Plan Your Plot. Your site & things to consider. Get ready to Grow

Transcription

1 Plan Your Plot

2 The trick of making the best use of the space available to grow your own fruit and vegetables is to assess some basic growing conditions and layout options for your site. Whether it be a substantial community garden, allotment, city centre courtyard, balcony or even a windowsill with a few pots, with a clever selection of plants even the smallest, unpromising area can be productive and visually pleasing and can be converted into relaxing, green haven away from the stresses of everyday life. This section will look at the following aspects and how they will affect your site, its layout and what you can grow: Sunlight Soil Drainage Water supply Prevailing wind Frost pockets Tools Paths & access Site security

3 Sunlight How many hours of direct sunlight does your site receive throughout the day and over the growing season? A south facing aspect will be the most productive as it receives maximum levels of light. However all is not lost if you have a partially shaded site as there are some crops which can tolerate and even require some shade: for example, fine leaved salad crops wilt easily in the hot mid day sun. Shade cast by buildings or trees over the growing season will affect the growth and yield of your crops. Clever use of winter crops, quick maturing early crops, shade tolerant plants or moving containers into sunny spots throughout the growing season, may be a solution on problem sites. However, sites near trees are best avoided as trees will overshadow crops and are also thirsty and hungry plants which will use up the available moisture and nutrients in the soil. If possible, place your rectangular growing beds, a greenhouse, pollytunnel etc, running East to West so the long side is south facing and catches the maximum light. E W

4 Drainage In an ideal world a site should be level or on a slight south facing slope with naturally free draining soil! Both plants and people find if difficult to thrive with soggy feet! Plant roots will eventually rot causing the plant to die off if they are planted in constantly waterlogged soils. When there is a problem with drainage either due to soil type or location, there are a variety of drainage and cultivation solutions available. These can range from installing a system of field drains across the whole site, growing crops on elevated ridges to keep plant roots well drained, digging in horticultural grit and organic materials to improve drainage on heavy clay soils. Raised beds, containers and pots are good solutions in situations where the natural soil drainage is difficult or on tarmac/concrete surfaces as drainage layers can be built in when these are planted up. (Please see Section on design of raised beds and growing in containers.) Selecting plants that can cope with the site conditions is another option alongside the ones highlighted above. Where the soil is moist, but not constantly waterlogged, plant crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, peas and kale that need plenty of moisture to thrive. For really soggy, acidic soils blueberries will thrive!

5 Water Supply Access to a water supply is essential to all sites to water growing crops. This may take the form of a mains water supply, rain water collection butts on a shed or nearby building, or grey water collected from a building. Grey water collection can range from saving bathing water in a watering can to water a few pots or containers, to a specialist collection and filtration system hooked up to a buildings drains. Differing crops will have their own individual watering requirements and the selection of what to grow can be influenced by the ease of access to a water supply on your site. For example tomatoes, brassicas and leafy salads need high volumes of water to thrive and may prove difficult, or very hard work to grow, where there isn t easy access to a water supply for daily watering. For such sites choose crops that require less water to thrive such as carrots, beetroot or potatoes unless you are prepared to fetch in water on a daily basis. The type of soil that you have and its moisture retentive qualities also influences the amount of watering that will be required. On very free draining sandy soils, dig in lots of organic matter to improve water retention and use a deep mulch spread around the plants to retain moisture - good mulches include mushroom compost, leaf mould your own home-grown compost or leaf moult. Using soaker hoses in conjunction with mulches will greatly reduce the amount of water required.

6 Prevailing Wind Consider the prevailing wind and how it is going to affect your site, as it can easily damage the tender stems and leaves of crops on exposed sites. The prevailing wind is by and large coming from the South West for most of the UK. A good way to tell how it affects your site is to look at the growth of trees nearby as they will tend to be growing tilted away from the direction of the prevailing wind. The more extreme the tilt, the stronger the wind will be on the site. Where the wind is going to be a problem, windbreak protection can be installed to protect the site or individual vulnerable crops. This can range from planting hedges/trees or putting up screens of plastic wind break mesh around the site, to protecting individual beds with mesh screens or cloches. Horticultural fleece cloche Green plastic mesh protecting veg beds Slatted fence filtering Sheltering effect of a windbreak Another option is to select dwarf or low growing varieties of crops, such as dwarf peas and beans, that will not be so vulnerable to wind damage.

