[Browseruk]

I have a 3.5m x 5.5m plot of light, loamy soil at least 400mm deep; that I double dug and de-stoned last autumn.

The plot is in the South of the UK (Hampshire) and is situated where an ancient (several hundred years) hedgerow (mostly blackthorn, juniper and elder) was grubbed out.

So, what to grow?

My current thinking is: (rows running  roughly East-West along the 3.5m edge).

1 x 0.5m   row - canned runner beans.
1 x 1.0m   row - courgettes
1 x 0.5m   row - cauliflowers
1/2 x 0.25m row - radishes
1/2 x 0.25m row - lettuce (cos?)
1 x 0.5m   row - broccoli
1 x 0.25m row - leeks
1 x 0.25m row - carrots
1 x 0.25m row - onions
1 x 0.25m row - spring onions
1 x 0.5m row - white cabbages
1 x 0.5m row - potatoes
0.5m - ?

Anything untoward? Something I should add? Any specific ordering; apart from putting the canned runners at the North end of the plot to avoid shading the other stuff.

Very general questions I know, but its my first plot and I haven't grown anything for 40 years.

Any pointers welcomed.

[Yorkie]

I wonder whether you've allowed space to harvest crops, between rows.

I would group families of crops together, e.g. the brassicas (cauli, brocc, cabb) - so if you need to protect them (e.g. from pigeons or cabbage white fly) you can protect all at once.

Another grouping would be the alliums - leek, onion, spring onion

[missmoneypenny]

In my opinion no plot is complete without tomatoes.

[Browseruk]

In my opinion no plot is complete without tomatoes.

I thought about using 1/2 or a 1/3 of the cane row for toms; but they (by reputation) are high maintenace and when you can buy 1kg of red, orange or yellow tomatos for £1 at the local market...is growing your own worth the effort?

(That really is a non-rhetorical question!)

Couple of other things came to mind: Can I grow aubergines, broad beans; peas?

[Nobbie]

If you grow early spuds, you can transplant the leeks into this space when they are harvested. I would not bother with cauliflower as they take up a lot of space for the return, maybe try some parsnips to give a crop to harvest over winter. Also onions taste much the same from the shops, so would prioritise fresh summer veg like mangetout, or French beans.

Be careful not to try to cram too much in, especially with things like courgette which grow into surprisingly big plants, but optimise returns by ‘catch cropping’ lettuce and radish between and around the tender plants such as beans and courgette which develop later by which time you can have harvested the earlier crop.

[Browseruk]

I wonder whether you've allowed space to harvest crops, between rows.

I dunno. I have 500mm spare at the moment I could distribute between the rows, not that that adds much room.

I can split another rows between two crops; or drop something if need be.

I'm thinking of purchasing a 4m x 150mm decking board to slide between the rows to avoid compacting.

[Browseruk]

I would never grow anything to save money! People say homegrown tomatoes taste better but I wouldn't know. I tried growing them on my allotment once and they got blight that also took out my maincrop potatoes.

The last thing I grew -- nearly 40 years ago -- was tomatos; in grow bags on my patio. Tended them daily and got a bumber crop. Trouble was they all came at once and we had a glut for about 6 weeks and nothing before or after. We tried drying some in the oven and bottling them in oil; lots of work and they all went mouldy. (We didn't know back then you can freeze them for use in cooking.)

I guess the experienced gardner would grow several varieties that mature at different times. Maybe next year; but on my patio, not on the plot having heard your blight woes.

[Tenhens]

Whatever price you pay in the shops does not compare with the wonderful feeling of growing it yourself AND the flavour is well worth it.  My family can tell the difference between our spuds and the same variety in shops.
The only thing my crops get is soil and home made compost and mother natures irrigation.
I have also found that home grown spuds are also more filling so you eat less , prolonging your harvest.

[Subversive_plot]

Welcome Browseruk!

Regarding tomatoes, there are blight-resistant varietes available. I'm pretty distant from where you are, so you might want to get recommendations from others here. Crimson Crush is one variety.

Tomatoes that produce everything at once are determinate growing. Indeterminate (aka cordon type) tomatoes spread out production for a longer period.  Look for cordon tomatoes.

[steven c]

the only thing i would add is to grow what you like to eat  i think you would only need 2 courgette plants
and tomatoes outside need a good summer  we get a great return from Alderman peas they grow over 6 ft tall and are heavy croppers[.premier seeds] .  good luck enjoy.

[Browseruk]

Whatever price you pay in the shops does not compare with the wonderful feeling of growing it yourself

For now, its about saving money on food, getting some exercise, and having something to do in retirement. Hopefully the love will come.

For the last 40 years, gardening -- mostly gress cutting and trimming hedges and trees -- has been a chore.

As a teenager I earned money maintaining the gardens for a couple of rich guys in big houses and did the heavy work in an old ladies vegetable garden. I enjoyed the work well enough -- at least when the Sun shone -- but it was mostly about the pocket money.

[Potterer]

I can’t get over the ancient several hundred year old hedgerow being grubbed out….. very sad

[Browseruk]

I can’t get over the ancient several hundred year old hedgerow being grubbed out….. very sad

It happened nearly 30 years ago when the fields were turned into a housing estate.