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Tools
Mulches
Different methods of production
Storing vegetables for winter use
Cutting costs
Growing on an allotment
Access, Design and layout, Leasing
Publications

Do not dismiss growing vegetables because you consider it too labour intensive to be possible. Using the right tools and using techniques such as mulching and different methods of production are all good labour-saving ideas. If you are easily tired, do a little at a time. For example, if you are digging, dig only for a maximum of 10-15 minutes per day, or weed a short section, then switch to a less strenuous job.

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Tools

There are tools to suit many different needs and it is essential to take time to select the right ones for you. They should be easy to use and not cause any undue strain. For example, there are tools which can be used from a sitting position, or without bending your back. For those with a weak grip there are lightweight tools, or tools for use with one hand. Anyone who tires easily may find it easier to carry a single lightweight shaft and a set of interchangeable tool heads in a basket or barrow, rather than trying to carry a clutch of conventional single-purpose tools.

There are a number of kneeling aids which can help to take the pain out of planting and weeding. For further details on the range of tools available and manufacturers see the Tools section.

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Mulches

A mulch is any material which covers the soil and reduces weed growth. Most mulches also help to reduce water loss from the ground and so cut down on the need for irrigation. There are two main types: manufactured materials; black polythene, woven fibres, carpets - or organic materials; garden compost, shredded bark, farmyard manure, spent hops, coconut fibre, composted grass clippings. Organic mulches not only have the advantage of reducing weed growth but they can help condition the soil and may act as a source of nutrients for the crop.

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Different methods of production

All these methods help to make the most effective use of your space and enable you to produce the quantities of vegetables that you want:

• Crop rotation. For crops to do well, it is important that your vegetable plot is well prepared and that you use a rotation system to avoid the build up of pests and diseases.
• Successional sowing. The term has two meanings. The first is to space the sowing of a single vegetable variety over a long period, to avoid a glut and ensure a continuous crop over a long period of time. Lettuce lends itself well to this technique. The other meaning is to sow successions of different cultivars to achieve different maturing times.
• Catch cropping. This involves growing a quick or early crop, such as early peas, harvesting it and growing a second crop on the same piece of land. For example, early peas could precede a crop of winter cabbage.
• Intercropping. This means growing an early crop in between rows of later maturing vegetables. A good example of this system is a crop of early sown lettuce in between runner beans or one of the brassica crops.
• Miniature vegetables. Many vegetables grown at the usual recommended spacing require a lot of space and the results are often too large for the average meal. There are now many varieties of vegetable that are mature even when still small.
• It is also possible to sow standard varieties at a closer spacing than is conventionally recommended. This system of growing vegetables would be particularly suitable for use in deep beds, raised beds, or the intensive vegetable production system. The sections below describe these methods.
• Extending the growing season. The most obvious way is by using a greenhouse. However, there are simpler and cheaper methods. Cloches can be bought in most garden centres and are available in glass, plastic, or polythene. For easier access, a cloche could be positioned over a raised bed. It is relatively simple to construct your own mini polythene tunnel or cloche. Cut a length of strong wire into hoops and insert them at regular intervals down the bed. Fix the polythene to a firm stake at one end and stretch over the wire hoops, securing at the other end.

  To make the tunnel really secure, tie a piece of string to one of the end hoops, across to another couple of hoops and secure the other end. This keeps the polythene firmly in place but allows you to lift the sides for watering and thinning of plants.

  An even less expensive way of extending the growing season is to use polythene mulches. These are sheets of polythene perforated with tiny slits which are stretched over the crop directly after planting or sowing. As the plants grow and stretch the polythene, the slits expand. This gradually increases the amount of air they receive - and this in turn hardens off the crop while allowing moisture to reach the soil.

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Deep beds
This growing method using narrow, slightly raised beds, can take a lot of the strain out of gardening. It is often recommended for shallow or poorly drained soils to increase the soil depth and/or drainage. The basic principle is to prepare 15-30cm deep beds, that are narrow enough to allow one to reach the centre from both sides (approximately 1m maximum). To keep the soil in position, edge the beds with 15-30cm deep planking. Top soil for the beds can be removed from between them and extra top soil or organic matter can be added to bring the soil up to the top of the planks.