7 Frost Pockets These are caused by cold air settling in hollows at the bottom of slopes, against buildings, hedges or walls on a slope, where cold air is trapped and unable to escape. This can be made worse where the site is in constant shade over the winter months and frosts are unable to thaw out in the sun. If this is a problem on your site there are various strategies you can employ: Use this part of the site in the warmer months, when the threat of frost has passed, for growing on summer crops that have been raised either indoors or on a warmer part of the site. Protect any early or overwintering crops with a floating cover of horticultural fleece or cloches. Select crops that are fully frost hardy and can withstand prolonged periods of frost, such as winter kale, winter cabbages and Brussels sprouts. Use this part of the site for all weather storage, compost bins, etc. A tip to help the heat up the cold soil of a winter frost pocket prior to Spring planting is to cover the beds with black polythene for a couple of weeks beforehand. Alternatively, cover beds in the Autumn when the last of the previous crop has been lifted and leave on until needed in the Spring which will also prevent weed growth.

8 Access & Lugging Stuff! Regardless of how you choose to lay out your growing plots, raised beds, containers etc., whether in grids or on curvy lines, they will all need a good path network to allow access to the plots. This has to flow from the entrance to the site with a system of main paths to allow wheelbarrow or even tractor access onto the site, with narrower paths branching off between the growing plots. The plots themselves shouldn t be made too wide, so that you can lean across for easy access for planting and weeding from the paths. Try to avoid standing on cultivated soil as much as possible as it causes soil compaction and potential to damage seedlings and young plants. Paths can be made up from a range of materials, such as tarmac, whindust, bark, slabs, brick or grass. Your choice of materials will be based on what kind of access you need: for instance, if you needed wheelchair access, tarmac, whindust or slabs would be ideal, but this will be more expensive to lay. Page x

9 Soil It s vital to know what kind of soil you have on your site so that you can decide what kind of plants will grow successfully in your garden. Soil is made up of a mix of organic matter, fine rock and mineral pieces, air and water. Nutrients and water are taken up by the roots of plants when they as they grow. The way the soil is made up of these components, determines the soil type, how well it retains moisture and fertility levels. Where there are deficiencies in one aspect i.e. organic matter, then this can be added to the soil prior to planting. ph Testing This tells us how acid or alkaline the soil is and is an important factor in plant growth. You can buy simple kits from garden centres which measure the ph type from Acid soils have a ph of below seven, neutral is ph7 and above seven is alkaline. Most plants prefer a ph or around 5-7pH but if your soil is particularly acid or alkaline, you should choose plants which like those kinds of conditions (check the seed packets or ask in your garden centre if buying plants).

10 What kind of soil do you have? To test it pick up some damp soil, look at it and rub between your fingers and check it against the soil types below: Silty - made up of fine grains with a silky feel if rubbed between the fingers. It can be rolled into strips. Silty soils can be badly drained but don t get waterlogged. Peaty - plants grow well in this but it tends to be fairly acidic. It s very dark, almost black soil, easy to dig and spongy to the touch, dry in summer and very wet in winter. Sandy soil - gritty to the touch and easy to dig, sandy brown in colour and free draining, rarely becoming waterlogged. Plants need to be fed and watered on a regular basis as this soil won t retain moisture and nutrients, but does warm up quickly, so you can plant earlier in the year than clay soils. Loamy soil - perfect for gardeners! Brown and crumbly, not too wet or dry, easy to dig. This soil is naturally high in nutrients and great for growing. Chalky soil - full of clumps of white chalk or flint and drains very easily, so can be very dry in summer. This kind of soil is always alkaline and will need lots of watering and feeding. Clay soil - very sticky and rolls into a ball when squeezed. The good news is that it s high in nutrients, but the bad news is that it s hard to dig, gets baked solid in dry conditions and waterlogged in winter. Add organic matter such as leaf mould or compost, or plenty of sand to help improve the soil structure.

