Growing Fruit and Veg
Strawberries
- dig over soil, remove any weeds etc, add manure and dig in
- plant the strawberries every 35cm (13in) in rows of 75cm (30in) apart
- water well after planting
- to deter slugs, put down pellets or grit or broken egg shells around each plant
- you can also put a net over the strawberries to protect from birds etc
- remove the strawberries when ripe, so they don’t rot and birds/slugs don’t get them
What you need
- strawberry Plants
- manure/well rotted compost
- watering Can
- trowel
- hoe
- slug pellets/net
Rhubarb
- best put in free draining soil/partial shade
- dig in plenty of manure/well rotted compost.
- make hole slightly bigger than rhubarb plant. The Depth should be so that the plant is level or just under soil surface
- gently firm and water well in
- space each plant about 75cm (30in) apart for small varieties, and 120cm (48in) for larger plants
- when leaves have died, put some more compost/manure around the plant base to help conservewater and suppress weeds
- remove dead leaves/stalks in early spring to generate new growth
- remember the leaves on the Rhubarb are toxic/poisenous so be careful to dispose of them properly
What you need
- spade
- rhubarb plants/seeds
- compost/manure
- fork
- trowel
Potatoes
- potatoes from seed are to plant out when the shoots are 1.5 – 2.5cm (0.5 – 1 in) high
- dig a trench about 7.5 – 13cm (3-5in) deep from mid March – April in your raised bed
- can add small amounts of fertilizer to trench before planting
- plant about 30cm (12in) apart with 40 – 50cm (16 – 20in) between rows
- plant the potatoes with shoots pointing upwards lightly cover with soil
- when shoots appear, mound up soil to cover top of shoots, do this regular
- your potatoes should be ready for lifting from June – September, depending on variety/growing condition
What you need
- seed potatoes
- spade
- seed trays
Carrots
- dig soil over in late winter/early spring, rake to a fine texture. Carrots prefer to be in a sunny spot/soil to be stone free
- no need to add manure or compost to soil. One week before planting add some fertilizer to the bed
- sow seeds thinly in shallow holes about 2 – 3cm (1in) deep, covering the seeds with soil if planting early seeds in march – april may need protecting with a cloche or fleece
- once seeds have germinated and are showing, thing out to 5cm (2in) between plants
- keep well watered during growing as dry soil can produce coarse, woody roots
- remove carrots when big enough to eat from June/July onwards
What you need
- carrot seeds
- fork
- general fertilizer
- rake
Peas
- dig over bed adding well rotted manure/compost
- plant seeds in a flat trench 5cm (2in) deep and 25cm (10in) wide. Water trench first before adding seeds
- sow seeds 5- - 7cm (2in) apart
- peas are climbers and can reach above 200cm (80in) in height. Put in support canes before plants get too heavy
- regular picking is a must for fresh peas, harvest from bottom of plant upwards
- no need to pull out roots when crop finished as roots are full of nitrogen fixing bacteria, just cut off top stems at surface level
What you need
- peas
- canes/plant supports
- hoe
Beans
- dig over bed, add leaf mould or well rotted manure
- prop up support canes by pushing into soil and tying together at the top using twine/string, secure with a horizontal cane between props
- sow singular beans 4cm (1.5in) deep in a pot filled with multi-purpose compost, water and store in poly tunnel or window sill
- when germinated, plant out about three weeks later, planting a single plant to each cane
- don’t forget to label your pots
What you need
- 2.4m (8ft) canes
- bean seeds
- 7.5cm (3in) pots
- multi-purpose compost
- watering can
- trowel
- labels
Onions/Garlic
- texture of soil is important and good drainage. Dig in well rotted manure and sand or grit
- plant onion sets 10cm apart from late winter to mid spring. Push gently into the soil until tips are showing
- plant shallots 15cm apart from late winter to early spring
- garlic likes the sun and fairly rich ground
- plant bulbs vertically 10cm apart in late autumn or early spring to th edepth of the bulb
- when leaves turn yellow lift the bulbs and spread them to dry in a cool place
What you need
- onion, shallot & garlic bulbs
- sand or grit
- well rotted manure
- general fertiliser
- fork/trowel
- gloves
Lettuce
- prior to planting in the autumn dig in plenty of well rotted manure. Fork in general fertiliser then rake to create a fine seed bed
- young plants do not tansplant well in dry weather
- sow seed sparingly in 1.5cm deep drills
- thin to final spacing when strong enough to handle
- germination of lettuce seed can sometimes be poor, you may prefer to sow the seed in modules
- water well after both sowing and planting. Moisture is vital to success
- hoe around plant and hand weed regularly to remove weeds
What you need
- seed Compost
- lettuce Seed
- rake
- watering can
- well rotted manure/general fertiliser
- hoe
Apples
- they suit the british climate and prefer rich, moist, well drained soil
- easily grown on drawf stock in large pots
- apples are best grown as espaliers as they benefit from the protection of a warm fence or wall
- well established trees in containers can be planted at any time of th eyear if roots aren´t damaged
- there are no special requirements except the graft (the distinctive swelling on the stem) is not planted beneath the soil
- water generously to help establish and make good growth and add a heavy mulch
What you need
- apple Tree
- multi-purpose compost
- watering can
- spade/fork
- gloves
Raspberries
- one of the easiest fruits to care for and, as they flower late, it is possible to get good crops in areas other fruits fail
- plant in rich, well dug soil
- moisture is vital as is good drainage
- plant canes 60cm apart in rows 2m apart spread roots wide and cover to a maximum depth of 5cm. Make sure soil around plants is very firm
- after planting cut the canes back to within 25cm of the soil so that there will be plenty of young growth to fruit the following year
- The brittle canes are easily trained on pairs of wires stretched between garden stakes 2.5-3m apart. Set wires 60cm and 1.5m from ground
- spread grass cuttings or straw over bed in spring to conserve moisture and supress weeds
- keep birds away with netting
What you need
- raspberry canes
- fork/hand fork
- horticultural grit
- garden stakes
- wire
- pliers
- secateurs
- sledgehammer
- garden netting
- mulch
- watering can
- well rotted manure
Blueberries
- acid soil, suitable for heathers and rhododendrons, is essential to successfully grow blueberries
- a substitute of peat and leaf mould will be productive if such conditions aren´t available
- in a garden with alkaline soil, blueberries should be grown in containers filled with ericaceous compost or they will not survive
- blueberries are most productive if you grow different varieties together to ensure cross pollination and heavier fruiting with bigger fruits
- blueberries are generally pest and disease free and require little pruning or training. Remove dead or damaged growth in the winter
- water copiously for good crops but avoid tap water which might contain lime. Use rain water which is naturally acidic
- mulch heavily with chipped bark to maintain the acidity of the soil, retain moisture and suppress weeds
- keep birds from fruit with netting
What you need
- blueberries (different varieties)
- ericaceous compost
- scissors
- watering can
- hand fork
- chipped bark mulch
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