Growing ur own - how?

I want to grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes. I've bought some fruit trees to put in planters in the garden. I like the idea of stawberry hanging baskets. I have no idea how to start - can anyone point me in the right direction?

TIA

I would get a good book - the Vegetable Expert is a good one, and gives details of varieties etc. For example, some tomatoes need a greenhouse and others are outdoor plants, you need to pinch them out at certain points etc

Personally I don't grown things that are cheap to buy such as potatoes and onions but potatoes are easy to grow and very satisfying. You buy seed potatoes and "chit" them by leaving on a windowsill until the eyes start to grow

Never grown cucumber so can't help there. Tomatoes need sunshine and staking and ideally a warm summer

Lettuce are really easy, you can sow in planters or in the ground and sow continually to get an ongoing crop. Strawberries are also fairly easy but I have always bought plants not grown from seed, the plants produce much more fruit second year so don't be downhearted if you don't get much first year

I love raspeberries as the canes are cheap and they are easy to grow. Also tick my boxes as they are expensive to buy but cheap to grow. Any soft fruits fall into this category

I would also recommend climbing beans, easy to grow from seed, pretty flowers and a huge crop (you can freeze any excess)

I would avoid cabbages and carrots as you can have a lot of trouble with pests and cabbages in particular seem to take forever to grow. If you want to grow carrots make sure you sow them thinly so you don't have to thin them out (which attracts carrot fly)

Spring onions are nice too, and courgettes are great and you get loads. THis year I am going to try growing Crown Prince Squash or maybe Butternut Squash - again, expensive to buy. Also tempted to get a blueberry bush

I would say you would be better putting your fruit trees in the ground, things in planters need constant watering and you might be restricting the roots. Olive and citrus trees do well in pots tho as you can bring them in in the winter

Good luck!!!

Thanks for the info
We're moving in 2 yrs so thats why the trees will be in planters so we can take them with us - I am so cheap!
love the idea of butternut squash and I never thought of raspberries or blueberries - yum!!!

Will check amazon for books - thanks!

We turned out back garden into an allotment - and literally planted whatever we wanted in rows!

Have grown all herbs, tomatoes, courgette, beans, peas, sweet peas, runner beans, lettuce, rocket, chicory, pak choi, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, gooseberrys, carrots, turnips, parsnips ... etc

We just went for it the first year to see what suited us and our soil - was great fun but didn't get enough to eat out of it apart from the carrots, herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, rockets and all the berries. The boys loved it too.

We just went by what it said on the seed packet!!

Good luck - well worth it

Vickix