New Veg Patch

[Snooze99]

Hi all, just joined GardenBanter as it looked the best for info/experience, as we are about to take on a new house with a fairly large veg patch, and we want to start using it to grow our own.

So what we are looking for is some advice/tips/help/pointers etc to help us begin, as we are fairly novice at growing your own.

We plan to grow what we can eat, so thinking somewhere along the lines of (but in no particular order)

Potatoes sweet and normal(probably more for baking than anything else) Onions, normal and spring Lettuce Strawberries, raspberries, canes are already there but I think need attention.

Rhubarb, carrots, leeks and finally green beans.

Not knowing about when/where? how to plant/harvest etc, any help would be greatly appreciated.

We probably have 80Sq meters to use, veg patch look well drained and good access to compost, etc.

I've looked around the net, what would be really useful is a custom month by month what we should be doing to achieve an end-goal, ie Grow/eat your own.

Here's hoping someone can offer advice.

:-)

Regards James

[Gary Woods]

Well, first you should know that GardenBanter is simply accessing usenet newsgroups...your post appeared in rec.gardens.edible. Lots of good information (and some that isn't; think a discussion of politics or religion in the local pub...) to be found here. You might state where you are in general terms. I'm in the northeastern American colonies, so can only give general advice. There's a uk.rec.gardens group that might be useful, with the above caveats. Welcome!

[David Hare-Scott]

Get a book on growing vegetables, preferably one that is aimed at your locatuion or climate. Trying to tell you all you need to know is not possible on usenet. Once you have done some study then come back with questions and ideas.

One core principle of successful growing is to learn how to adapt general principles to your situation. There is no fixed formula that can be applied in any circumstance. If I gave you a timetable of what to plant when and where that suited my garden it would not suit yours.

Find a local gardening club or get friendly with local gardeners in some way. Across the world we don't know what your climate is so we cannot say much about when you should plant or harvest. Or get some books.

David