Thursday, July 24, 2014

Vegetables, salad and soft fruit crops we are growing: 2014-15

We thought it might be useful to make a list of the vegetables we are growing in 2014 through to Spring 2015. It will be useful for us to document it and also give our readers some idea of the range of food that can be grown in a temperate climate that has all year round growing conditions.


We use a crop rotation system that makes the best use of companion planting in the two large and two smaller raised beds situated past the orchard at the bottom of the garden.

Product
Cropping 
Celeriac
Feb 2015
Carrots
October 14
Beetroot
Since April through to February 2015
Tomatoes, Spring onions
Current
Leeks
September onwards
Cauliflower, Broccoli, Flower Sprouts
November onwards
Turnip, Swede and Chard
November onwards
Aubergine, Peppers, Butternut Squash
September onwards
Beans (various)
Current
Basil, Parsley, Coriander
September onwards
Lemon Grass and various herbs
Current
Fennel
Ongoing until early Spring
Marrows, Cucumber and Kohl Rabi
Ongoing until September
Chili Peppers
Current
Raspberries and Blackberries
Current
Red and Black Currants
Cropped and frozen
Peas, Onions and Potatoes
Cropped and stored
Winter Lettuce
November onwards
Gooseberries
Crop Failure 2014
Horse Radish
November


No doubt we will be challenged with black fly, aphids, opportunistic intruders, mildew, watering, wild animals and birds but with careful management, pest control and natural defences such as companion planting, we should be able to provide more than enough fresh vegetables, salad crops and soft fruit to see us through the year for eating, processing into jams and pickles and, for preserving in the dehydrator or freezer. The excess we will distribute amongst friends or compost and return the goodness to the soil.



In addition to the vegetables we also grow a range of fruit including peaches, oranges, apples, pears, plums, greengage, rhubarb and physalis as well as a range of plants we will use in hand-creams, soaps and herbal teas: lemon verbena, lemon balm, mint, calendula, lavender, comfrey, sage and so on...

Lemon Verbena - harvested for drying

There is little doubt that growing your own food is hard work and never ending but the rewards are worth the effort. In our experience, it tastes so much better and we can be confident that no harmful chemicals have been used in its production. Friends often say that they wish they had the space to grow food, our reply is always the same: a window box, tub or series of plant pots can produce quite a bit of food. If you've thought about growing your own but never got around to it, it is not too late, have a go and let us know how you get on.

Geraldine the Hedgehog - slug control...



2 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:45 pm

    :) we also have a hedgepig at the mo - great to see him back - and hopefully tucking into the slugs. I am jealous of all the wonderful fruits you can grow there :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:51 pm

    very informative, thank you,
    Manfred

    ReplyDelete

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