Friday 20 January 2017

Getting the growing plans in order and on paper


Something I want to do shortly is measure what we have land wise.  I want an accurate overhead, bird’s eye view of our home.  This will allow us to step back and look at the space for the future instead of standing amongst it all and seeing it with today’s intended use.  It’s hard to stand in Chickenville and see it as potential veg plot for example, or to know if the wooded area would be big enough to turn into a pig area if we fenced it off or where the best place to put an outdoor sand arena/horse walker would be.  I’d like to get that done in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, I’m putting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard again to update the 2017 growing plan.  I have started sowing some seeds at the risk of losing them.  I’ve only put aubergine and corn salad in.  This weekend I have tomatoes, cauliflower, leeks, red onions, onions, peppers and chillis to put in.  Everything that needs a high heat to germinate will go in the airing cupboard as it’s right next to the Aga chimney.  The things that need 20C and below will go in the kitchen.  Hopefully things will come up together meaning they can be moved together to the south facing windowsill before going to the heated greenhouse at some point, as they will all be in one propagator.
We now have 3 new raised beds and there are 2 more large ones and 4 smaller in the pipeline too.  We’re busy filling them with muck and I’ll be getting a top soil delivery at the end February or early March to top them up.
The plan therefore currently looks like this (I've no idea if the photos will work but you get the idea)





We have 18 beds of different sizes (I know some people prefer uniform, but this works for us) and I'm still deciding what will go in some.  Bed 11 (large) and 15/16 (small) aren't spoken for.  I am growing more potatoes than some would bother with.
I can't decide whether to put anything permanent in my new beds.  Fruit bushes or such like.  This year they will be new soil so I may use it as a tester year. 
The older strawberry patch is taking over and I have no idea how old it is.  It performed well last year, but maybe this year I will dig it out once I've taken the runners as I'm going to line some beds with strawberries.
Also I am super excited to be saying I will be visiting lots of your blogs to search for your tried and tested recipes.  I know there are plenty of you who have them and I’d like them ready to use when harvest comes round.  It’s such a busy time of year that all planning ahead that can be done should, then I can just concentrate on the goodies and recipes.  Also I would like to time table in when to start making the food and drink for Christmas gifts.  I don't want to miss a thing this year!

13 comments:

  1. Eeeeek chic! Loving reading about peoples' plans. So exciting for you to have so many beds; wish I had a few more. You are super organised and growing a fab range of edibles.I think I am making the best of the space I have. I asked you about space and peas, well after I hoed and weeded the end of the main patch the other day I realised I have a bit more space to play with, even though I have measured it! Should be able to shoehorn in a few extra plants. Soooo exciting - did I say that already?!

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    1. It is ridiculously exciting isn't it? I haven't captured everything yet I don't think - until I do the seed inventory I will be missing a few items. Brilliant that you found more space....if you can't spread out, grow up :D

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  2. I also love to see what people are growing, it is hard to wait those few extra weeks before sewing. I am itching to get started, our plot is tiny so my challenge is to get the best out of our space.

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    1. I love that we all have our own individual challenges! Maybe go up if you can't go across?

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  3. Like your plans but why is beetroot going in the same bed as aliums, then leeks that are part of the alium family are going in the bed with root vegetables were beetroot should be, just asking what your thinking was there :-)

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    1. Sounds like you would swap them over? If I recall I was looking into companion planting and then ended up wondering how companion plants work when some of them are planTed next to another plant that should be avoided. I'll swap the leeks and beetroot. Thanks for raising :-)

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    2. I think companion planting is one of those things that is aimed at more of a cottage style of planting rather than producing for the table, aliums and roots need different growing conditions, aliums are hungry plants and well in good fertilised soil, were roots need less, I work on a rotation bed system so I am not manuring beds all over the place.







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    3. Maybe I should only grow stuff that needs manure given I have tonnes of the stuff, literally. Ha

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  4. I love your plans, that is the sort of thing that I like to do too. Hope you get lots of great things to eat, you will have a lot of variety which is good isn't it.

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    1. Yes - the variety is what I'm looking forward to, keeps us from having the same old and risking getting bored by it :)

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  5. Oh how I wish I had your zest for life right now. We have so many ifs and buts going on at the moment it's difficult to see through the fog of it all. x

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    1. You will get there I am sure - take care and thank you x

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  6. I've been getting my plan sorted as well. I try to divide my crops up into about six groups, but even that changes. I used to put beets and carrots together as a group but now I separate them (different families) and will follow one early crop with the other to get two harvests in.

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