Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Low maintenance veggy growing.

Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
in Fruit & veg
I’ve loved growing veg the last few years, and this year has been the best yet. It’s been great to get the kids involved and it’s been a big help getting them to eat more veg.

Sadly I’ve started a new job and will have a lot less time to spend in the garden. I’d still love to grow veg next year, but I’m trying to plan for low maintenance crops.

I’ve got a pretty small space, just 3 beds down one side of the garden, then pots and grow bags jammed in wherever I can. I’ve really packed in as much as I can. I think I’ll have fewer plants next year.

Any suggestions for crops that don’t need a lot of attention and watering would be great.

Thanks in advance.


«1

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2018
    Congrats on the new job :D   Hope it goes really well :)

    Swiss chard ... cut and come again ... sow in early spring and it'll keep producing until the following spring (as long as you and the children like it ... it's my favourite leaf vegetable but I know some people find it a bit too minerally).

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 30
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    Thank you both. I’ll give those a try, though my last attempt at growing Swiss chard was a bit of a failure.

    I’ve been looking at irrigation systems to cut down on watering time.

    Either that or just quit my job. Gardening is much more fun.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited August 2018
    Try claytonia and bok choi. Sow seeds now.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Spuds. Plant them deep and watch them grow. No need to earth them up and a good watering once a week will get you a decent crop.  Go for second earlies like Charlotte and you can leave them in the ground until you need them and avoid blight worries. I had some of last year's when I dug them up while trying to plant this year's back in March and they were very tasty. 

    Like runner beans? They thrive on neglect if they are planted in the right conditions. Plenty of compost in the ground before planting and they will deliver. Just make sure that you plant a self fertile variety as bees aren't pulling their weight with runners.

    I find courgettes do very well with little input from me, again prepare the soil well and watch them grow although they do need room. I tried a yellow climbing variety this year but they preferred to sprawl so have taken up much more room than I wanted.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    There may be a retired neighbour who would LOVE to tend your vegs if they cant get a local allotment then everyone is Happy  :)

    If you dont ask then you wont get.
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • bookmonsterbookmonster Posts: 399
    Onions , spring onions, and chard,, I grow fordhook giant chard. Winter hardy, slugs don't completely eat it
  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    NewBoy2 said:
    There may be a retired neighbour who would LOVE to tend your vegs if they cant get a local allotment then everyone is Happy  :)

    If you dont ask then you wont get.
    We used to have a lovely couple in their 80s next door. We would swap berries and veg over the fence, and he gave me lots of gardening tips. Sadly he passed away, and she moved in with her son. 

    All our other neighbours are similar age to us, with young kids. In a few years, when the kids are a bit older, I’ll recruit them to do the watering.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Good luck with that @Womble54. 🤣🤣
  • Womble54Womble54 Posts: 348
    I’ve pretty much neglected the garden since I started the new job. It seems to be doing ok without me. Maybe it’ll be fine next year.


Sign In or Register to comment.