How to create your own fruit and vegetable patch
Applications for council-run allotments in England have soared during the coronavirus pandemic, as green-fingered consumers attempt to grow their own during these uncertain times.
We’re joined by our favourite gardener Terry Walton from the Rhondda Valley, as he shares his top tips for creating your own fruit and vegetable patch.
Terry's top tips for growing your own
1. GROW THE THINGS YOU ENJOY EATING: People have a tendency to grow things they don’t like eating, one couple who moved into the allotment started Brussel Sprouts and they didn’t like eating them! Grow veg you are going to eat.
2. SUNSHINE AND LIGHT ARE KEY: Vegetables prefer the sunlight, so make sure you plant them away from trees. The denser the foliage, the weaker the crop.
3. START BY GROWING THINGS IN POTS: Get the biggest pot you can get, it’s an easier way to start and you don't get the same problems with pests and diseases that you do in soil. Starting with a pot gives you a taste for what you like to grow. Once you’ve eaten something you’ve grown you won't ever want to buy something from a shop again. What you harvest has the peak of nutrients in it.
4. GROW SIMPLE THINGS AT FIRST: Start with something that is quick and simple so you don’t lose hope. Parsnips you plant in February and harvest in October - so they aren't too good for a first time. Radish, lettuce, beetroot, spring onions are really good and simple. And short stumped carrots!
5. PLAN THE LAYOUT OF YOUR ALLOTMENT: Planning your layout is important. You should try and group similar type vegetables together. So brassicas in one patch, legumes in another patch, root crops in another patch and then one for all others. That’s your four crop rotations.
6. WONDERS OF WEEDING: Whenever you take on gardening for the first time, keep looking behind your shoulders and make sure the weeds don't get bigger than the crops! Never let a weed go to seed as they can remain in the ground for years.
7. KNOW YOUR SOIL: The best is loam soil. Loam soils are best for plant growth because sand, silt, and clay together provide desirable characteristics.