beverleyp

We are new to the Costa del Sol and have just fixed ourselves up with a lovely house in Mijas. Unfortunately it does not have a garden, just a terrace. I rather like the idea of growing our own things and are going to speak to people to find out whether someone can spare some of their land for me to grow things in return for some of the produce. Are also wondering about grow bags and pots. I will be interested to know whether any of you grow your own in Spain, what you grow, general info and if anyone has got round the problem of not having a garden. Also I will need a book to learn what I can grow, how etc. Anyone know where I can buy a reasonably priced book other than over the internet? Thanks for any help.

fionamw

Welcome; I'm sure someone will be along with more detailed info ref terraces, books, etc., but if you do get some land to work the most pressing need will be for irrigation. Water (and some might say shade) are the two critical factors in gardening hereabouts! As to crops - well certainly relatively near the coast you have the world pretty much as your oyster.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing more!

beverleyp

Thanks Fiona...watch this space, it will be filled with all sorts of lovely things!

Madridboy

Bloody maintenance guys have taken away my pot (plant pot.......not the dodgy kind of pot) with my chilli pepper seeds in!

jackytoo

Growing your own is great, if you have a dirt cheap water supply or a well. Otherwise it can very costly. I know someone who had a growbag on a terrace and the tomatoes looked great, think they brought it from the UK. don't know if they sell them in Spain, growbags that is

Madridboy

Yes you can buy grow-bags over here, my Ex-FIL grew tomatoes on his terrace and they came up a treat.......if you live in a "community" building all your water is included in your community charge regardless of how much you use.

susanspain

We grow our own (we were lucky enough to get a reasonable sized garden included in our rental home).

I 'think' there was an allotment scheme that was advertised/featured in The Sur in English in the past two weeks.
Likewise, someone was trying to start the same somewhere out in the Gualdarhorce valley.

What above ^ poster said re water is very very true! (We tried to keep things alive one summer and it failed as well as costing us lots in water - the more you use the more it costs per litre!)

Best wait till autumn to plant things...
(IMHO)

Good forums around - try campogirls (google it)

Books - Bookworld Espana (down at Myrimar in Fuengirola) stock Richard & Clodagh Handscombes 'Growing Veg in a Mediterranean Climate'...
OH refuses to pay out for books as they 'try it and it has 2 chances method'

Tip - Only plant seeds bought in Spain (i.e do not buy in UK and bring back here)... as they are specially produced for warmer climates.
Vilmorin type are good . Or seedlings (i,e part grown) plants - there is a shop in Mijas Pueblo at La Nueva/Bar El Nino northern entrance!
(or We buy most of our seeds/seedlings on the Camino de Coin from the farm supplies shop - opposite Casa La Vega garden centre)

Good luck!

beverleyp

Thanks Susan. Very helpful.

fionamw

Not all water supplies operate on the 'more you use more it costs' system (though plenty do, including mine - it's just that I've read of ones that don't) and I'd suggest some seeds can be brought in if you can't find the variety here which you particularly want - not everything will fail, depends on the space you have available & the time for possible failures. For example I like (no, LOVE) Gardener's Delight tomatoes. Haven't got any because I haven't asked anyone to bring the seeds. But I'm pretty sure they'd grow. Ditto Marmande. Loads of other stuff I'm prepared to bring over if necessary and give it a shot. Unless of course I find it here as a recognisable, named variety first. As I said, it depends on how important 100% success is - and not even local seeds will necessarily guarantee that!
ps re water.... if you can, put up guttering and install some stillages (1000ltr ex chemical or juice containers). We have 8 & they're invaluable.

Fred James

Try http://www.tandmworldwide.com/ for a really good selection of seeds with a reasonable postage rate to Spain.

beverleyp

Thanks Fred...I like

angiescarr

Hi Beverley. We're lucky and do have a garden but have often grown things in Small spaces. Right now Leroy Merlin are advertising a sort of wall pot system. and you can make your own growbags! Watering can be a problem, before we moved here permanently, while we were away from the garden we used inverted water bottles. Just shoved into the ground. After doing this a few times the ground just stayed wet and seemed to suck the water as it needed it and took sometimes more than a week to empty. This helped keep our fruit trees alive. Not sure if that works in growbags though. And wouldn't recommend it for long periods away for small pots etc. If you can get hold of some terracotta spikes that you can fit the necks into that helps keep the pots moist for longer. I'm not sure if they sell them over here. I brought mine from B&Q. But you can always talk to a potter and get him /her to make you some!

ForHotspot

Hi angies,
How does this work? Do you mean you bury water bottles into the ground? Do you need to empty the water when required?

I know summer can be very dry in Spain & conserving water is imp. I want to grow some vegs in my garden too.
Thanks.

lunacrout

I love all my pots on the terrace with lots of flowers and succulents but we also grow cherry tomatoes, herbs & salad leaves in them. OH set up an irrigation system with thin, unobtrusive piping so that it's easy to get water to them all.

We have also successfully grown purple sprouting broccoli in a flower bed from seeds we brought from the UK - it grew like a weed and was great when I craved dark green veg. which seem so hard to find in the shops. Not successful were English runner beans!

(We also have an orchard of 80 peach trees on our land - but that's another story )

.

angiescarr

Hi. I usually use the bigger ones. I just up-end them rapidly and the necks bury into the ground next to the plant. The first couple of time all that happens is glug glug glug as the water soaks rapidly into the soil. But after 2 or 3 times the next one doesn't soak away. It takes a good few days, Longer if it's rained. It soaks away more rapidly the dryer the soil gets. It has saved our plants a good few times. We've lost a lot too it has to be said. But we were in England sometimes a couple of months at a time. It works better for short trips away of course. Or as an early morning trick before a few days of hot weather. Saves having to water every day. But it's not so pretty.