beginner fruit/veg garden

[Inevitability]

Just to share some things I've come across from Googling / YouTube since I started this thread. I will test how effective they are, and feedback over time...

1. Cocopeat (aka Coconut Coir) + Vermiculite + Compost make for the best potting mix for growing in containers. I'm looking for suppliers of Cocopeat at reasonable prices to test it out. Waiting for responses. Right now I'm transplanting my seedlings into a mix of half Potting Soil and half Compost.

2. Some gardeners are growing their plants/vegetables in bags/container that are porous (like those fabric-like re-useable "green bags" you get from Checkers, or even growing in a laundry basket). The theory is that the roots grow outwards until they hit the edge of the container/bag, then the air dries out these roots (as opposed to a solid growing container where the roots just end up twisting backwards on itself ... you might have seen when someone transplants a pot plant they pull it out of the pot it outgrew and the roots are just all tangled and twisted). So when those roots reach the edge and dry out in the porous container/bag, the plant responds by growing new roots from the centre, which will be more effective at absorbing nutrients from the soil than a tangled mess of roots around the entire inside edge of the container.
I bought some of these "green bags" today from PnP to test.

3. "Topping" is the process of chopping the top off of a plant (pepper plants are what I've seen cos that's one of the things I'm trying to grow), in order to force the plant to stop growing just a single vertical stem, but rather to grow horizontally and become more "bushy". YouTube has some videos with amazing results. I've tried it on 2 out of my 6 Jalapeno plants. Let's see how it goes.

4. Fertilising from kitchen scraps: Apparently egg shells and used tea bags have A LOT of nutrients and can just be added to the top of the soil to act as organic fertiliser. I'm already collecting these to test. We go through alot of tea bags at home so I'll have a good amount by the time I'll be ready for my plans to need fertilising. From my Googling, cucumbers will especially benefit from the tea bags cos they have been tested to be rich in nitrogen, which cucumber plants use up alot from the soil.

5. Self Watering planters... I don't think I'll be able to get to testing this cos I'm biting off waaaaay more than I can chew already with the greenhouse project I tasked myself with. But if you are interested in low-maintenance gardening, check YouTube for Larry Hall's rain gutter system. Bloody hell! It's "higher grade" stuff, but what an elegant simple solution for a total garden watering system!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOIRVjatdg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qC4JFu-Oyw
But I do intend to test the self-watering principle by planting something small (leafy greens maybe) that I'm willing to sacrifice into a porous bag (air pruning! double test!) then keeping the bottom of the container always submerged in maybe 10mm of water so it can soak water upwards.

Flip... this ended up being a long post! I wonder if anyone even reads this thread anymore
Nevermind, it will become my online journal if nothing else.

 

[Zarkon]

Just found the thread,we should create ONE thread for vegetable gardening,i see the odd beginner thread pop up now and then.

It's great to see that people are at least trying to grow,even if it flops

I use coco coir mix for some seedlings,i use vermiculite and perlite with the coir.One thing about coir is it's ph can be very off,usually very alkaline. Coco has no nutrients so you need to feed it with some lime,so when you expand the coir in a tub add a handful of lime. Normally in a acidic ph you feed it lime to get it to neutral,but you can also use lime as a nutrient,like described since the coir has nothing in it.

For easy crops,and i will always mention this for a beginner,radish is the easiest crop to grow,and it's great in a salad.
Anything from 23-30days in summer you can harvest radish. Radish you don't ever want to grow too big for taste and texture reasons.

Beets and turnips also great to grow,just with a longer growing time 40 days,so basically any root crop,most people start with tomatoes and really difficult crops and that's why they give up on gardening. Tomatoes is not easy to grow for a beginner.

Leafy crops is also not easy because in summer it can bolt(go to seed) lettuce,arugula. And snails LOVE it they will destroy a lettuce head in one night,spinach is another great crop to grow.

 

[Inevitability]

Just found the thread,we should create ONE thread for vegetable gardening,i see the odd beginner thread pop up now and then.

In my defence, although there are other gardening threads, this thread was meant to focus on being a complete beginner, and the advice that the experienced guys can give us.

It's great to see that people are at least trying to grow,even if it flops

That's the thing I'm trying very hard to avoid... I wanna maximise my chance of success, and steer clear of any of the common mistakes (and hopefully this thread will serve others in the same position as me ..now and later)

I use coco coir mix for some seedlings,i use vermiculite and perlite with the coir.One thing about coir is it's ph can be very off,usually very alkaline. Coco has no nutrients so you need to feed it with some lime,so when you expand the coir in a tub add a handful of lime. Normally in a acidic ph you feed it lime to get it to neutral,but you can also use lime as a nutrient,like described since the coir has nothing in it.