Some recommend that at this stage the beds should be double-dug and organic matter incorporated into the soil. This is probably only necessary with very heavy clay soils. Opinions also differ on whether the beds require digging at the end of each session. Usually this will depend on the soil type. For instance, a good organic soil would only need a spreading of well-rotted organic matter over the surface of the bed at the end of each gardening year. The micro-organisms and other soil life will then incorporate this into the soil.

Heavy clay soils would benefit from annual single-digging, with an application of organic matter to the base of the digging trench. As you do not need to walk on the bed during the rest of the year, soil does not become compacted and digging will be easier.

As there is no need for paths between plant rows, the plants can be grown at higher densities which may increase yields by four times that of conventional systems. The other bonus of close planting is that the full canopy of crop foliage can help to smother weeds.

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No-dig growing
Why not get rid of digging altogether? The Henry Doubleday Research Association (www.hdra.org.uk) produces information sheets on this labour saving technique.

Raised beds
For many people weeding, planting, or other maintenance work at ground level can be difficult. One solution is to make the plot more accessible by raising the soil level. If designed correctly, a raised bed can make gardening less tiring. It can reduce the amount of bending, provide a place to sit and work and for someone who is unsteady on their feet, it can be leant against for balance. The basic principle when designing raised beds, especially if they are to be used by a number of different people, is to vary the height and widths of the beds to meet different needs.

Intensive vegetable production
By dividing your plot into modules, these become very accessible and the beds are easier to maintain than conventional row systems, with increased plant densities proving useful in reducing weed growth. The area is divided into a grid system with one metre squares or for larger crops 1.5m. The beds are separated by paths 75 cm wide. Each square or module is treated as a separate production area.

Vegetable growing in containers
You can, of course, combine many of the points given above by growing your vegetables in containers. See also Containers If you are doing this, choose the smaller growing varieties ­ trying to grow giant pumpkins in containers tends not to work!

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Storing vegetables for use over winter is a very useful way of having your own garden vegetables for much longer than their natural growing season. Not every thing from the garden can be stored, but the scope is much greater if you have a freezer. Below is an outline of the storage methods for some of the more common garden crops.

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Carrots
Carrots should not be harvested until there has been at least one frost; this is to ensure that they have become dormant and the roots are cold, otherwise there is a danger that they will begin to sprout again soon after storage. The roots should be buried in damp sand or a peat substitute such as shredded bark or coir, in a suitable box.

An old tea chest or similar would be ideal. Spread a 2cm layer of the sand or peat substitute on the bottom of the container, cut off the carrot tops l cm above the crown and place the carrots on the sand layer, allowing a l cm space between each. Add more sand or peat substitute 2.5cm deep and repeat, finishing with a layer of sand or peat substitute. The carrots should then be stored in a cold but frost-free place (5C/41F). Beet, swedes and turnips can also be stored in this way but always remember to twist, rather than cut the tops off the beet or they will "bleed". Produce stored in this way should last for three to five months.

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Potatoes
Early potatoes should be harvested just as the flowers are opening. Second earlies can be lifted as required, or if the space is needed, the whole crop can be lifted and left on the soil surface for 48 hours to allow the skins to harden. They can then be stored in paper sacks for six-eight weeks.

Maincrop and late maincrop varieties should be left in the ground for as long as possible. In the autumn, cut the haulms (stems) to about 5cm above ground level, then leave the potatoes in the soil for another two weeks to allow the skins to harden. If your area is prone to blight, cut the haulm in later summer and burn it; lift the potatoes two weeks later. Ideally, potatoes should be stored in jute or paper sacks which allow the tubers to breath. They should be stored in a cool but frost-free place (above 2C/35F), away from light, which causes greenness. Green potatoes should not be eaten as they contain the poisonous alkaloid solanine.

