Hey, does any know what sort of daily or weekly time commitment a vegetable garden takes? I'm thinking enough food for four people with maybe four or five different vegetables. Just a passing thought really.
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la_spice
- 2008-06-07 @ 08:24:01
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SeasideMan
Pro - 2008-06-08 @ 10:34:18
Just a few hours a week, but with more time at the start and the end. It's not much trouble at all, but is good fun and gives you some exercise too.
Tom.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-08 @ 11:08:09
Wow, that's really not as bad as I thought. I'd love to start one going when I'm settled (i.e. have a garden). Do you have one yourself? And do you know if it's easy to continue from one year to the next with one's own produce, or is it a case of buying new seeds every year?
Thanks for your reply
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SeasideMan
Pro
- 2008-06-08 @ 11:34:19
It depends what you grow, but with most vegetables you need new seeds every time. Yes, we have a garden and we'll be planting some vegetables soon. But since we recently moved to the seaside, I need to look into which ones are salt-tolerant first.
Tom.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-09 @ 13:57:55
More curiosity here - is that simply due to the salt in the air/rain/whatever, or does it have an affect on the pH of the soil or something?
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SeasideMan
Pro
- 2008-06-09 @ 14:18:56
Everything here gets covered in salt. The chain on my bicycle completely rusted in 3 months and cars need washing frequently. Sometimes after a storm the windows are so crusted in salt that you can't even see out of them. See here:
http://seasideman.blog.co.uk/2008/03/14/one-problem-of-living-on-the-seafront-3875467
The soil is similarly affected by salt, and some plants just aren't good at handling it. Salt water has a pH over 7.
Cheers, Tom.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-10 @ 12:44:46
That's a pretty cool photo - good job the rain does the cleaning for you
. I hadn't realised it could get so bad.-
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SeasideMan
Pro
- 2008-06-10 @ 13:08:28
I'm not a good cleaner, so it's handy that the rains clear it!
Tom.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-10 @ 13:27:11
I know that feeling 
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joebangles
- 2008-06-09 @ 10:42:17
Hi some1else, in comparison to the enjoyment that you will get from eating the fresh veg that grow to the amount of work required, believe me, it is well worth having a small veg garden.
Mine is only about 12 foot long by 5 foot wide and can supply regular veg during the season without waste, plants running too seed, of course you can give any excess away to neighbours, at the moment I have cabbage, lettuce, broad beans, potatoes, onions, garlic and radish.
You are not too late to get in a few veg and I would suggest plants, as opposed to seeds, from your local garden centre, such as a few cabbage, spring onions, tomatoes, and as seeds, lettuce, carrots, radish, start small, read the packets, and ask for advice from the garden centre as the staff are usually only too pleased to help.
Once planted not much more than regular watering, O K, you will have your failures, even "expert" gardeners do, but it's all about the magic of something growing from that tiny seed, asking for advice, and learning.
Go for it now.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-09 @ 13:46:02
Hey, thanks for the information and the encouragement. Unfortunately, I don't have a garden at the moment, and I'm only where I am for another nine months, so this is like the reconnaissance part of my dreaming
. And will any half-decent garden centre have information and help for this sort of thing? That would be a big help as I'm sure there's one near where I'll be when I get back.
Thanks again.-
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joebangles
- 2008-06-09 @ 15:45:07
That gives you plenty of time to read a few gardening books on the basics, really pretty simple, watch a few gardening TV progs, just to pick up some tips.
Usually good garden centres will be able, and want, to give you all the help that you need, they want you to visit again, possibly the information is not quite as good from places like B&Q that sell plants.
March in the new place would be time to start your first rough dig over the area you want for your garden, start smallish.
All soil has a ph and you can get a cheap kit to find out what yours is, an easier way is to look around your neighbours gardens and note what plants they are able to grow, your soil will almost certainly be the same, and all garners will be happy to help with information so just knock on their door.
Happy gardening eventually, and, the best bit, sitting down with a cup of tea watching the plants grow.-
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some1else
- 2008-06-10 @ 12:15:21
Thanks very much, I appreciate you taking the time to help me out, especially with the practical information
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Sorry can't help but see this:
http://myplace2.blog.co.uk/2008/06/07/it-s-meme-time-again-4283828
You've been
plantedtagged