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Plums and Damsons
Find out more about plums and damsons
fruits
09:58, 17th Aug 2010
Review of The Treehouse Diaries
A review of the book The TreeHouse Diaries by Nick Weston
books
11:17, 26th Jul 2010
Storing Herbs by Freezing
Find out how to freeze herbs to retain their flavour for months
preserving
16:10, 4th Jun 2010
Make Your Own Leafmould
Find out how to make your own leafmould to improve your soil
grow your own
15:28, 4th Jun 2010
Greenhouse Thermometer
Use a suitable max min thermometer to track temperatures in a greenhouse
greenhouse
11:22, 3rd Jun 2010
Greenhouse from Plastic Bottles
Build a greenhouse from old plastic bottles
greenhouse
10:19, 3rd Jun 2010
Make Tomato Passata
Preserve tomatoes by making delicious tomato passata
preserving
12:00, 25th May 2010
Growing Outdoor Tomato Varieties
Tomato plants which will survive outdoors in the UK
fruits
11:56, 25th May 2010
Your Vegetable Plot
Find out more about the ideal vegetable plot
Your Vegetable Plot
vegetables | grow your own
Every garden no matter how small can be used to grow a selection of vegetables. It is even possible to grow many vegetables in pots and trays - for example, growing potatoes in an old dust bin. However, if you intend to be self-sufficient in vegetables you will need a decent sized vegetable plot in your garden and the time to care for it.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
Each week expect to spend around 5 minutes per square metre of vegetable plot weeding, tidying and so on. Therefore to maximise your yields and the quality of the vegetables you grow it is often better to reduce the size of your proposed plot so that you have the time to give it your full attention. Decide how many hours you can dedicate per week to growing vegetables and set your plot size accordingly (within the constraints of the amount of land you have). For example, if you can spend three hours per week on your vegetable plot then your plot should not be much larger than 25 x 12 feet.
Your plot must also be positioned so that it gets at least six hours of sunlight daily as vegetables need a lot of sun, and also water must be readily available. If possible position your plot in a sheltered location where the soil will warm up quickly in the spring and give you a head start and a longer growing season.
Well drained fertile soil is essential for a high yielding vegetable garden. Remove as many stones as possible, and add organic matter such as compost or manure to increase fertility. The soil should be tilled and raked over before planting. Raised beds help to protect the structure of the soil and make it easier to tend to your crops.
Click here to find out about the importance of crop rotation.
Article Published: 13:12, 8th Jul 2008
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Find out how to grow your own garlic
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Crop Rotation
Find out more about the importance of crop rotation
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Growing Asparagus
Find out how to grow your own asparagus
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Make Newspaper Plant Pots
Find out how to make your own environmentally friendly plant pots from newspaper
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Potato Clamp Storing Potatoes
Store potatoes (and other vegetables) over winter with a potato clamp
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preserving | vegetables | grow your own