I took it on back last October (2017) when the ground was solid and the weeds were as high as I am tall.
It seemed like a mammoth task but we've managed it. This year has been a difficult one, for novice and experienced gardeners the weather surprised everyone and the long hot weeks of May and June made for difficult growing conditions.
We've learnt an awful lot during our first few months and it's been a steep learning curve. We've had some real failures but also some amazing successes. I'll list what went well and what went wrong a little later. First, let me show you some photographs of how the plot is looking.
We are very lucky that we got a regular delivery of shredded wood chips and leaves to lay down on the paths. It's not recommended to be used as a mulch as the potential for it to contain chemicals is unknown so we just use it for the paths and they look really neat. The raised beds are all made from either single or double planks of decking boards - a really easy a cheap(ish) way of doing it.
We're currently using the original soil from the plot as filler for the beds as it seemed pretty good at the beginning of the year. We soon came to realise it's infested with bindweed. So next season we're going to go for the no-dig technique in a bid to eradicate the bindweed. Because the plot was neglected for some time before we took it on, the whole thing is just covered with weeds poking out at every opportunity. Back in the spring, I came home from the plot one evening close to tears as a fresh rainfall and a bit of sun had brought every weed imaginable to the surface and I felt totally deflated. Gladly, we seem to be keeping on top of the worst offenders but it's a daily job keeping them at bay.
Now on to our successes and failures for spring and summer 2018.
Crops that were failures :
- broad beans - decimated by black fly
- early radish and beetroot - ran to seed because of the sun and were decimated by slugs
- iceberg lettuce - looked ready then bolted into magnificent lettuce trees in the heat
- moneymaker tomatoes - produced about 6 tomatoes
- runner beans - the first lot died a death in the sun, around 30 plants in total despite being planted into a trench of manure
- mangetout - grew to about 6 inches tall, flowered, produced 2 or 3 pods on each plant and then died
- sugarsnaps - did the same as above
- turnips - out of 12 planted, only 2 grew to a havestable size
- pak-choi - bolted very quickly, though we did have 5 or 6 decent pickings
- carrots - out of 2 packets of seeds only 5 made it to planthood
- rocket - bolted by ridiculous proportions
- kale - the unkillable plant? yeah, we killed it!
- spinach - bolted and went to seed
- raspberry canes - bought 15 canes from Suttons seeds and only 1 made it in the heat.
- spring onions - didn't bother to grow at all!
Crops that were a success :
- Brussels sprouts - the first plants to go in the ground on the plot as are now impressive Brussels trees with sprouts growing and being harvested
- onions - i grew shallots, turbo and another variety which were all very successful, not huge bulbs but good taste
- cabbages - these have turned into magnificent plants and are producing some delicious heads
- butternut squash - I was gifted two young plants and they took up around 6 foot square each and have produced some very delicious squashes.
- second sowing of beetroot - ended up with enough to eat and enough to pickle.
- second sowing of radishes - not many of these made it home as they were delicious
- second sowing of runner beans (from nursery grown plants) - bought "enorma" plants from Rocket Gardens and they have flourished!
- babycorn - again, purchased from Rocket Gardens as young plants. Not harvested any yet but they are looking wonderful
- leeks - musselburgh variety doing very well in a bed, around 35 plants in total
- cherry tomatoes - the plants were wild and unruly but we have picked a lot!
- chillis - 5 different varieties
- herbs - mainly parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint, basil, chives, fennel
- edamame
- strawberries
There are a lot of things still in the ground, either still growing or getting ready for overwintering.
It's been a fabulous year so far and I'd hate to imagine how much money we've spent on tools and plants etc, but the joy it has brought me has no price. It's been amazing!
Now to get the seeds ready for next year to do it all again!
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