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For the first time ever, the oab estate is sporting a pair of raised beds.
I've the ton of topsoil due to be delivered on Monday, to be mixed with about 10% sandy grit and then all mixed with the compost that's been there all winter.
One bed is only about 30cm deep, 1mx2m, the other 60cm deep, 1mx2.5m.
I'm North facing, full sun, but in Scotland.
What should I grow? I'm more interested in veg suited to grow up here (other than tatties...).
Variety of kale works well, and time some Brussels for xmas.
I'm in Perthshire so probably similar climate to you. Here's what we've been successful with, all of which have been fairly light on upkeep:
- Beans/peas need a bit of support infrastructure once they're growing but they look ace.
- Courgettes are awesome, but only plant one or two unless you want to spend august googling courgette recipes.
- Strawberries.
- Rhubarb can sit in the corner of a bed and rise zombie-like from the dead each year.
- Spuds (I know, but they're easy!)
We've struggled to keep brassicas from getting munched by the wildlife (although we haven't tried very hard with them).
We might do some salad leaves again this year.
My parents have/had (in your area); potatoes, courgettes/marrows, purple broccoli, cabbages, artichoke, spinach, loads of weird lettuces/leafy greens, rocket, kale, chard, peas, broad beans, spring onions, brussel sprouts, raspberries, plums, pears, rhubarb, brambles. Also various herbs, chives, mint
I think you can also do carrots and beetroot.
Grow food you will eat. I usually do a little of the following..
Spuds, on any spare ground to avoid weeds taking over.
Salad is a must, tastes sooo much nicer picked fresh. I do mixed leaves, baby spinach and rocket usually planted a 2 week intervals.
A few staples like Carrots, broccoli, cabbages, leeks, peas (fresh peas straight from the pods are my favourite). You can do onions if you have the space but they are so cheap to buy/take up space and dont taste any different to shop ones so i sometimes leave them.
Garlic and purple sprouting broccoli at the end of season to grow over winter.
Strawberries are also bloody tasty freshly picked.
I suggest trying something you may not always buy/eat too just for fun. I am doing pak choi this year for the first time as i have a recipe I like and it can be tricky to buy at times, last year I had a great recipe for mini squashes so grew them.
Sweetcorn never works well for me and green beans are hit or miss.
Just see what takes your fancy really.
Strawberries are also bloody tasty freshly picked.
There are various other beds with them in, about 12m of them. Plus we have 10 soft fruit bushes, two plums and two apples.
Good tip re courgettes.
We do eat salad, lots.
Without a doubt there will be carrots, spuds, beets and some spinach.
Some winter brassicas will be good.
I’ve just built our first bed for attempting veg growing, have never done it before.
What sort of soil should I buy? Bed is 200cm by 90cm, and pretty deep, 48cm as I had the wood. I’m thinking about bunging I’m loads of old tiles at the bottom to help with drainage and mean I don’t need quite so much soil. Any problem with this approach?
How do you stop birds / bugs eating your crops? Do you have a net over it?
Runner beans, take up hardly any space, prolific crops. Broad beans ditto.
Not potatoes.
Salad and brassicas have always been destroyed, im not trying them agdin tbh.