[buttonnose82]

Hi there

We are moving to our new home in June and are lucky enough to have a large enough garden that we can create a veggie plot!  We want to start doing research now so we are ready to start ASAP after moving in, so I have a few questions that I hope you don't mind helping answer

1 - What would you say is a nice size plot to start with?  We plan on creating a small plot then increasing each year until we have a plot we are happy with.  Would a plot of 4 feet by 8 feet be too small? how much could be grown on this size?

2 - Would we double dig the plot? (it is currently just grass)

[mumofstig]

The RHS has some veg bed plans, for a 10ft x 10ft area

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Events-Gardens/The-RHS-3x3m-plots.
They are also shown in Carol Klein's book Grow Your Own Veg

If you haven't that much space then Google square foot gardening....you can get quite a lot from a small space that way

[billathome65]

I only have an area 6ft / 8ft and I find that very restrictive so If you got more space go bigger.

If your using it for veg only I would suggest digging the grass up and composting it then Personally I'd double dig then keep forking it for the rest of the year to keep weeds back and work in lots of fertilizer / compost. But I'm new to all this so others with vast knowledge may suggest something different.

Welcome to the forum.

Bill

[gillie]

 Eight feet by four feet would be a nice size to start with.  If you go wider than four feet you will not be able to reach the centre of the bed without treading on it, which is best avoided.  Perhaps you could eventually do another bed the same size.

Strip the turf off and stack it somewhere upside down to rot into a nice loam.  Double dig if you can, but depending on your soil that might be too difficult, in which case just single dig. Work in plenty of well rotted manure or compost (but if you have just moved in I doubt you will have any compost ready).  If you have time you could start some plants in April or May ready to go in as soon as you have part of the plot dug.

Do not add any fertiliser until a few weeks before sowing or planting something or it will be wasted.  You should be able to get some kind of a crop this year - french beans, maybe, or all kinds of salady things. 

To give you an idea of what you can grow in that space I grow about that area of carrots to last the two of us from say, June until February.  A bit less space than that will grow us a succession of beans or four courgette plants which will give us more than we need.  A plot this size would probably keep you in salads, if that is what you want to do.

[buttonnose82]

Thank you for your replies.  We do plan on eventually having 3 or 4 beds of that size (4 x we just wanted too start small

now with double digging, in a book I have it says to put the turf we take off upside down in the bottom of each trench, does that sound right or not??

[shokkyy]

Thank you for your replies.  We do plan on eventually having 3 or 4 beds of that size (4 x we just wanted too start small

I've got four beds of that size. In one I've got a permanent strawberry bed. In the other three I'll grow one bed for mangetout/french beans/broad beans, one bed for tomato/pepper and one bed for garlic/onion. I get a very decent crop from each and rotate the crops around the three beds. This year I'm adding another bed that's 16' X 16', in which I'll stick down movable planks to walk on, separating it into areas. On this I'm going to grow lots of peas, mangetout, sugar snap, borlotto, runner and french bean, all climbing, with space for a few broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, red cabbage, brussels, squash, courgette. I'll also stick in a few carrots, parsnip, radish, lettuce, spring onion for quick crops in any spaces. Spuds I do in containers and cucumbers in growbags. That all adds up to quite a lot of veg.

I did the same as you, started off with one bed in my garden, and kept adding more each year.

[buttonnose82]

great thank you!

I plan on doing potato's in containers, herbs in pots, tomato's in hanging baskets & mushrooms in trays so the ground is for any other fruit & veg.

I just don't want too get overwhelmed by starting too big too soon as I have a 6 month old too look after too lol

[shokkyy]

great thank you!

I plan on doing potato's in containers, herbs in pots, tomato's in hanging baskets & mushrooms in trays so the ground is for any other fruit & veg.

I just don't want too get overwhelmed by starting too big too soon as I have a 6 month old too look after too lol

If you want easy and low maintenance, go for french beans and courgettes, if you like eating them. Both are very easy to grow, will give you a big crop and don't really need anything except watering. And it's always worth doing some lettuce, spring onion, radish, to go with the tomatoes, also very easy as long as you throw down some slug pellets.

[digalotty]

great thank you!

I plan on doing potato's in containers, herbs in pots, tomato's in hanging baskets & mushrooms in trays so the ground is for any other fruit & veg.

I just don't want too get overwhelmed by starting too big too soon as I have a 6 month old too look after too lol

very sensible i think,  you can always expand to what you are comfortable with

[rozalia]

In 2009 I cleared an overgrown area 12x10ft and grew runner beans, salads and shallots.  In 2010 I doubled the area and grew potatoes, onions, beetroot and leeks as well.  Also in 2010 I covered a similar area in cardboard and black polythene.  This new section was dug over early in March 2011 and is now planted with 2 varieties of potatoes, in larger quantities and I will increase the amount of shallots.  I also have a raised bed 12x6 for strawberries and courgettes (4 courgette plants is enough for a small family).

Start smallish, plant things you like to eat with a quick turnover and think ahead to next year. Each successful crop will enthuse you to do more the following year.