So you've measured the coco coir pH on its own? That's a very good point then. I had read that peat moss needs lime, but that coco coir didn't... if you've measured it, then yours is the definitive answer.

most people start with tomatoes and really difficult crops and that's why they give up on gardening. Tomatoes is not easy to grow for a beginner.

The wife uses tomatoes in cooking but she prefers using a puree for convenience anyway. Many of my family members and friends said ... "grow tomatoes". Maybe they tried, and maybe that's why so few of them grow anything!

Leafy crops is also not easy because in summer it can bolt(go to seed) lettuce,arugula. And snails LOVE it they will destroy a lettuce head in one night,spinach is another great crop to grow.

Hmmm... I bought some seedling Swiss Chard. YouTube told me they were easy to grow
Also saw/heard that these were easier to grow than spinach (...and someone did testify that their spinach always dies, so I chose not to try it, maybe when I'm more experienced). I have lettuce seeds, but I'm gonna keep that for after the rest of my plants are already growing strong.
But my plan is to build a DIY greenhouse. I'm already done with the base frame (pallet boards knocked together), next is to assemble the arches from cheap PVC conduit and then cover with plastic. I'm hoping this will help with the pest issue and give my plants a better environment to grow in (and keep the bees away cos my family is terrified of bees)
Expecting it to end up looking like a badly-constructed version of this:

 

[Inevitability]

Cucumbers transplanted to cups (for now), Swiss Chard transplanted to a planter box...

 

[Zarkon]

I didn't mean it in a rude way at all,was thinking we should have an official thread for all our green thumbs to chat in.

Swiss chard you can grow,spinach is one of the toughest crops,it can survive in winter times and handles cold weather very good. Leafy greens you can plant now,perfect time to grow,always plant your leafys in september/spring as they are cool weather crops. In summer they bolt and can go bitter,sure you can grow it in summer but its not for the beginner,my advice i'm giving in this thread is trying to steer you in a successful direction

My advice is get radish in,it will give you immense satisfaction when you see how easy it is to grow. Get some turnips and beets also in.

For the greenhouse,pests will always find its way in,but dont worry about them too much now,it's nature they will always be around. In summer you can grow all your leafys in there and use a shade cloth over it,just keep the doors open to vent. Root croops you can grow outside,tomatoes you can do in the greenhouse,but being a beginner i would say try tomatoes next season.

As for the coco,i did not test it,i read on forums and videos.But coco bricks is not buffered,meaning they are not washed clean from salts etc etc. And from my experience you can use it just like it is,just add your lime and u can add for your mix some perlite and vermiculite and some good compost about 30% of the mix. That mix is mostly for seedlings,in your garden bed,u dont need perlite or vermiculite,you can add coir,compost and some lime and your good to go.

 

[Inevitability]

I didn't mean it in a rude way at all,was thinking we should have an official thread for all our green thumbs to chat in.

(see what I did there? )

Swiss chard you can grow,spinach is one of the toughest crops,it can survive in winter times and handles cold weather very good. Leafy greens you can plant now,perfect time to grow,always plant your leafys in september/spring as they are cool weather crops. In summer they bolt and can go bitter,sure you can grow it in summer but its not for the beginner,my advice i'm giving in this thread is trying to steer you in a successful direction

And it's guys like you (and others who have given invaluable advice) that make myBB such a success... Thanks for the help so far and I hope that I, and many others, will benefit from your advice.

My advice is get radish in,it will give you immense satisfaction when you see how easy it is to grow. Get some turnips and beets also in.

Nobody will eat it in my house
I had a dislike for both radishes and beetroot as a child. Haven't tried them since childhood. Which is also to say that my kids have never tasted them. I also never actually tasted a turnip myself. Maybe I'll buy some of each just to try out with the family, and if we like it, I'll take a swing at growing it.

For the greenhouse,pests will always find its way in,but dont worry about them too much now,it's nature they will always be around. In summer you can grow all your leafys in there and use a shade cloth over it,just keep the doors open to vent. Root croops you can grow outside,

Will keep those tips in mind

tomatoes you can do in the greenhouse,but being a beginner i would say try tomatoes next season.

Actually, what I meant in my previous post was... I don't wanna try tomatoes cos we wouldn't use it much, so growing them would only be for academic purposes , and I have many things I'd rather spend the space and effort on, when the time comes!

