growing vegatables

you cannot grow root veg in freshly manured soil, but peas and beans need this fertile soil. so grow peas any beans courgettes tomatoes. you should be able to buy plants from your local nursery , which will give you an instant veg patch. good luck..... steve

I always divide my veggie patch into three and have roots in one section that grow in ordinary ground, Peas and beans with trenches dug and filled with compost, and cabbages and brassicas in another section with ordinary soil, very finely sprinkled with some lime, and dug in before planting then rotate every three years. Cabbages,and brassicas...... carrots parsnips etc....., then peas and beans. Hope this helps Lindak.

and dont forget the carrot fly - The creamy-yellow larval stage of the Carrot Fly is very destructive to carrots, first burrowing around the outside, eventually tunnelling throughout the root. They are slender, without legs, and up to 1cm long. Parsnips, celery, dill, angelica and fennel can also be attacked. Affected plants show yellowing of the leaves, young plants can wilt and die, but usually recover and become stunted. It is frequently the cause of parsley failing to thrive, the seeds germinate, grow for a while then become yellow and spindly. The carrot root shows rust coloured tunnels around its circumference They are low fliers rarely going above 50cm so one control is to surround vulnerable plants with a polythene barrier about 60cm high or to cover completely with garden fleece. Lifting the crop in autumn limits the damage. Sowing the seed very thinly to reduce thinning and removing any thinnings, limits the attack as they are attracted by the smell of the crushed plant. A technique called liquid sowing is a good method of obtaining a thin sowing. The seeds are suspended in Laponite gel and 'piped' like icing from the cut-off corner of a plastic bag. Delay sowing until May to avoid the emergance of the first generation. Avoid growing early and late crops together and if infestation occurs do not leave any roots in the ground to carry over to the next season.

We grew veg for the 1st time last year. We popped a few Charlotte new potatoes in the ground, peas, carrots, spring onions, radish, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries and French beans in raised bed filled with multi purpose compost and with no special treatment other than water we had bumper cops of everything, I had to give most of it away as we had too much to eat! This year we have peas which are flowering and a couple of pods have arrived, swede, courgettes, radish, spring onions, strawberries, tomatoes and carrots all coming on well. Thats all on top of all the flowers I've grown from seed this year including Geraniums, Nastersiums, marigolds, sunflowers and foxgloves to name a few. Not bad for an experimental gardener eh? Tip for carrots...make sure your container is deep enough, remember how long they can grow, also watch for carrot root fly. Keep the compost cosy around the carrot tops. With peas, you can support them or train them with canes and string lke I do, or you can use twiggy twigs if you have any laying around the garden.