Small Vegetable Plot - what to do/grow??!!!

Hi All,

My first question here so hope its not to much of a teaser!! I have just moved into a new property and at the bottom of the gard there is a 4ft x 6ft area which looks like the previous owner used to have a vegetable patch.

I want to make the most of this area and try to grow some of my own produce... however I dont know where to start and what to grow!!

The plot is at the bottom of the garden, isnt really over shadowed and not really near any big trees, should get quite a bit of sunshine in the afternoon and evening.

If anyone has any ideas as what I can grow or what kind of cycle I could get in place to get the most out of the patch throughout the year. Ideally I would like to start growing as soon as possible although I know that I may have missed because of the time of year.

Thanks in advance.

Andy

 

4ft x 6ft is quite small. I'm blessed in that I have a huge area - but consequentially I don't have a clue HOW to grow in a small area

I have ready of a planting style called "Square foot gardening" - you might like to have a look / Google for that?

 

Pah! I should have looked here first!

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/square-foot-gardening-8100.html?t=8100

 

I guess the question is what do you want to get out of it?

It's about that veg you will eat, but I'd go for compact variaties and there are quite a few veg out there that can be grown in pots just incase you run out of room, I'd suggest you go on a seed site and see what you like, what's practical for your space and be realistic about what you aim to get out of the space.

Oh and :wlcm: to GC

 

This definitely depends on which veg you would like to grow/eat. I've sown a couple of weeks ago carrots, brassicas of all sorts, and they have all germinated fine. Tomatos i have sown indoors though, and they've not gone out yet.

 

Brassicas and Tomatoes are pretty big plants though, no? Although Tomato productivity is good (I don't grow outdoor Toms though, so I don't know about them)

However, I definitely agree with "Grow what you like to eat" - always good advice for a newbie, conversely there is no point growing something ideally suited to your plot if you hate the stuff!!

Considering "crop value", in a small plot, is probably a good idea too

Top ranked (in terms of the "effort" to grow, and yield) are Tomato, leaf lettuce, summer squash (Courgettes, etc.), peas, beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, pole beans

Lowest ranked are the things that need lots of space: corn, winter squash, melons, with pumpkins at the bottom of the list!

 

I have two raised veg beds which are 3m x 1.2m each, in other words pretty small.

I've grown dwarf French beans, lettuce, radishes, leeks, summer cabbage and this year for the first time, carrots. They're all doing well and I'd recommend them for a small plot.

 

I would suggest growing what you like to eat, you can get started straight away as you can buy ready to go young vegetable plants which you can plant out and reap from with out the need to start from seed. I too was late this season as new home young baby and an awful garden which has only been made manageable in the last month or so. So I ordered some organic vegetable plants online and they were cheaper than buying the vegetables in the supermarket. The website I used was great and the owner personally emailed me when I had a ton of questions about what I could plant and where. I only plant in containers and growbags as I have a dog who digs and this seems to have limited her :thumb: I am not sure if I can lead you in the direction of the website I used???? It doesn't have a forum.... please remove if it isn't allowed

www.thenaturalgardener.co.uk

Hope this helps :thumb:

 

Thanks all for your advice, am looking at planting any of the following -:

- potatoes
- tomatos
- lettuce
- corgettes
- carrots
- runner beans
- beetroot

I will pretty much use any vegetable, so if im ok then I will start planting this weekend, maybe seperate the plot into 4/6 areas each with a different veg in each.

 

Hey,
with a plot that small, you aren't going to be able to get that much out of it really, so I would concentrate on herbs (fresh herbs are ridiculously expensive to buy, but most grow easily and quickly), and salads. If you grow little gem lettuce, radishes, rocket and spring onions and succession sow them, you can be good for salads most of the year. Bung a few tomatoes in pots too.
I would buy small rosemary and sage plants and plant them out, and grow parsley (flat and curly), coriander, chives from seed. Basil in a pot as it likes the heat, and mint in a pot or else it takes over!

All the best.

Jon.

 

what do you eat regular? thats what i would grow , pointless growing veg you never eat.... and if you play ya cards right you can just keep planting new plants as the season continues - sea of green i have read before somewhere....

I already have my trade routes sorted - i grow peppers and trade the glut for chillies , already investigated possible trade with the corner shop ... awesome indeed.



cheers