As for the coco,i did not test it,i read on forums and videos.But coco bricks is not buffered,meaning they are not washed clean from salts etc etc. And from my experience you can use it just like it is,just add your lime and u can add for your mix some perlite and vermiculite and some good compost about 30% of the mix. That mix is mostly for seedlings,in your garden bed,u dont need perlite or vermiculite,you can add coir,compost and some lime and your good to go.

Shot!... I'm still trying to get a supplier. I don't wanna have to buy 5kg blocks @ like R120ea... Hoping to maybe get like a 25kg or 50kg block once off at a good price and keep it for whenever i need it. The potting mix I was referring to ... 1 part Cocopeat + 1 part Vermiculite + 1 part Compost, was for the end goal of having self-watering container garden cos the mix is supposed to have a good "soaking upwards" ability when using the bottom-watered method. Check out that Larry Hall video I linked above. I know I've got some way to got before I get to his setup, but I'm keeping that in the back of my mind when I do anything cos I want it all to build up towards that end goal. That way, nothing is ever wasted later on. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I'd rather fail for overthinking than lack of thinking (for my own ego if nothing else! :crylaugh.

 

[Zarkon]

Oh you have to try turnip,i love it. I eat it like a apple haha take of the skin and good to go. As for the radish slice it very thin,similar to how you would slice a cucumber,thin round slices,it only goes in my green salad everytime and i love it. Turnip you can do the same,but for a salad "look" you can grate it with a cheese grater. Some jarred beets do taste really bad,get the sugar baby beet jar,and chop it into a dice size,you and the kids will love it. Turnip,radish,sugar beet,lettuce/arugula mix,feta,olives,grated carrot.Yes the carrot goes exceptionally well in the salad and add a nice salad dressing. Try that salad and i bet you will love it.

Yip don't overthink things now,just get a small patch going,coco coir is not really needed now,just get a lekke compost,dont buy it in bags it's too expensive,get it from a compost plant. Where are you situated, search for coco coir factories, there is one in cpt an one in kzn/durban cant remember exactly.

 

[Inevitability]

Just to share some things I've come across from Googling / YouTube since I started this thread. I will test how effective they are, and feedback over time...
<snip>
3. "Topping" is the process of chopping the top off of a plant (pepper plants are what I've seen cos that's one of the things I'm trying to grow), in order to force the plant to stop growing just a single vertical stem, but rather to grow horizontally and become more "bushy". YouTube has some videos with amazing results. I've tried it on 2 out of my 6 Jalapeno plants. Let's see how it goes.

Quick update (before and after) on my "topping" experiment, 7 days after chopping the top off of 2 of my Jalapeno plants. I took the 2 weakest looking ones to experiment with...

 

[Inevitability]

Greenhouse frame is up. Feels flimsy
I hope it stands up to the weather.
Next: need to contact the plastic supplier.

 

[IziWhatNow]

Why not reinforce it with more PVC across the length?

 

[Inevitability]

Why not reinforce it with more PVC across the length?

Good idea... I didn't do it cos, at the time i was doing my shopping for parts, I couldn't find a supplier who makes PVC joins that are not the "inspection" type (i.e. someone who makes simple elbows, 3-way, 4-ways etc).
Notice the corners of the trellis... it's got those "inspection" type PVC joins which are used in electrical installations cos those were the only ones I could find... so it's not a simple elbow (like the copper joins you can get for plumbing).
But I managed to get a contact number now for a supplier... need to call them.
Then... Yes... I will definitely do some reinforcement.

 

[Inevitability]

But I managed to get a contact number now for a supplier... need to call them.
Then... Yes... I will definitely do some reinforcement.

www.rmdcablemanagement.co.za
Ordered some elbows an t-pieces from them yesterday.
Very good prices, and they retail direct to the public, plus they'll deliver free if they have an order on your route (the lady said I might have to wait a few days but that's no issue)
How can you ever beat that?!

Updates on my experiments:

2. Some gardeners are growing their plants/vegetables in bags/container that are porous (like those fabric-like re-useable "green bags"

On Monday I transplanted 4 cucumber seedlings into 2 PnP bags and the other 2 seedlings into the ground for comparison. I was a bit scared cos some of them were starting to look a bit unhealthy: the bottom leaves were yellow, turning brown. So I just chopped off those dying leaves. This morning I noticed that the plants are all starting to put out one or two little flowers. I broke them all off cos I want the plants to grow a bit stronger first before they work on making babies

3. "Topping" is the process of chopping the top off of a plant (pepper plants are what I've seen cos that's one of the things I'm trying to grow), in order to force the plant to stop growing just a single vertical stem, but rather to grow horizontally and become more "bushy".