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Dutch white cabbage
These are cultivars of cabbage grown especially for storage and should be harvested before the first frosts. Prior to cutting, the outer leaves are stripped off. This is done by placing your hands around the cabbage head and pushing down, leaving a tight clean head sitting on the stalk. Once all the outer leaves have been removed, the cabbages can be cut. It is very important to use a clean knife and that it is not allowed to come in contact with the soil (to prevent the spread of soil-borne bacteria and fungal spores). The cabbage should be cut with a 3cm stalk, to allow for shrinkage during storage.

The cabbage heads can now be stored on slatted supports or on straw on the shed floor, or suspended in nets. It is important that they are not allowed to touch each other and are well ventilated. For best results, the storage temperature should be just above freezing with moderate to high humidity. The heads will require cleaning and trimming before use; deterioration of the outer leaves is normal and becomes worse the longer they are kept. Cabbages may be stored for four or five months in this way.

Tomatoes
If you have room in the greenhouse or some other warm place in full daylight, then lift tomato plants roots and all and hang them there to ripen. If you don't have the space, then pick any fruits showing some colour and place them on a sunny windowsill to ripen; the green ones can be made into chutney.

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Cutting costs

Recycling

Used plastic lemonade bottles provide good cloches for small transplants and used mineral water bottles work well for larger transplants. Simply cut the bottom off the bottle and push it into the soil around the plant. Don't forget to leave the top off, as this allows some ventilation and an easy way of watering without removing the bottle. When the young plants are well established and/or the danger of frost has passed, the bottle cloches can be removed. Try to do this on an overcast but warm day; removing them on a hot sunny day can cause the plants to wilt.

Always recycle your green waste via the compost bin; garden compost is essential for healthy soil and plants. One of the cheapest and easiest ways to make compost bins is to collect old pallets and to make up your bins from these. If you cannot get hold of pallets, drive four posts into the ground at approximately lm square, fix chicken wire to the posts and line with some old carpet; this will make a serviceable compost bin. The Henry Doubleday Research Association (www.hdra.org.uk) step-by-step leaflet, ÔHow to make compostÕ, gives some useful diagrams, explains the composting process and describes the use of composting materials.

To save money on seed and potting composts, try asking at your garden centre if they have any split bags that they will sell you at a discount. If you have an allotment, join the allotment society, they often buy items such as compost in bulk and pass it on to members at a discount.

Rather than burning your woody prunings, they can all be recycled for use in the garden. The larger branches could be used as bean supports and the smaller ones as pea sticks. All woody prunings (except thorny ones such as rose or gooseberry) can be shredded and added to the compost heap. It is probably not worth investing in a garden shredder unless you have a big garden which produces large amounts of material. However, shredders are reasonably cheap to hire and if you share the cost with neighbours or other members of your allotment society, the cost can be considerably reduced.

If you have a rotary mower, try using it as a 'shredder' by placing the prunings on the lawn and mowing them up.

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High value v low value
If you only have a small garden or a small vegetable plot, don't waste space growing maincrop potatoes. These are cheap enough to buy so you should spend your time, money and energy growing only first earlies. They are not only expensive in the shops but are much tastier straight from the garden! If you have the space and you like salad potatoes, try a maincrop variety such as Pink Fir Apple or Ratte. Again these are expensive to buy but are easily grown if you have the space.

Choosing to grow mostly high value crops can reduce the shopping bill considerably. Look at the prices of vegetables next time you are shopping to give yourself an idea of what you ought to be growing in your garden. Generally speaking, any maincrop variety is going to be cheaper to buy than early or specialised vegetables and salads.

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Seeds
Fl Hybrid seed
Try not to buy F1 Hybrid seeds. These are seeds that have been specially produced by cross breeding to provide plants that are uniform and vigorous. They are expensive to buy (typically two or three times the price of ordinary seeds) and produce a uniform crop that will mature at the same time. Because of the uniform maturity they are ideal for farmers and growers (who require a once-over harvest) but not for the home gardener who needs his/her crops to mature over a period of time. Also, seeds saved from plants grown from Fl Hybrid seed will not be true to type and are likely to have poor vigour.

