My Garden

Contents

Introduction

Originally I started off with a half plot on an allotment in Canterbury. However for one reason or another, I was unable to really make use of this. Fortunately, I moved into my own flat back in April this year which has a nice big garden. So, I am going to move my plans for world domination through growing vegetables, to my garden. Much of what I plan to grow will remain the same, as will how I grow it, I just have more space now and can get fit things like a few fruit trees, and the like.

Equipment

A couple of people have asked me what tools are needed for this little enterprise. So here is a list of what I have:

  • Fork
  • Spade
  • Dutch hoe
  • Rake
  • Watering can
  • Small trowel

None of the above cost particully much, infact no single item cost more than 4 ukp. Its all rather cheap.

The other peice of equipment that I have, well its not really equipment, its a book. John Seymours "The NEW complete book of Self Sufficiency". This book has proved to be brilliant. Even if you never plan on doing more than planting some sun flowers in the garden with your kids, or a bag of cress on the window sill, this book is worth getting. This book has a wealth of information on everything from making beer, to growing crops to bringing up live stock and everything inbetween. I can highly recommend it

What to grow?

There are so many different things I could grow, and in only so much space, so I think I will grow the following vegetables, fruit, herbs, and cereals.

Vegetables

I am planning on growing these vegetables, in a crop rotation method.

  • Potatoes - The Core of my diet! I hope to grow some red potatoes for their excellent roasting, and some white ones too. Also, This page Intreges me, so am tempted to get this and grow it also, just to see what happens. Tho a ton of spuds could overwhelm!
  • Brocolli - My favourite vegetable after spuds
  • Sprouts - For christmas
  • Savoy Cabbage
  • Runner beans - Have you ever heard of an vegetable patch without runner beans?
  • Peas
  • Broad beans
  • Onions and Spring onions
  • Carrots
  • Beetroot
  • Parsnips - For roasting, and making Wine
  • Lettuce

Fruit

I will grow the following fruit

  • 1 - Cider Apple - Harry Masters Jersey (MM111)
  • 1 - Cider Apple - Michelin (MM111)
  • 1 - Dessert Apple - Elstar (M27)
  • 1 - Dessert Apple - Greensleeves (M27)
  • 1 - Dessert Apple - Sunset (M27)
  • 1 - Dessert Apple - Falstaff (M26)
  • 1 - Culinary Apple - Reverend Wilks - (M26)
  • 1 - Culinary Apple - Bramley Clone M20 (M9)
  • 1 - Culinary Apple - Bramley's Seedling (M27)
  • 1 - Culinary/Dessert Apple - James Grieve (M27)
  • 6 - Rhubarb - Timperley Early
  • 10 - Raspberry - Polka
  • 10 - Blackcurrent - Ben Sarek

The Bramley M20, Falstaff, and Reverend Wilks currently live in 18" terracotta pots. This limits how big they get, and means that I can take them with me if I move house at anypoint. The two M111 root stock trees will be planted in 18" Wooden planters when they arrive. The final 5 trees will be grown along a fence in a cordon.

Herbs

I will probably grow these herbs in tubs on the patio rather than actually in the soil. Especially the mint.

  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Parsley
  • Marjoram
  • Garlic
  • Mint
  • Dill

Cereals

Unusual for an garden, I would like to grow some cereal crops. No great reason, just cos. I would like to grow the following:

  • Wheat - A winter wheat (Triticum Hybernum) because of the lack of need to green manure a plot and maybe some spring wheat for its better bread making properties
  • Winter Rye - Purely as a green manure crop over the winter
  • Barley - To malt and make beer
  • Hops - To make beer, and yes I know its not strictly speaking a cereal!
  • Sunflowers - Again, not a cereal. Nice and tall, take up very little space, can use the seeds for oil, or to feed birds. Fun to grow
  • Sweet corn - After Abbie suggested it.

How to grow?

I am going to plant my garden in a crop rotation system, dividing it into 5 plots or lays. Each lay will be planted with one break of crops which will move to the right each year, rotating round. The main reasons for this are:

  • Not grow Spuds in the same place two years running and have atleast 3 years between regrowing in the same place to help combat blight.
  • Not grow Brassicas (cabbage family inc sprouts and broccoli) in the same place two concecutive years, and not in the same place within 3 years, this is to combat club root
  • Benifit from the Nitrogen Fixing bacteria in the nodules on the roots of the Pea and Bean family

Taking the above list of plants only the perrenials go into the rotation system, and then, not all of them. Just these:

  • Peas
  • Broad beans
  • Runner beans
  • Brocolli
  • Savoy Cabbage
  • Sprouts
  • potatoes
  • Onions
  • Spring onions
  • Carrots
  • Beetroot
  • Parsnips
  • Lettuce
  • Wheat
  • Winter Rye
  • Barley

This list can be divided into 5 groups:

  • Cereals
    • Wheat
    • Barley
  • Potatoes
  • Pea's and Beans
    • Runner beans
    • Peas
    • Broad beans
  • Brassicas
    • Sweet corn
    • Brocolli
    • Savoy Cabbage
    • Sprouts
  • Roots
    • Onions
    • Spring onions
    • Carrots
    • Beetroot
    • Parsnips
    • Lettuce

The observant reader will notice that sweet corn is not a brassica and thus wonder why it is in the brassica break. The simple reason being I don't want massive quantities of Brocolli or sprouts and so I have space in this break.

This just leaves the sun flowers. These are really tall and could shade the rest of the crops, so what I think I will do is place these at the north of each lay spanning the whole plot.

Suppliers

This page last modified Sunday, 15-Jun-2008 16:30:36 CEST.