GET OUTDOORS
A typical simple planting plan for the first-timer
Planting an EDIBLE GARDEN
SPRING IS HERE AND THE TIME IS RIPE TO TRANSFORM YOUR GARDEN INTO AN EDIBLE
PARADISE. YOU WILL BE AMAZED BY HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH JUST A LITTLE SPACE.
Taken from ‘Step by Step Veg Patch’ by Lucy Halsall, published by DK, this chart depicts a typical first-timer’s patch, including a number of reliable crops that can be picked over a few weeks. The herbs and salad leaves can be picked just a few weeks after sowing, both as cut leaves or whole plants. One thing you will notice is just how much diversity you can achieve from such a small plot.
Top Row:
Sweetcorn x 9 Summer squash x 1 Runner beans x 8 French beans x 6
Maincrop potatoes x 4 Middle Row:
Dwarf bush tomatoes x 5 Cucumbers x 3 Kale x 4
Courgettes x 2
Bottom Row: Beetroots x 20 Carrots x 40
Radishes x 40 Swiss Chard x 8 Kohl rabi x 12
Oriental greens x 20 Lettuces x 20 Coriander x 6 Parsley x 4
M
arch is a good time to start thinking about the year ahead. Much of your already beautiful garden will be
sprouting buds and beginning to show its first signs of life. But with a recent surge in inner-city allotment applications and a dwindling choice of fresh fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, this could be the chance to dig up a few pretty bulbs and sow a few seeds of sustenance in their place. Vegetable plots are often disregarded as being ugly, time constraining, space consuming, but FOODLOVER will show you just how easy it can be, even with the smallest of spaces. And remember, it really does bear the fruit of your labour!
GETTING STARTED
For most first-time growers, a 3x3m plot will be more than enough to provide an ample bounty of crops while still being easy to maintain. If you don’t have space for a 3x3m plot, just utilise whatever space you do have, whether it be smaller beds, grow bags or pots on the patio, just as long as you plan what will be planted, where and when. Why not get creative and use an old kitchen sink or a pair of wellies!
Choosing the right spot Many crops (fruit and fruiting vegetables) rely on sunlight to maximise their sugar levels. Try to plant as much as possible in the sunniest position in your garden (south west facing if at all possible) and make the most of this position. Just
46 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
Preparing your plot Failure to prepare is preparation for failure. An age-old adage, but one that holds firm when planting an edible garden. Before any sowing or planting has even taken place, you should prepare the site somewhere between autumn and early spring, that is, if you haven’t already done it, get started! Preparation will depend on your site and type of soil. Test your soil for pH (level of acidity) and look at how much clay, sand, silt and chalk are present in different areas of your garden. Give your crops the best possible chance by enriching the soil with nutrients if needed. Here’s an example using a 3x3m plot.
remember the sunnier the position, the quicker the soil will dry, so make sure the roots are well moistened. North - and east-facing plots, although not so sunny, are also very useful for leaf crops such as cabbage or salads leaves.
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