11 Optimum ph for growing crops Vegetable Optimum ph Vegetable Optimum ph Globe artichoke Asparagus Avocado Beans Beet Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Chili Chives Cucumber Dill Garlic Leek Lettuce Mint Onions Parsley Parsnips Peas Peppers Potatoes Pumpkins Radish Raspberries Rhubarb Shallots Spinach Squash Strawberries Sweetcorn Sweet potatoes Tomatoes Turnip For further information on ph or plants not listed above check out the following websites:

12 Main Elements for a Community Garden Source: Page x

13 Tools Tools for cultivation You re sure to need a few tools to get you started and although you can built these up over time, listed below are some that you re likely to find the most useful. Try and buy the best quality you can afford as cheap tools have a short life span and can be a false economy in the long term. Hand tools can be multi-purpose and used for a number of different tasks, but make sure that you choose one that is comfortable for your height, with a comfortable hand grip. To avoid injury, try to keep your back straight when working with long tools such as forks, spades, hoes and rakes. Dutch hoe - good for weeding Hoes - used for breaking the top layer of soil, light weeding, turning weeds in the soil and earthing up. Draw hoe - good for earthing up, pulling earth around plants Forks - ideal for breaking up the soil and adding organic matter. Rakes are used for the final part of cultivation to bring the surface soil to a fine tilth before planting. Spades are essential for digging, planting and making holes for structures such as fence posts, etc. Short handled tools - these are ideal if you re working in high raised beds.

14 Tools Cutting Tools There are a vast array of hand cutting tools available on the market ranging from knives for taking cutting to telescopic saws for lopping high branches on trees. What you will need will be driven by what you are growing and whether you have boundary hedges and trees on your site. A good pair of secateurs would be sufficient for a vegetable patch with fruit bushes, with the addition of a pair of loppers and a pruning saw if you have fruit trees on your site. Adapted Tools There are tools specially designed for gardeners of all physical abilities and ages. These range from mini tools designed for children, to hand tools with long and adapted handles for wheelchair users. These types of tool may need to be considered to match the needs of the gardeners accessing the site. Care Tips: Clean tools thoroughly after use a to prevent the spread of any soil borne pests or diseases. Keep the cutting edges of tools such as secateurs sharp and lightly oiled - spades and hoes will also be more efficient if edges are kept sharp. Store tools in a dry place and to prevent them from rusting. Notes

15 Composting Why compost at home? Home composting is a great way to make the most of garden and kitchen waste. It s easy, costs little or nothing to get started and can seriously improve the quality of your garden produce, plus things you would otherwise be putting into your general rubbish bin are being naturally recycled creating compost rather than ending up in a landfill site. So it s good for both your veg patch and the planet! Getting started Black Dalek bins are ideal for smaller spaces but if you re feeling energetic, you can build your own (old wooden pallets are great for this). It should be at least 1 cubic metre in size to allow heat to build up. Site your bin on bare earth, to allow worms to enter through the bottom, which will help to mix up the materials and form compost more quickly. Although it s tempting to hide your bin out of the way in a shady corner, it ll produce compost more quickly in a warm spot - so choose a sunny site if possible. What to put in Put some woody stems at the bottom, to help air circulate. Then build up your heap in layers of green and brown. Green materials include leaves, young weeds, grass cuttings and soft prunings, and brown materials include kitchen waste such as veg peelings, small pet bedding, shredded woody prunings and even newspaper paper and egg boxes. Make sure the heap is nice and moist and keep it covered most black bins come with a lid, but you can also use old carpet. If it s looking too brown and dry, mix in activators, such as comfrey leaves, nettles and grass, which will help the heap to decompose more quickly. If it s looking soggy, green and smelly, add in some dry, brown materials. Water occasionally or leave the lid off sometimes to catch the rain.

