Anyone grow their own vegetables, herbs etc?

[LitNetIsGreat]

I've hardly got much space so I can't grow much at all unfortunately, I have got a good supply of chives and one tomato plant that is really flourishing on the front - it's growing like a monster. I don't know if it will survive the winter though.

I'm also really trying to get my own supply of Basil off the ground but I'm not having much luck, I don't think that I have fertilized it enough. It seems that Basil requires a lot of fish fertilizer, I'll try and start that up again tomorrow with a fresh batch again as I am determined to get a good crop of basil as I love the stuff in pasta. Of course both tomatoes and basil love the sun, so that's obviously lacking in mid August in the UK!

Next year, I'm thinking of getting a few large tubs and growing carrots, I've just watched a video on it (real raver!) and it seems easy enough if you get the soil right, a good potential yield too and delicious into the bargain. Really the majority of supermarket stuff is just junk, no taste - plastic, I hate all of that.

Really though, I'm a bit frustrated with all this season business, plant in the spring, yield in the summer, I want to start them up now.

[kasie]

It's a bit late to start basil this year, Neely - why not go to your local supermarket and buy one of their growing herbs? You could keep the pot on your kitchen windowsill (keep it well watered but also allow it to drain) then you can take leaves as you need them. You can get a whole range of growing herbs but you may find they do not live as long as your own plants, they've been forced for instant use. Trim them back and freeze the trimmings.

Your chives may not survive in usable form once the frost sets in - cut it back and chop and freeze for winter use.

The tomato plant is unlikely to survive the winter - nip out the growing tip beyond six trusses/flower sets so that the plant puts its energy into developing fruits rather than leaves; keep it well watered and feed it. (Tomarite is good, for anything that you want to flower and so produce fruit.)

Have a look at the growing bags if you are thinking of growing in tubs - they are not too expensive and look good for their purpose - some suppliers have a sale on at the moment so you could invest for next year.

Good luck in your garden. Keep us posted with your results, please.

[dafydd manton]

You might check out "The Allotment King", guy called John Harrison. Believe it or not, we went to Grammar School together, which shows how wrong a system can be! I'm told, not by John, that he's pretty good with advice. Personally, the only thing I've ever grown was a Verruca.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Oh great thanks, I've got one of his pages up now - mind you I think I am going to be a long way from self-sufficiency, I'd be happy with a few dozen carrots!! Oh and my basil to work, I want basil.

[dafydd manton]

Is your basil Fawlty? (Sorry, couldn't resist it!)

[ClaesGefvenberg]

In my garden:

• Redcurrant
• A small cherry tree
• wild & ordinary strawberry
• Several Grapevines (With lots of nearly ripe grapes on them right now).

In the forest near our house:

• Wild berries and mushrooms.

In my office window (Guess what my coworkers think? ) :

• Several Chili plants.

/Claes

[Paulclem]

Hi Neely,

We've had an allotment for a few years and just acquired the second half. I've been spending the summer digging over the new beds and planting in them.

You can grow potatoes in containers in a small space too.

[dafydd manton]

Neely, there's something called (I think) The Nether Edge Allotment Society, near here, who have some space spare, I believe. Head south up Abbeydale Rd, turn right on to Carter Knowle rd, second right at the crossroads, angle right at the next junction and its up on the left hand side just before Nether Edge Rd. Any problems, email me.

[Paulclem]

This is the new half we took on at the beginning.



This is the shed. It looks as though it will fall down at any moment, but it is held up with railway sleepers and could survive a direct hit from a... big thing.

[Helga]

I have chives and carrots in my garden, in my sun room I have a tomato plant, a melon tree, avocado tree (but it won't grow the fruit 'till it's 3 or 4 years old, it's 2 now) and working on a peach tree. next spring I'm gonna try a paprika and chili plants.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Great stuff!!!

Claes, fantastic. All of those sound really good and tasty indeed and grapes? I may be showing off my limited (non-existent) knowledge of food growing, but how do you manage to grow grapes in Sweden, I thought is was, well mostly cold there, to grow grapes anyway.

Hi Paul, I didn't know you had an allotment, looks great, what are you growing?

Thanks for the info dafydd, I'll bear that in mind, but I think I am going to start small and see how it goes - I like the idea of one though.

Oh and Basil Fawlty, very good, very good - I think it is me that is Fawlty though...

Oh thanks Kasie, I've just looked back and seen your post, I must have missed it. Thanks for the advice. I didn't know that about tomatoes, that must explain why I have loads and loads of leaves and only four tomatoes then?

Yes, I wondered about growing the basil, but on the packet it said suitable for all year round (indoor seeding) though I suppose it is determined on sun. The chives I've had in for a couple of years so I'm hoping they will survive again. In the past I've bought the supermarket pots, but they tend to die on me after a couple of weeks. Maybe I'd be better giving that another go though, instead of using basil seeds though, do you think?

[Virgil]

I've hardly got much space so I can't grow much at all unfortunately, I have got a good supply of chives and one tomato plant that is really flourishing on the front - it's growing like a monster. I don't know if it will survive the winter though.

Chives will survive the winter. Tomatoes are annuals, or at least I've never heard of anyone keeping them over the winter. The only vegetable that I know that is not an annual is peppers. If you can bring a pepper plant in or keep it from freezing, it will survive at least a second year.

I'm also really trying to get my own supply of Basil off the ground but I'm not having much luck, I don't think that I have fertilized it enough. It seems that Basil requires a lot of fish fertilizer, I'll try and start that up again tomorrow with a fresh batch again as I am determined to get a good crop of basil as I love the stuff in pasta. Of course both tomatoes and basil love the sun, so that's obviously lacking in mid August in the UK!

I've never had any problems with basil, and I'm not aware they need speacial fertilizing. Most herbs hardly need any fertilizing. They do need sun. That must be it. Also you will want to squeeze off the tips when they start seeding. Unless of course you want the seeds for next year.

Really though, I'm a bit frustrated with all this season business, plant in the spring, yield in the summer, I want to start them up now.

You're going to have to ask mother nature to change her cycles.

You should get a good book on vegetable gardening. There's no shortage.

Several Grapevines (With lots of nearly ripe grapes on them right now).

Really? I didn't think grapes survived the Sweedish winters. Do you know what type?

I have a white concord and it's just about ready for culling too.

These are pictures off the internet, but it's essentially what I have.

[Paulclem]

I've dug quite a lot of it now - 7 of ten beds. We've just put in 450 japanese onions, broccoli, cabbage, wallflowers and sprouts.

I had already set off courgettes, pumpkins, potatoes, runner beans, leeks, peppers, sunflowers and sweetcorn. We had the broad beans earlier in the year.

My wife was the gardener, and wanted the allotment, but now i'm quite into it - especially with the shed and the ability to have a cuppa now.

[JuniperWoolf]

I grow stuff. Right now I've got romaine lettuce and swiss chard that I'm picking as I need it, and there are carrots, peas, potatos and beets growing. My mom's growing tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelon in her greenhouse and I get a bit of that as they ripen.

I also collect things from the woods that are edible. The raspberries'll be coming out soon, and there are ALWAYS dandelions (the perfect food, lots of iron + vitamin C and you can make glue out of the sap and painkillers out of the flowers).

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I may be showing off my limited (non-existent) knowledge of food growing, but how do you manage to grow grapes in Sweden, I thought is was, well mostly cold there, to grow grapes anyway.

Really? I didn't think grapes survived the Sweedish winters. Do you know what type?

Not only do they survive. They grow and spread like crazy, producing more grapes every year. I have several types, but I can't remember the names. You have a point though: They are tougher than most types grown further south.

/Claes