I started a thread when I joined the site, requesting this
We (Newbies) need comprehensive idiots guides, and would not feel insulted IT IS WHAT we want
Every book you buy, misses out One of the vital ingredients, so you have to buy two and try to work out what is actually needed
No one has actually managed to do it yet, as really it is too complex,
I want to know how to grow tomatoes, peas beans and flowers that grow every year
Fred wants to know how to grow Onions, and specialist flowers
Sandra wants a nice lawn and some vegies
So where could you start
The RHS encyclopeida does cover most but it is a right faff on jumping from page to page just to know how to grow and propogate (I learnt that on here) one plant
What I need a book to tell me is something like
Potatoes
A standard potato, not types once I have grown one then "I" can look elswhere for variaties and differences
I need to know exactly what to do
Dig the soil HOW deep
plant How deep,
what the soil PH needs to be and how to work out what the PH is
What to do when the first shoots appear above the soil etc step by step through its growth,
When to know when it is ready
How to retrieve the product
Most books and internet advice just take it as given that "WE NEWBIES" Know what to do just need guidance
We DO NOT that is why we buy books and ask on here
I need a book on the very basics,not how to grow cacti, specialist fusias, etc once I know the basics then if I want to search for the more exoctic stuff
And IF you produce it all the better, even a collation of factual posts to GC would be better than nowt
As an example, the present books tell you what to do, but they do not explain what you actually need ie it is NO GOOD growing potatoes in a six inch deep plant pot (or is it ? )
The books say chit the potatoes (what is chitting) when do you do that ?
Plant the potato er yes in soil I presume, but what type of soil, How deep and when, then what do you do ? do you just leave it or water it every six hours ?
when the shoots appear, what then, just let it grow and grow, or do you need to do something whilst it is growing
When do you know it is ready to give you pototoes
How do you dig them up, and what do you do then do you wash them, or just stick them in a bag, are plastic carrier bags ok ?
I tried potatoes once, when I thought they must be ready, I tried to dig them up
I used a garden fork, the first four were baynoted by the fork tines, so I tried a spade and the next two were sliced in half, then I just dug with my hands and retrieved the remaining three
IF "I" knew what I wanted, to know I would not be able to advise you BUT yes THAT is how thick I am I need the idiots guide to growing A, B, C, or D
Composting do not get me started, I bought the bin, then totally knackered
the books say four inch layers
I can not get layers, I get grass mowings, once a month in the summer, and between times about 48 egg shells, 2lb of tea leaves and a few bits of veg
so layering can never happen thus no compost, just a soggy mess
Get started on your book, mind I do not have much longer on the planet, so GC will have to help me
Jack McHammocklashing