16 Composting What to leave out Avoid meat/fish or any cooked food - these can attract rats and mice. Also avoid cat litter, dog poo, disposable nappies and diseased plants. Sawdust or woody pruning's can take a very long time to rot and may slow a small heap down, so use sparingly. Avoid perennial weed roots like bindweed, dandelions and ground elder - as they will thrive in a compost bin! What about leaves? Autumn leaves are slow to rot, but can be put in bags with holes punched in them and in a year or two will decompose to form a lovely leaf mould. How long does it take to make compost? It usually takes 6 months to a year, but turning the heap every couple of months will speed up the process, although this can be hard work, so at the very least, give it a stir with a garden fork. How will I know when it s ready? Check the bottom of the heap. Although the top may look far from ready, the bottom half will be ready much faster this is easy to check in a black bin with door at the bottom. It should have turned into a dark brown, crumbly material that looks like soil, although it ll still be perfectly usable if there are a few bits of twigs or eggshell in it. What do I do with it now?? Add to your flower or vegetable beds as a mulch, or dig in, and start again! If you have room, several bins at different stages will provide a supply of compost at regular intervals.

17 Build your own Raised Beds Raised beds can bring a lot of benefits to a vegetable garden, and are very popular in the recent upsurge of Growing your Own, but it s worth checking they re suitable to your situation before you start building. Pros: Better drainage with water naturally draining out of the raised soil into the surrounding area Improved soil as you can fill the bed with an ideal compost mix Neat and tidy, which can help keep children and pets off the bed Cons: Expense of the materials and extra topsoil/compost Levelled site required otherwise the beds will be wonky Greater need for watering makes them inappropriate for a dry site If you decide to go for them, and you re up for building your own, then the next step is to source the materials. The basic raw material for raised beds is wood. Brick or plastic can be used, but wood tends to be cheaper, more readily available, and more attractive. However, as the soil is going to be right up against the wooden walls of the bed, and the walls are going to have to withstand the elements, it s important to pick the right wood. It s best to avoid woods that have been treated as they might leach chemicals into the soil, and some woods (Spruce, Pine) will rot down quite quickly outdoors. Locallysourced Larch is highly recommended (if quite expensive) as it is weather-resistant... or... Reduce Reuse Recycle! If possible, try and source some untreated, unwanted scaffolding boards from local suppliers.

18 Build your own Building your Bed The ancient wisdom from gardeners of times past is that a raised bed should be no wider than double your reach, and no longer than you can be bothered to walk round to get to the other side. This avoids all temptations to stand on the bed (a bad idea!), and gives dimensions of around 1200mmx2400mm. The height is very much up to the gardeners preference, although if there are any gardeners with mobility issues involved it s worth making them taller, either with legs or higher sides. You will need: four posts deep enough to sink into the ground for stability, enough thick planks for four walls of the height required, a trowel or shovel, a mallet/hammer, self-tapping screws and a drill with screw-driver bit. The posts at each corner hold the structure of the bed. On your level piece of ground, lay out the posts and the walls of the bed. Using this lay-out as a guide, dig holes for the posts and then hammer them into the ground. Then attach the walls to the posts, any of the ways above will be fine. And lastly, fill the bed almost to the top with topsoil and top off with about 6 of compost. Source these from a local supplier and bear in mind that you ll probably need more than you expect!

19 Build your own Compost Bays Another great Build Your Own addition to any community garden is a pallet compost bay. Pallets are very easy to come by (ask around locally, at a nearby builder s site, or keep an eye on local skips) and are conveniently sized for a fairly good critical mass of compost. If you have limited space, one of these pallet bays is a great investment, but if you have enough space for three or four bays then it makes good composting much easier - just start filling up at one end and then turn it over into the next one along to get oxygen in, start filling up the first one, turn both of them along, and so on (see the composting part of the Plan your Plot section for more info). Construction of the bays is very simple, very similar to the raised beds. Other than the pallets all you ll need is four posts longer than the pallets, a sledge hammer and some (good quality) cable ties. Saw off the posts at an angle to make hammering them into the ground easier, one post at the outside corners of the bays - as with the raised beds, measure out where the posts go by laying the pallets flat on the ground first. Try and make the posts go in straight! Then nail or screw the end pallets to the posts and cable tie the rest to each other. You can also saw up a pallet and use it as a front door (just tied on) for when the bay starts to fill up as in the pictures above.