Spring is almost here - almost time to get those vegetables planted!

Status
Not open for further replies.
flintstones

flintstones

Senior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
15,077
Reaction score
2,532
Points
1,345
Location
Never never land
I intend to start planting early March in my bid to succeed, previous years haven't been the most successful so here's hoping.

On the plus side the guinea pig's are on a special diet so will be limited to what I can grow.

Just been doing some googling thinking -

Carrots
Lettuces (Various types)
Beetroot
Peppers
Cucumbers
 
I keep thinking I'm going to grow stuff but I can only really grow things in tubs, so not sure what's suited to that or not. I did grow some strawberries last year (about six :red) but they tasted gorgeous!
 
Hmm.. last year I only got as far as growing some cress...
and some strawberries, but they kind of died.....
 
flintstones said:
It's a start! :)).. so what's the menu this year?
Click to expand...

Hopefully some salad, more strawberries, cucumber and raspberries. Possibly some more though as well. I did plant some other veggies and fruit but it always seemed that before I could use them, they got put in our salad and not the piggies.. rolleyes
 
Carrots are really easy to grow and can be grown all year round. Plant a few at a time a couple of weeks apart, only thing to be careful of is carrot fly as you thin them out. Cabbages are also really easy to grow but please remember your brassica collars otherwise you will get cabbage root fly which will destroy your crop. You can get types of lettuce that are "cut and grow again" where you take bits off and then it grows back which sounds ideal for piggies but I don't have a garden anymore so my homegrowns are limited to some coriander in a pot lol
 
another warning about container growing - do not let them dry out! I was growing potatoes in a container and went on holiday for 8 days to New York. My mum came over a couple of times to look after the garden but didn't go out and water anything as we had had a bit of rain. However, where the container was was fairly sheltered and my poor potatoes dried out and rotted :(
 
Growing some rocket, spinach, watercress (they're so expensive in supermarkets - small bag for £1, when they grow so quickly in a pot and usually about 75p a packet for 100 seeds from Wilkinsons). As well as pak choi, as grew lots last summer (the piggies had so much every day!) Also in a window box, growing chives, parsley and coriander.

Also onions, garlic and potatoes (in an old bucket) for me and the human members of our family!

Don't know if anyone has come across this website: http://youfarm.org/index.php/submit-your-article-get-free-seeds

If you write a short paragraph about your gardening tips, you get about 5 packets of veggie seeds free!
 
I was never interested in gardening before I got the piggies but the last couple of years I've been growing different bits. It's a much nicer and cheaper way to feed them and it is quite nice to see something you've grown get quite big. The past couple of years I've only ever bought the plants already part grown but I thought I'd grow some from seeds.

So far this year I've got two bell pepper plants that I planted around Christmas/ new year time but it is very possible that I've really got two weeds in a pot :)). I've also bought quite a few packets of seeds from Sainsburys and got excited so decided I'd get going straight away and planted some parsley seeds in pots. I don't think I understood sow lightly as I now have 40 little parsley plants around the window sills of the house :x don't quite know what I'm gonna do if most of them make it to fully grown. Other than the bought seeds I have some pea (in a pod) from the ones we grew last year, some pumpkin, some more bell pepper and some squash and the strawberrys will hopefully grow again like they have the last couple of years. No idea which seeds I'm gonna use this year though, I got a little excited about what the piggies would enjoy whilst buying them so just grabbed some different ones :(|).

Ewww and we still have sprouts growing that we Bought last year but the sprouts still look to little to be eaten. So they've made it all the way though the bad weather and snow :).
 
Last edited:
I am going to just be growing herbs, easy salad stuff, maybe some fruit like strawberries if I can and lots of flowers that I can feed to the bunny :3 Got a little propagator to help get me started on some things. Also Planning to grow the tallest sun flower that I can :)) I love gardens
 
flintstones said:
I have the same problems - beetroot and cucumber can be grown in pots.

I would recommend the round variety of beetroot and Burpless tasty cucumbers the sites I have read have advised they are best in pots.

Beetroot:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingbeetroot1.shtml

Cucumber:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingcucumbers1.shtml
Click to expand...

That's brilliant, I might give it a whirl this year then! I'm sure my piggies won't mind.
 
You can grow most veggys in a pot if the pot is big/large enough.
We have a veggy patch here but i still grow alot in pots also.
My piggys loved having the tops off the runner beans last summer (plus other veg) you can grow them in a deep trough against a wall with a few cains for support.
Other things are cherry tomatos, peppers, purple sprouting brocoli (mine love the leaves), rocket, salads many more you can grow :).
 
I grow herbs on my windowsill really easily :-) theyre super easy and adding a bit of a herb to piggies tea makes them go mad (IMO)
 
Oh another tip that I got from my auntie is that you can grow radishes/spring onions in seed trays or propagators and don't need to move them outside as they do not need to be too deep for them to grow
 
I have already got the good old cress growing! I'm hopefully planting some salad and strawberries soon.
 
CandyFloss said:
The piggies have instructed me that I have to participate in this too - thanks for all the tips so far - I just need to get organised and get the seeds etc :))
x
Click to expand...

Just to let you know, seeds are really cheap in Wilkinsons at the moment (3 for 2 on all packets, mix and match), while some of the Wilko's own brand (which are really good) are about 70p each! And you can look at the guinea pig treats at the same time!
 
youthnovels said:
I keep thinking I'm going to grow stuff but I can only really grow things in tubs, so not sure what's suited to that or not. I did grow some strawberries last year (about six :red) but they tasted gorgeous!
Click to expand...

I used to live in a flat and I grew baby carrots, parsnips and leeks one year... :))
Nout is impossible... :))
Lettuce and herbs are great in pots...
Or you could just grow grass...? (the legal kind ofcorse.. :)))
x
 
I'm thinking of growing some more veggies this year, I didn't last year due to other commitments but usually I grow strawberries, potatoes, carrots, beans, sweetcorn, cabbages ect. I am quite looking forward to growing some again, I always feel really proud when they turn out ok. :)) I never get any of course (except the potatoes) as they all go to the piggies first.
 
f02a78ef.jpg


1f0c43b6.jpg


e007cb6c.jpg


A lot of little Parsley plants (40 already separated and 2 pots that still need to be split :x I think I went a little over board :(|)). The piggies said they'd like the nommy Parsley to hurry up and grow.
 
Whee have been growing lots of things this year, the best success has been the kale and lettuces.
Whee bought two different kinds one that was at full production by 3-4 weeks and one lot 5-6 weeks, i've not bought lettuces for weeks and weeks drool
We've had garlic, spring onions, parsley, salad bernette, dill, thyme, tomatoes (two types again, medium size and the little ones YUM) this year. I think that's all :))
 
We'll be growing runner beans ( the piggies love the leaves )
radishes ( soooo easy to grow, piggies like the leaves and you can blitz them up for pasta sauces too )
parsley, coriander, dill, rocket, basil, mint, borlotti beans ( mainly for decoration, I just love the purple bean pods and the vines clambering over the fence ) strawberries, cut and come again lettuce, carrots ( for the tops 'cos the piggies love 'them I just treat these as cut and come again too), courgettes ( I've no doubt I'll be wondering why I planted so many when we get the usual glut!) nastursiums, pumpkins for halloween, french beans, sugar snap peas, mini cucumbers ( because they're the easiest to grow and don't need a greenhouse ) probably a few other things I've forgotten and of course I will be lovingly encouraging particular weeds that the piggles like, mainly plantains and groundsel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top