The first thing I would do is to spend the autumn preparing the area, removing weeds, especially the roots of perennial weeds, and working out how you’re going to plan three areas for rotation. That way you can mulch two of the areas with manure for the winter, and leave the area where you intend to grow root crops (if you do) free from manure.
And had been said, if you decide you want to grow some fruit, late autumn/winter is the ideal time to plant bare root fruit bushes and trees, so early autumn is the time to prepare the soil in the area you’ll set aside for fruit.
Also, if your budget allows, set up a greenhouse and coldframe … and essentially, at least two, preferably three bays or whichever method of compost making you decide on.
If you’re going to grow brassicas, think about how you’re going to net them to protect them from cabbage white butterflies and their caterpillars, and get what you’ll need ready, so that you’re not having to wait for stuff to be delivered when the caterpillars are already munching away on your cabbages.
Then, when winter arrives you can sit indoors with a cuppa ☕️ consulting the online catalogues etc and ordering the seeds of of your selected varieties of veg to sow in the spring. I don’t have a greenhouse nowadays, just a coldframe, so I don’t start sowing until March … but if you have a greenhouse you can start a bit earlier … especially if you decide to invest in a poly tunnel so that you can plant the more tender veg out earlier … depending of course on the area where you live.
Hope that helps … good luck and enjoy your gardening.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi everyone, Thanks for your replies; will print them off and we can study them. You've all been very helpful; lots of great advice. FYI, we are situated in north Cheshire, between Liverpool and Manchester.
The first step, whatever the size of the plot, is to consider the "lay of the land".
Observe and make plans accordingly.
This means going on your land and observing over the course of a day how the sun tracks across the sky and over the course of a season how the conditions vary.
Note down which areas get the most sun, which areas are in shade and which areas are inbetween. Plant crops which suit these conditions or modify the land to accommodate them.
If the plot is in strong wind then consider planting fruit trees and fruit bushes around the perimeter to act as wind breaks but being not so tall as to cast large shadows across your crops in the middle.
If the plot is waterlogged then consider digging deep irrigation channels around the plot. Pile up the excavated soil into the middle to form an island mound and plant your crops on that mound. The deep channels will act as drainage ditches as well as irrigation channels - a land modification commonly done in oriental asia where they have been farming for thousands of years.
If the plot is parched and dry then consider water capture and storage strategies for rainfall. Also consider tapping into underground aquifers.
If all of this sounds like "The Art of Gardening" by Sun Tzu's brother then you'd be right!
However, try to avoid being drawn in by the permaculture movement if your sole intention is food production. Their approach, atleast in the implementation of the principles, in my opinion, are not efficient enough for the effort that you put in.
50m x 50 m plot is to big for a beginner. you should start with plot no bigger than 6mx9m 20ftx 30ft meters. even that might be bit much for beginners.
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If you’re going to grow brassicas, think about how you’re going to net them to protect them from cabbage white butterflies and their caterpillars, and get what you’ll need ready, so that you’re not having to wait for stuff to be delivered when the caterpillars are already munching away on your cabbages.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for your replies; will print them off and we can study them.
You've all been very helpful; lots of great advice.
FYI, we are situated in north Cheshire, between Liverpool and Manchester.
The first step, whatever the size of the plot, is to consider the "lay of the land".
Observe and make plans accordingly.
This means going on your land and observing over the course of a day how the sun tracks across the sky and over the course of a season how the conditions vary.
Note down which areas get the most sun, which areas are in shade and which areas are inbetween. Plant crops which suit these conditions or modify the land to accommodate them.
If the plot is in strong wind then consider planting fruit trees and fruit bushes around the perimeter to act as wind breaks but being not so tall as to cast large shadows across your crops in the middle.
If the plot is waterlogged then consider digging deep irrigation channels around the plot. Pile up the excavated soil into the middle to form an island mound and plant your crops on that mound. The deep channels will act as drainage ditches as well as irrigation channels - a land modification commonly done in oriental asia where they have been farming for thousands of years.
If the plot is parched and dry then consider water capture and storage strategies for rainfall. Also consider tapping into underground aquifers.
If all of this sounds like "The Art of Gardening" by Sun Tzu's brother then you'd be right!
However, try to avoid being drawn in by the permaculture movement if your sole intention is food production. Their approach, atleast in the implementation of the principles, in my opinion, are not efficient enough for the effort that you put in.
There is a hedgerow on one side where we could plant blackberries/raspberries.
you should start with plot no bigger than
6mx9m 20ftx 30ft meters. even that might be
bit much for beginners.