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 * Home
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 * Tips for a low-maintenance veg plot




TIPS FOR A LOW-MAINTENANCE VEG PLOT

 * BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Monday, 14 January 2019 at 6:49 am

Want to grow veg but short on time? Then follow our practical tips.

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Keen to grow your own, but short on time? There are many things you can do to
reduce your workload while still enjoying plenty of homegrown produce.


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The top mistake that novice veg growers make is to grow too much. So start small
- restrict yourself to a small salad patch, containers of veg on the patio or a
small raised bed, then gradually expand your growing ambitions as time allows.
Discover space-saving crops to grow.



If you're new to veg growing, start with some crops that are easy to care for.
Read more about our recommended veg crops for beginners.



Regular attention is the secret of growing top-quality crops, but you can keep
on top of things by doing 'key' jobs little and often.



Make the best use of your time on the veg plot by following our advice below.



MORE LIKE THIS

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A LOW-MAINTENANCE AND ATTRACTIVE GARDEN?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CLEAR PERENNIAL WEEDS

Before planting anything, clear your plot of weeds, especially perennial weeds
such as bindweed which will smother your crops if left to grow. Find how to
clear perennial weeds without chemicals.





USE A MULCH

Cover well-prepared ground with a plastic mulch or weed-suppressing membrane -
this will keep weeds down and moisture in - and cut holes to plant through. This
is useful for sweetcorn, outdoor tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins and squashes and
strawberries. It's also useful on empty areas of your plot - it will prevent
them becoming weed infested.





GROW IN RAISED BEDS

Raised beds are ideal for low-maintenance vegetable growing - you don't need to
dig, you can add fresh, weed-free soil, and it won't get walked on or compacted.
Find out how to make a vegetable raised bed.





DIRECT SOW

Rather than sow seeds undercover, which then need pricking out and potting on,
sow seeds outdoors, straight into the ground. This is ideal for root crops,
which don’t like disturbance and also good for peas, beans, chard and speedy,
leafy crops like spinach and lettuce.





BUY YOUNG PLANTS

Save yourself the trouble of growing plants from seed and buy young plants at
the garden centre in spring. You should find everything from tomatoes to runner
beans. If you wait until late spring, you should get away with not hardening
them off.





CHOOSE LOW-MAINTENANCE CROPS

Some crops need more looking after than others. If you're short on time, opt for
those can that cope with a bit of neglect - read our advice on easy-care veg
crops to grow.





KEEP TOOLS HANDY

Essential gardening tools, like a hoe, hand fork and trowel, string line (for
straight rows) and vinyl gardening gloves, are best kept in reach of a veg
patch. Invest in a small garden store to lock them away. Watch Alan Titchmarsh
give advice on the essential allotment tools.





PUT A WATER SOURCE NEARBY

If possible, set up a water butt to recycle water that runs off a shed or
greenhouse roof, close to your plot. This will save you endless trips to a tap.
Alternatively, install an outdoor tap nearby. Find out how to install guttering
on a greenhouse.





PRIORITISE WATERING

A good soak every few days is better than a light sprinkle every day. If you're
short on time, priorities anything that is newly planted or fruiting. Find out
more in our guide to summer watering.





WEED LITTLE AND OFTEN

If you wait until weeds are big enough to dig out by hand, they will be
competing with crops and hosting pests. But hoe between rows, weekly, while weed
seedlings are tiny and it will be less of a chore. Watch our video guide to
hoeing effectively.





CHOOSE RESISTANT VARIETIES

Varieties that are resistant to pests or disease need less cosseting and have a
higher rate of success. Try blight-resistant tomato varieties, potato 'Sarpo
Mira', or carrot 'Flyaway', which is resistant to carrot fly.





TRY THE NO-DIG METHOD

The no-dig method is exactly that - not digging the soil, but adding an inch of
two of organic matter on top in autumn. It can save time and doesn't disturb the
soil so is ecologically beneficial.

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GROW COMPANION PLANTS

Companion plants will attract pollinators and may keep pests at bay - discover
some companion planting combinations.






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