Vegetables 2018

dashoonage

Hey guys. This may be the wrong thread. If so mods feel free to move it.

I'm looking to start some indoor gardening. Finding so much info online its confusing

I'm looking to start with some spinach, tomatoes, lettuce stuff i actually eat and go from there.

Complete beginner here so any guidance on what i need to start would be appreciated!

Living Off The Splash

Indoor gardening? Glass house, Polytunnel?

Spinach is easy to grow as is lettuce. I usually just plant the seeds in the ground and wait. I also get a great crop from French beans. Still getting a meal or two from them each week at the moment.
I also like to grow rhubarb and will increase the number of plants I have for next year. Mange Touts is also easy to grow. I gave up on cabbage and curly kale due to problems with the white butterfly. Even netting doesn't seem to keep them out.

dashoonage

I'm thinking a pollytunnel. Nothing too fancy. Rasied bed. 6 drills , 2 x spinach ( i eat a lot) 1 x lettuce , scallions, brocolli and peas.

I was thinking of tomatoes in a grow bag, carrots in a large deep container.

I'd also like some raspberries and blueberries ( again i eat these a lot) , can i buy these as plants now and keep them in my conservatory over winter?

The other thing im confused about is can i plant the above seeds directly into my rasied bed or do i need to plant them indoors first a few weeks before?

RebelButtMunch

Nice harvest of Jerusalem artichokes. I think I planted 4 tubers. No idea how to prepare and eat though ðŸ˜

macraignil

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Nice harvest of Jerusalem artichokes. I think I planted 4 tubers. No idea how to prepare and eat though ðŸ˜

Best way to store them is leaving them in the ground. If they warm up they will think it is spring and start to grow into shoots and dry out. You'll need to keep them in the fridge if you have dug them up. To prepare just scrub off the soil and remove the small pieces of root and thinner stem. I think they taste best when roasted with other veg if you are roasting some sort of meat, but also they can be good in soup and can be simply boiled(although they go soft very fast so this does not take long). They have lots of soluble fiber so are great for your gut bacteria but this also means eating a large amount in one go can cause some bowel gas, so better to start out eating smaller quantities. Some people like to peal off the skin but I think this depends on the variety and the way they are to be cooked. The variety I have (fuseau) has thin skin and so does not need to be pealed usually.

New Home

Instead of peeling them, use the rough part of a dishwashing sponge to scrub them well. Steam them, slice them, and sautée them in butter and some oil, adding salt to taste and winter savory (both for taste, and to prevent unpleasant bean-like side effects ). Then you can eat them as they are as a side dish, or you can use them to fill a savoury tart made with ready-to-roll puff pastry, some strongish-flavoured cheese (if you can get your hands on some fresh taleggio, you're in business - if not, try with some creamy goats cheese - the one in little tubs), and a drizzle of oil. You can also use them for a risotto, or as a filling for a vegetarian lasagna, or even to make a soup.

If you go over to the food forum you'll get loads of suggestions.

Living Off The Splash

I have started to think about my plantings for 2019. I am going to increase the amount of French Beans, Runner Beans, Mange Touts and Broad Beans this year. They are great for storing over winter. I will cut back on turnips and suedes as my crop was very poor and leggy.

RebelButtMunch

I really enjoyed the look of the Jerusalem Artichokes when they were growing, so I'll repeat that.
I'll plant some new potatoes.
Cabbage seems to thrive, I'll try and make sauerkraut.
Horseraddish was very tasty, but looked liked giant doc-leaves . I'll do them again though.

scarepanda

I've been thinking a lot about the garden the last week or so!

I'm doing mainly easy to grow stuff this year as I'm pregnant, due in April. So stuff like onions/leaks, spuds, sweetcorn and peas. Carrot's and parsnips being the only sort of difficult things. I'm itching to get started, so went out and weeded the main veg beds during the week. I've some fruit beds as well, they will be a case of first come first served between humans and birds!

rolion

Hey,i think i took ahead to all of you...ive planted in 2018 and eat in 2019.

I found yesterday that my last seeds of beetroots have managed somehow to grow and to resist the cold.
Im doing a winter clean-up and refreshing the soil with some organic manure,but the small green tops kind of amused me...

Graces7

Potatoes on cardboard under hay again, and broad beans on the patch from last year that has mulched down into earth.. Peas, probably Bachelors as money is tight ( a friend grows broad beans massively and sends me seed)

Would love herbs eg mint, but we shall see... I was given a few strawberry plants last year so they are safe and will spread.