Growing Vegetables
Food mile
this is the distance the food you are going to eat has travelled to get to your home. The further it has travelled, the more carbo...
| Resistance
Some varieties of plants are resistant to certain diseases, and conditions and so will grow happily without the need for chemical ...
Resistant. | Nematodes
Nematodes are natural organisms, already present in our soil. They are not pests, but prey on garden pests giving us natural garde...
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Alliaceae
(Garlic, Leek, Onion, Shallot, Chive)This is the Onion family name and it includes Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Shallots and Chives. It can have pride of place in its own plot in the
crop rotation, or can mixes in as 'others'.
With so many varieties you can grow and crop all year round, but they like an open
soil, that is weed free and so are well suited to following potatoes, or other root veg.
However, because their smell can deter carrot root fly, and they like the same type of
soil, many people grow onions and carrots together.
Allotment
An area of ground where people hire land and grow fruit, veg and flowers. If you don’t have one youcan still have a nose around them, there is much to be learned from them.
Look and learn, and see what
allotment users are doing as a clue as to what you could, and should be doing during the year.
Apiaceae
(Carrots, Parsnips, Celeriac, Celery, Fennel, Parsley)The family of Carrot, Parsnip, Celeriac, Celery, Fennel, Parsley.
They prefer an open, sandy, free draining
soil - not heavily manured - that the root can grow easily in.
Carrots have a long
growing season; sow a row every few weeks and you can be cropping for months. Parsnips stay in the
soil a long time so only grow them if you like them, or have lots of space. If you want to grow onions with carrots to deter carrot root fly, then just grow them together every year in your cycle, moving them round together.
In a traditional
crop rotation they follow into the
brassica bed which is usually looking pretty depleted by spring when root sowing starts. But, brassicas like a firm
soil, so you need to dig over the area to make it nice and
friable for your root veg.