If you were me, what would you grow and when ? I live 1000ft up in the Southern Uplands. Soil is poor and dries out quickly, we live on a slope. I have a decent sized back garden & want/need to grow as much veg as possible to feed two of us. We are both decrepit so I have to depend on one of my sons to do the heavy work, and we will maintain it from there. Last year I got some potatoes, a few onions, and strawberries and loved them. I want this year to do more intensive growing in the ground and in one-ton builders bags, as well as a big collection of containers & pots. If you were me, where would you start ? what would you plant? Really looking forward to your replies !
Ming, grow what you want to eat. just make sure you give it protection from the elements and feed it properly.lol
I want to grow potatoes, onions, lettuce (cant !), maybe turnips, - carrots I cant, wanted to try beetroot, syboes, and kale. I think maybe best to use all containers instead of the open garden. Last year I planted 2 rows of onions and got about 6, the rest vanished.
/ Hi Ming! The first thing you need is shelter from the elements, wind, cold and rain! Either with trees,shrubs or close fencing. The soil can be improved with any organic matter! Then there is that magic stuff, polythene, if you could not manage a poly tunnel,you could always cover with fleece and poly sheeting. All this depends where your garden is situated, and you not upsetting the neighbours and are able to put up wind breaks etc: The secret of easy gardening is very little and often, then it is a pleasure. Best of luck.
Ok many thanks - this last post on the hillside garden is very interesting, I think I can do that, although not chopping trees down ! I already do this with my nice shrubs in the front garden, I found the only way to keep them alive is to make a wee terrace/scoop out a hollow and fill with compost & feed. So I will look into this thank you. As soon as the ground thaws as its still deep frozen and rock hard .
Your growing season will probably be much shorter where you live so grow vegetables suitable for your location and, where possible. start them off indoors or in a greenhouse. The earlier suggestion of a polytunnel will not only allow you to extend your season but also to allow you somewhere sheltered to garden when the weather stops you from going outside. If you put down some black polythene this will help the soil warm up and keep the rain off - this will enable you to get on the garden earlier. You could do this an area at a time.
Nobody here uses polytunnels, they say the wind ruins them fast, but I can try the black polythene yes. Only its under a foot of snow just now but surely to god this winter will end some time eh ! LOL