I decided to take the plunge and "top" the rest of my Jalapeno, and the 2 Peppadew plants.

 

[Cpt.SpAce.Cowboy]

www.rmdcablemanagement.co.za
Ordered some elbows an t-pieces from them yesterday.
Very good prices, and they retail direct to the public, plus they'll deliver free if they have an order on your route (the lady said I might have to wait a few days but that's no issue)
How can you ever beat that?!

Updates on my experiments:


On Monday I transplanted 4 cucumber seedlings into 2 PnP bags and the other 2 seedlings into the ground for comparison. I was a bit scared cos some of them were starting to look a bit unhealthy: the bottom leaves were yellow, turning brown. So I just chopped off those dying leaves. This morning I noticed that the plants are all starting to put out one or two little flowers. I broke them all off cos I want the plants to grow a bit stronger first before they work on making babies
<placeholder for pics ... will take some later>


I decided to take the plunge and "top" the rest of my Jalapeno, and the 2 Peppadew plants.
<placeholder for pics ... will take some later>

I think you should put diagonal bracing on both sides of your greenhouse as well. Just one pvc pipe from the bottom of one side to the middle of the other side. That will take the filmsy-ness out ( I am a structural draughtsman...and we believe in bracing ...can't help it lol)

I think you should have let your jalapeno's grow a little bit taller before your cut the tops of...but lets see what happens like you said your experimenting.

I moved into my 1st house 4 months ago and the previous owners had no garden so I have to make beddings from scratch! So i am only planting pumpkins and watermelon in the ground this year and some tomatoes and strawberries in containers. I am also trying Cherry Tomatoes in a hanging basket for the 1st time and then I have some herbs in containers and I bough a Blueberry and Raspberry plant last weekend. Want to see how it goes with the berries!

 

[Inevitability]

I think you should put diagonal bracing on both sides of your greenhouse as well. Just one pvc pipe from the bottom of one side to the middle of the other side. That will take the filmsy-ness out ( I am a structural draughtsman...and we believe in bracing ...can't help it lol)

The people you meet on the internet! Amazing! Thanks. So do you mean I should add something like the Red line or the Yellow line?...

I think you should have let your jalapeno's grow a little bit taller before your cut the tops of...but lets see what happens like you said your experimenting.

I looked at my 2 "topped" Jalapeno experiments this morning and they were looking very good, and the other 4 (non-topped) plants got a bit damaged from the hail last night and I had to prune some damaged leaves anyway, so I just topped them while I was at it.

I moved into my 1st house 4 months ago and the previous owners had no garden so I have to make beddings from scratch! So i am only planting pumpkins and watermelon in the ground this year and some tomatoes and strawberries in containers. I am also trying Cherry Tomatoes in a hanging basket for the 1st time and then I have some herbs in containers and I bough a Blueberry and Raspberry plant last weekend. Want to see how it goes with the berries!

All the best! I've lived at my house for 2.5 years now... the previous owner had a well-established plant garden which I have no interest in, and it needed too much maintenance. So I asked the complex gardenkeeper to rip everything out. Problem is that I left it like that for 2 years and the bare soil got completely infested with weeds.
In winter they all die down completely and it's just brown hard soil, but if I dig into the soil, it looks quite rich... it stays nice and moist when it rains and its a good dark colour. 3 nights of rain last week brought the weeds back in full force, so the soil must have some good stuff in it.
Eventually, I'm gonna take a swing at growing in the ground (with some landscape fabric surrounding my plants to keep the weeds starved of light)
For now, I'm just trying things that are easy and have a low chance of failing cos I'm a total n00b.

 

[Inevitability]

Updates on my experiments:

Pictures added

 

[Cpt.SpAce.Cowboy]

The people you meet on the internet! Amazing! Thanks. So do you mean I should add something like the Red line or the Yellow line?...
View attachment 397794


I looked at my 2 "topped" Jalapeno experiments this morning and they were looking very good, and the other 4 (non-topped) plants got a bit damaged from the hail last night and I had to prune some damaged leaves anyway, so I just topped them while I was at it.


All the best! I've lived at my house for 2.5 years now... the previous owner had a well-established plant garden which I have no interest in, and it needed too much maintenance. So I asked the complex gardenkeeper to rip everything out. Problem is that I left it like that for 2 years and the bare soil got completely infested with weeds.
In winter they all die down completely and it's just brown hard soil, but if I dig into the soil, it looks quite rich... it stays nice and moist when it rains and its a good dark colour. 3 nights of rain last week brought the weeds back in full force, so the soil must have some good stuff in it.
Eventually, I'm gonna take a swing at growing in the ground (with some landscape fabric surrounding my plants to keep the weeds starved of light)
For now, I'm just trying things that are easy and have a low chance of failing cos I'm a total n00b.

