My vegetable garden

Started in 2003, my vegetable garden, at the local allotments, broke the mould. Typically plots were based on traditional methods, with much digging, weeds were widespread, and whilst those who had well established plots and time did well, many other struggled.

I had just had a back operation and so my outlook was very different. I was keen to put into practice, albeit on a small scale, my professional knowledge of soils, minimal tillage and weed control combining this with my long held desire to get back to growing vegetables that I had done years before.

Now you can follow my own experiences through the year.

• current activities
• successes
• learnings
• and even my experiments
• produce

My vegetable garden beds

Follow my progress in the easy vegetable gardening ezine.

Return from my vegetable garden to the home of easy vegetable gardening

Update on my vegetable garden - Autumn 2008

Successful sequential planting paid off this year; 1-2 rows of lettuce and beetroot sown every 1-2 months through the Spring and Summer meant we were supplied through to now.

Sequential plantings of beans and peas on separate plots kept produce coming and avoided disease spread from earlier crops.

Potatoes were a great success with plenty of rain this year and with tight soil in the ridges slugs were minimised, but disease took the main crop potato haulm in September so it was swiftly removed to prevent spread and we continue to dig them as needed.

Although outdoor cucumbers did very well enabling me to supply friends and neighbours too, poor summer conditions (cool, lacking in sun) limited production of courgettes and butter nut squash so we eat well but with no excess to store.

We continue to pull carrots, orange and free of carrot root fly - Yes, Yummy! Crops were protected by inter-cropping with leeks with a plastic barrier around.

The raised beds, edged or otherwise, have again proved their worth with easy access through our wet summer and autumn, no soil compaction by feet.

The overwinter brassicae (curly kale, cabbage, and broccoli) are growing well as is the Swiss Chard.

Now the main growing season is over its the time for clearing and preparing for next year;

• All dead or dying and diseased plant material has been removed and burnt to minimise disease spread
• Plots are left uncultivated generally, but any with tight sub-soil are lifted with a fork at full depth, but not turned
• Compost will be added as needed over the soil surface and the worms allowed to thrive in their undisturbed home cultivating and aerating the soil for me for next years crops

As for my new green house, completed in July; well we had tomatoes, they actually ripened, eventually, but a great learning is to open it more and avoid conditions becoming too humid as its encourages disease even in this enclosed virgin growing space. I look forward to being able to bring on earlier crops as seedlings for my vegetable garden in 2009 and planting up the greenhouse earlier, hopefully disease free!

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