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carlos1981
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Hi guys,

I am a total newbie at this, (you have been warned!) so please forgive the pending 1 million questions!

My main question is, i have no greenhouse, or area in the garden to plant out, so am looking to make use of sunny kitchen windowsill, and Conservatory. So question 1 is any idea's what i am best growing?

If this helps, so far, my herbs (Basil, Parsley, Chives) are going fine, so i think i have them sorted, i think i've seen that rocket and some other herbs may be just as simple!

I'd love to get my tomato and pepper plants going, but they have been goin for about 7/8 weeks now, toms are decent size plants? (6/7 inch tall), but peppers (3/4 inch) are not moving much over the last few weeks?

Oh yeah, and i never planted anything before - ever! But i seem to get the seeds to seedling stage ok, and now have the above mentioned small plants going.

If anyone could give me any tips, that'd be greatly appreciated

Any questions, just ask, an i'll get back to you ASAP.

Thanks,

Carl
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alan refail
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Hi Carlos and a warm welcome to the best gardening forum around :wink:

Where to start? It's encouraging to hear what you are growing without ground to plant in.
If your conservatory is sunny you should do well with tomatoes and pepers in containers. Have you room outside for any sort of containers? If so there are plenty of salad plants you can grow. You mention rocket - that's incredibly easy and productive of salad leaves.
Keep your questions coming and I guarantee you will get answers.

Alan
carlos1981
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Hi Alan,

Thanks for the reply.

I do have a decent size patio before i get to the Garden, so i could put some containers outside, just not too sure on how, and what to put in there!

I'll get the rocket going then, and i'll look into what other salad veg i could get going.

Thanks for the advice and keep it coming!!!
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alan refail
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Hi Carlos

Do a bit of quick research on container growing - have a look HERE..

Containers could have you growing all sorts of salad leaves, radishes, french beans or even dwarf runner beans. Pleanty of time to get these started this year.
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Smurfy
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Hi Carlos,

I grow a lot of my veg in pots as i have very little growing space. If you have a largish patio getting some large and deep pots means you can grow carrots and beetroot in them too or put in a few canes into a wigwan and grow climbing peas and beans in them with marigolds around the bottom, this looks great and you get quite a good crop too. The main thing if you are growing hungry and thirsty veg (such as beans and peas) then make sure you put plenty of water retaining gel in with the compst near the bottom and middle of the pot as this relieves the need for quite so regular watering.

Let us know how you get on and ask away. i myself am new to growing and have found this forum the best one for getting sensible answers from people who know what they're talking about without making you feel silly for asking in the first place!!

Good luck with your first years growing
Life's a journey, not a destination - Aerosmith
carlos1981
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Location: Huyton, Liverpool

thanks for the help so far!

I saw a sale on Potato kits so i now have the going outside as well!

I think i may have spotted my own error re: pepper plants. There are 4 in a mid size pot, and 2 in small ones! I think, if i am right, putting these into the next level pots will allow them to grow on quicker/better? Same applies to Tom plants also i take it?

I did warn you i'm a nonse on this!!

Conversly, my courgette plants i planted no more than 2 days ago, are gonna be seedlings in 7 days! (I found putting them in the cuboard on the shelf above the boiler, get them going quicker - no idea if this is right, but hey, it's working!!)
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alan refail
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Hi Carlos

Peppers and tomatoes - keep on potting into larger pots.

Courgettes - get them out in the light and warm as soon as they are through.

Best of luck with everything :)
carlos1981
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OK,

So Courgettes are now out in light, an in 10" Pots for now

Carrots/Spring onions/Cucumber (1 of 2) have been started, and are still germinating/propagating in boiler cupboard.

I got 2 suttons sets as well, Herbs and Patio Salad, but the Patio Salad, Cucmbers (2 of 2) are through already - only 4 days an i will pot them into 3" Pots tonight, so i can close the lid and propagate the others!!

I started 1 3" pot of Chives, and Parsley coz i have basil ok, just not grown enough of the others!

I have a tomato greenhouse ready, but will hold on that till the toms are in bigger pots, anyone know at what height i should "promote" them?

I have upgraded 2 of the peppers, and all the tom plants, stalked them, so i think they should be upgraded again in about 2-4 weeks? Or can i just stick them in bigger pots, and use the greenhouse, and will they grow, as well/quicker from doing that?
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retropants
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Hi there Carlos!
I am putting my toms in their final positions in the GH border this weekend, so I would think you could get yours into their last size pots quite soon. Do you have one of those plastic greenhouses for the toms? I would 'stop' them (pinch out growing point) as soon as they reach the top. You will also need to remove the side shoots as they grow, or you'll end up with a tomato jungle! You can do a search on here or google about how to do this. What variety are they? (just in case they are bush habit)

Also, just FYI, your carrots should be sown direct into the pot, as they won't like being transplanted one bit. They are not very fast to germinate, at least 2 weeks if not longer.
Great work so far, I have been doing this for 17 years, and still learning all the time!
Always happy to answer questions!
carlos1981
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yeah, the carrots went direct into a large pot (10/12") when sown, and the guide says it's gonna be 14ish days before seedlings appear. (It's all i got to go on so far! Seems to be working!!).

I have one of those plastic greenhouse things for the toms, they are just under 10" high now.
The first lot are cherry, and i have some Alicante's planted, but they are just sown, and still propagating.
I heard about taking off the side shoots, or "the tom plants energy will be spent growing out, not up" but am still not too clear on that, the plants only have leaves now, so i don't think that is a real issue yet?
I think i'm just gonna check each week, and go from there, but need to get some out soon, as running out of windowsill space!!
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retropants
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good news about the carrots! I must have misunderstood your previous post, sorry!

The side shoots will start to appear anytime soon. They will appear at the main stem/leaf joint and will just need nipping out. That way you'll have one main stem with leaves and fruit trusses only, no side shoots. They will keep on coming, even where they have been removed before!
Good luck with your veg, it is very rewarding work!
carlos1981
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ok, so Tom plants are now coming out the drainage holes, is it worth uping the pots, or just planting outside now? (12" Pots in a tomato greenhouse thing) They are currently in 5" pots, i have some 8" pots i was given at the weekend.

Carrots/Spring onions are now outside, as they have germinated quick enough!
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retropants
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I'd put them in the greenhouse thingy in the 12" pots. You can plant them a bit deeper than they are now if you like, for stability, but if they are nice stocky plants then this is not absolutely necessary. If they are indoors now (house warmth?) then it is probably worthwhile popping them as they are into the greenhouse thingy during the day only for a few days, just to acclimatise them to the new environment.
carlos1981
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Ok, so i thought i'd put an update on this all.

2 Tom plants died! The pot didn't drain properly, and it has just wilted down, not too sure if it's savable. For now it is all alone in the bottom of the garden (Late day sunlight) "Drying out".

Carrots/Spring Onions/Patio Salad seem to be coming on ok, and should be ready soon (Famous last words).

Potato kits - i have 2 of these, one is a cheap tub thing, not sure what potatoes are in that one, but the shoots are now showing through the second layer of compost, so according to the guide, they are not too far away either!
Second one is a Charlotte Kit, planted out a few weeks (3/4) ago, and are also starting to come through, am i right in thinking i need another 6" layer compost on this once the sprouts start to come through?

Pepper plants are good, and are now around 15-17" tall now!

Cucumber plant 1 went outside today (12" Pot) taking the place of one of the dead tom plants!
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