Growing Vegetables
Run-Off
A major hazard resulting from agriculture, where fertiliser runs off the land after rain and into water systems. Run-off can also ...
Polution | Chitting
This is done to potatoes. You get your (certified virus free) seed potatoes from a reputable source, and stick them rose end (most...
| Water Butt
A container for storing rain water. This water has no chemicals, so can be used to top up a pond. The easiest way to fill a water ...
rain |
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.