Saving seeds
If you can allow a few plants of each crop to run to seed then these seeds can be saved for next year. In the case of peas and beans, allow a few pods to dry on the plant. Seeds should be dried before storage. This can be achieved by placing the seeds in an airing cupboard (check that the temperature never exceeds 35C (95F), or this will damage them).

A better method for drying seeds is to use a desiccant. Silica gel is probably the best and is available from chemists; it is dyed with cobalt chloride which makes the gel blue when dry and pink when wet. Pink gel can be dried in a low oven at 95'C (200'F) until it turns blue and is ready for use again. Be careful of the temperature or the gel will turn black and useless.

To dry seeds using a desiccant, you will need a large airtight jar such as a kilner jar. Place the seeds you are saving in paper envelopes or muslin bags (do not use plastic or foil as this will hold moisture); label and weigh them. Weigh out an equal quantity of silica gel and place it in a bag made from an old stocking (this allows you to see the colour). Place seeds and gel in the jar, seal and leave in a cool place for eight-12 days (12-16 days for large seeds such as beans). By this time, the gel may have turned pink; a simple test to check if seeds are ready, is to bend a seed; if it breaks rather than bends it is dry enough.

If you are only saving seeds from one year to the next an airtight container kept in cool place will suffice. Longer storage becomes more complicated, involving fridges and freezers.

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Growing on an allotment

Allotments are a valuable community resource offering city dwellers or people with little or no gardening space, the chance to grow their own produce, often in a friendly communal atmosphere. But allotment sites are often inaccessible for some of the people they could most benefit, disabled or elderly would-be gardeners. Some councils and allotment societies are starting to remedy the situation. Here are some suggestions for making allotments viable for everyone.

Access

Many older or disabled people may rely on a car as their main source of transport and therefore it is important that the site has car parking nearby, with a level and suitably surfaced route from the car park to the site. Gates should be easy to open and handles should be at a comfortable height for wheelchair users. Paths to each plot, not usually very accessible in most allotments, should be firm, non-slip, non-glare and level. Make sure they are wide enough for wheelchair users and bear in mind the need for turning spaces. See our Access section for paving details.

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Design and layout

Access to water is essential. The water point(s) should be positioned so that it is easily accessible and watering cans or hoses do not need to be carried over long distances. An accessible shed is important for the storage of tools and for shelter during poor weather. The provision of a shed is normally the responsibility of the tenant. Permission to site a shed on your plot is usually required but seldom refused.

A greenhouse is a useful piece of equipment for any gardener extending growing seasons, allowing the propagation of half-hardy plants and providing a sheltered workplace.

However, the unprotected allotment may prove to be vulnerable to vandal attack and a greenhouse is a very expensive target. Depending on local conditions, it could be wise to invest in cheaper forms of extending the growing season, such as cloches. As with sheds, permission will probably be needed before siting the glasshouse. See also greenhouses.

Leasing

Many allotments are managed by local authority parks and recreation departments, others by allotment societies, or in some cases private landlords. Approach your local authority as the first move. Rents vary depending on the managing authority and area, but are usually quite reasonable (a few pounds per annum in some cases).

There are usually very few restrictions on use, the main one being that any produce from the allotment cannot be sold. Permission is usually required to erect any form of building on site, but this is often just a formality.

Publications

Creative vegetable gardening by Joy Larkcom, 2000, Mitchell Beazley ISBN 1 84000 2921

The Seed Savers Handbook by Jeremy Cherfas and Michael and Jude Fanton, 1996 ISBN 1 899233 01 6

Growing in the Community - a good practice guide for the management of allotments by Professor David Crouch, Dr Joe Sempik and Dr Richard Wiltshire, ISBN 184049 204 X

Information factsheets from HDRA www.hdra.org.uk

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