safe brand?

magicbastarder

i think at this point, if you've no ground prepared, your only option is to ditch the idea of sowing now and get set up for the next growing season in six or seven months time.

Jesus Nut

The ground work is getting done.
I have dug out a bit of land and I am going to border it with Bricks.
Was going to use timber but figured this will only rot in time!

So, its going to be a raised bed with a brick border (Typical Irish House Type Bricks). 4ft wide x 10ft long.

Would it be possible in this one allotment to grow Onions, Spuds and Carrots ?

Thanks.
It was great digging in the garden today

redser7

Absolutely you can. Have a read up on square foot gardening and apply the principles if you want to grow mixed things in that bed. But it's late now for sowing most things. If you want to get going try overwintering onions and garlic which should be available soon.
Here's a link to what can be sown now ...

http://nickykylegardening.com/blog/153-what-to-sow-now-september-2012

Well known seed companies: Suttons (Woodies and B&Q) and Thompson and Morgan (Mr Midldeton). B&Q own brand are fine and cheaper, as are Aldi and Lidl's. Aldi and Lidl really only sell them in early Spring.

Good luck!

Oldtree

Organic seed available here, top notch stuff:

http://www.theorganiccentre.ie/catalog/13

Seedsavers for more interesting Irish veg:

http://store.irishseedsavers.ie/Organic_Seed_s/47.htm

When using raw seaweed it is important to wash the salt off as a buildup of salt in your soil is not a good thing. It is also easy to convert the washed seaweed into a liquid feed, perhaps adding in comfrey and nettle tops. The drainpipe one (bottom of page) is the method I have seen used for this by Geoff Hamilton, dont forget to dilute properly

http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/tech/manure.htm

I add nettles and comfry to my compost heap.