[Russ..]

Hi guys n girls this is my 2nd post so please be gentle.


I have a patch of land at the back of my mothers which i fenced off and dug over around 4 years ago, in the mist of doing this i found all sorts and to be honest still am.

This consisted of house bricks, old fire places, a air raid shelter and a push bike.

after turning the soil and added some horse manure and plenty of boxs of bone meal and growemore and left over the winter until the following May. I planted only spuds that year and tbh got not alot.

The following year i did the same but didn't add manure. I tried growing spuds again and lettuce with amazing results had what i thought was a large grop but until i looked on the net i was wrong.

i also did some strawberrys in hanging baskets and beetroots in some window boxill try and add some piccys as soon as ive made them smaller

[Baldy]

can sometimes be difficult at the get go Russ - for example - if you cleared grass for those spuds of yours, then you might find in the first year or two that the potatos get riddled with wireworm... however, persevere and year by year the wireworm problem drops off (as they like to live in grass).
Also, if you though that you had a good crop, then you probably did. On the internet you'll be reading (mostly) about great success or great failure - people tend not to brag about something that did 'pretty well'...

Something you might think about - as it sounds like your ground has had some 'rough' use in the years before you took it on - is to do some raised beds. They could be as simple as just piling earth/compost upwards rather than digging it in. Or you could spend money and do neatly (expensively). Or somewhere in between.
With the raised beds you'd be a little more in control of your growing medium.

Anyhow, after 4 years and still going at it I hope you're enjoying it. Hope to see some pics.

Pip pip,
Balders

[Goosegirl]

Hi Russ - sounds like you've got the makings of a shed there plus some transport!! If you're happy with what you got then that's the main thing. We all have good and bad years with the same crops so don't worry - just enjoy it.

[muddled]

The first year you got not a lot,
The second year was great (until you looked on the internet  )

Third time lucky then..... Next season you'll be inundated! 

[devonbarmygardener]

Keep at it Russ - you will get there
It took 3 years before I used my plot fully.

Welcome to the site