The Red line, but run a pipe like the one you have on top on both side as well. I think that will make it much more sturdier! You can then put the yellow line in as well! The more the better. When you put the plastic on the wind will have a big impact on it!

Lol we all start as noobs! Will post some pics of my stuff as well when I get a chance!

I like the greenhouse idea! I also want to built one know!

*Edit

In what area do you live? Because we also had hail. I live in the east rand.

 

[Inevitability]

The Red line, but run a pipe like the one you have on top on both side as well. I think that will make it much more sturdier! You can then put the yellow line in as well! The more the better. When you put the plastic on the wind will have a big impact on it!

Shot! After that hailstorm, I'm a bit scared of what's gonna happen when we get another hectic storm and the plastic is on.

Lol we all start as noobs! Will post some pics of my stuff as well when I get a chance!

Please do!

I like the greenhouse idea! I also want to built one know!

Now that I'm building it, I'm starting to look at how others use their greenhouses. There are some people who grow ridiculous amounts of things in such a small space. I have to keep reminding myself not to over-commit and try to do what those (very experienced) gardeners are doing. Funniest thing is that I keep finding videos / websites of weed growers!! :crylaugh:

In what area do you live? Because we also had hail. I live in the east rand.

I'm in Buccleuch. We had the mother of all hailstorms. I am amazed that my plants weren't all smashed to bits.

 

[webnet]

tomatoes and legumes like peas and beans are easy to grow , start small and expand as you gain knowledge. just a tip any big seeds such as peas and beans ,dont like to be transplanted rather plant them directly . the solanea group (tomatoes, brinjals and peppers should be started in containers. beetroot , onions ,and carrots are relatively easey to grow and they are cold hardy , meaning they can be grown through the year. lettuce on the other hand should be grown in colder seasons (autumn and spring , as hot weather makes the leaves turn bitter. there is one golden rule ernough moisture for carrots and beetroots since the tend to crack and bolt (go to seed) if adequate water is not supplied.

hope this helps somewhAt.

 

[Cpt.SpAce.Cowboy]

Shot! After that hailstorm, I'm a bit scared of what's gonna happen when we get another hectic storm and the plastic is on.


Please do!


Now that I'm building it, I'm starting to look at how others use their greenhouses. There are some people who grow ridiculous amounts of things in such a small space. I have to keep reminding myself not to over-commit and try to do what those (very experienced) gardeners are doing. Funniest thing is that I keep finding videos / websites of weed growers!! :crylaugh:


I'm in Buccleuch. We had the mother of all hailstorms. I am amazed that my plants weren't all smashed to bits.

Yes I have seen! Some peoples greenhouses looks amazing with all the stuff the have in it!

One way to gain experience is to jump in the deep side and swim! But it looks like your doing very good! You will see it gets easier each year! And believe me even if you are "very" experienced you will have a lot of fails but also a lot of successes! And that's what makes it all worth it! I still learn new stuff every year! And still have a lot to learn! That's why I like threads like this! Everybody has something different to give!

 

[Inevitability]

tomatoes and legumes like peas and beans are easy to grow , start small and expand as you gain knowledge. just a tip any big seeds such as peas and beans ,dont like to be transplanted rather plant them directly . the solanea group (tomatoes, brinjals and peppers should be started in containers. beetroot , onions ,and carrots are relatively easey to grow and they are cold hardy , meaning they can be grown through the year. lettuce on the other hand should be grown in colder seasons (autumn and spring , as hot weather makes the leaves turn bitter. there is one golden rule ernough moisture for carrots and beetroots since the tend to crack and bolt (go to seed) if adequate water is not supplied.
hope this helps somewhAt.

Yes I have seen! Some peoples greenhouses looks amazing with all the stuff the have in it!
One way to gain experience is to jump in the deep side and swim! But it looks like your doing very good! You will see it gets easier each year! And believe me even if you are "very" experienced you will have a lot of fails but also a lot of successes! And that's what makes it all worth it! I still learn new stuff every year! And still have a lot to learn! That's why I like threads like this! Everybody has something different to give!

I just realised something with these two posts...
I need to make a wishlist of everything I want to try, and then make a schedule from the list based on how difficult it is and/or how much I want to try it.