Top 'ten' veggies for year round self-sufficiency
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- čas přidán 16. 08. 2021
- *** I don't recommend growing these veggies in containers, kalettes, brussels, New Zealand spinach, runner beans as they are too prolific for most people to keep healthy.
This plan is just a skeleton to which you would add a wide range of seasonal treats in small quantities, but it's useful non-the-less because it's an example of the simplest possible plan, that gets you a rich diet of fresh veg all year round.
For more details on the plan take a look at the Sample Plans section of my ebook: steverichards.notion.site/Sma...
For year round growing guides see this section of the book: www.notion.so/steverichards/Y...
For details of how to grow individual varieties see this section of the book: www.notion.so/steverichards/I...
For the whole book follow this link: www.notion.so/steverichards/G...
After much debate, I’ve finally decided to offer users of my gardening apps, eBook, web site, diary and my youtubers the opportunity to support me via the site Buy Me a Coffee. Thanks so much for all of your support!
www.buymeacoffee.com/steveric...
If you have questions, we have a FAQ document and video, which you can find here: steves.seasidelife.com/2020/0...
If you are new to my allotment videos you might find a bit of context useful. We live in the north west of England, in Lytham St Annes, which I believe is the equivalent of USA Zone 8. The garden is about ½ a mile from the sea, the allotment about a mile, it’s fairly mild, but very windy.
A lot of people ask about the databases and apps that I mention in the videos, I make these are freely available, for more check out these blog posts steves.seasidelife.com/catego...
We used to have three allotments in my family, mine (Steve), my wife's (Debbie) and my middle daughter's (Jennie) and you will see these featured in many videos. We’ve recently handed Jennie’s back to the council as over the years we now grow more on the other two plots than we did on all three a few years ago. We also have a small kitchen garden at home.
All of the plots are managed in an integrated fashion, so don't expect to see the usual mix of veg on each plot. I do most of the planning and seed starting. We each have our own plots, but we all help each other out.
Debbie's plot is mostly full of perennials, it's an ornamental plot. We did a lot of work to keep the weeds down and Debbie's approach is inspired by the TV programme The Ornamental Kitchen garden.
My plot is all about experimental growing, maximum productivity and year round abundance. As with all of the other plots I did a lot of work to control the weeds, but it's a high maintenance plot. I'm always planting, harvesting, experimenting and generally having a great time.
Collectively the plots deliver an amazing abundance of fruit and veg all year round. Debbie, Jennie, Jon and I are effectively self sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit for much of the year. During winter we sometimes have enough surplus to feed our local family. During the rest of the year when the surplus from our house garden comes on stream we have surpluses in some crops for quite a few friends as well.
This video provides an overview: • The big picture of our...
I do an update of the allotments, roughly twice a month, you can find the tours here:
• Full allotment tour as...
Our approach to allotment life is to: grow as much as we possibly can, to be self-sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit in season, to give away our surplus to friends and family, and to have as much fun as possible. For more on self sufficiency check out these videos:
• Super quick update on ...
We are not slaves to gardening though, I spend about 12 hours a week on the plots (on average) Debbie and Jennie a lot less. We keep nudging that down as we eliminate non-productive work: like grass cutting, weeding and watering as much as practical. We are newbie gardeners, only starting the allotments in 2016.
I'm a bit obsessive about the nutrient density of the veg that we grow and making the plots easy to work because it's through this allotment lifestyle and food that I've overcome a debilitating auto-immune disease.
I'm always aware though that it might not last so I make sure that I don't work too hard, eat as much organic fruit and veg I can and design the plots so that I can still work them when I flare up.
Your visual growing beds is so brilliant....I finally get it! I can "see" what I can do and how to do it. You are the only person who has year round growing in a way I can "see," which to me means understand and remember!
Thanks Anne, I'm a very visual person, partly because I have no visual memory of the physical world, ie no minds eye, so the only way I can see something that's not real is by photographs and videos etc, when I close my eyes and recall my families faces, for example, all I see is black : All the best - Steve
Another episode jam packed with ideas and information - really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos, Steve.
Thanks Karen
What a fantastically useful video Steve. So kind to share all your knowledge.
Fantastic video that is incredibly helpful. Thanks Steve! I have a list of seeds I want for next season now!
Be sure to follow the link to the book chapter that expands on the video Sharon : all the best - Steve
Super useful to see the succession grid. I would love to see more visuals like this. Thanks.
It's explained better in the ebook link too : All the best - Steve
thanks for that pal. God Bless from North Wales.
you should wait till Dave's apple tree is dormant and take some scions (cutings) and graft them onto some rootstock if dave is generous enough! i tried grafing this yeah and it is a really interesting kill to learn.
I've already got a graft growing :-)
What an intriguing thought experiment! My weather and climate are quite different from yours (US east coast zone 7a), plus my husband has a number of food allergies that I have to keep in mind (ex-I only grow brassicas for me)
My list of 10 veggies:
a cold weather tolerant true spinach
red leaf lettuce for spring and fall
a winter-tolerant lettuce
spring onion like Heshiko
garlic for green and bulbs
Sun Gold tomato
Either a beefsteak heirloom tomato (Striped German) or a plum-type tomato (disease-resistant variety)
sugar snap peas for fall and winter
Blue Lake pole beans (French beans) for summer
Tromboncino squash to be used as a summer squash and as a winter squash (I let some grow on while I continually pick at the tender green stage)
I grow the tromboncino on a 7’ tall wall (2+ meter) of sturdy wire mesh that encloses my garden area.
And then to add in fruit: as a bonus:
everbearing strawberries (May-Oct here)
blueberries, 2 varieties
peach
late storage apple
That's quite a similar list to mine, although we couldn't be without brassicas. We love Tromboncino too and always grow it as well as Honeycomb (improved Sun Gold) but I didn't include them, preferring courgettes and Tumbler tomatoes because they are easy to grow and easy was an important criteria for this list. I'm quite envious that you can grow peas in winter! : All the best - Steve
You really do give great detailed information..its really helpful for a chaotic grower like me haha.Thanks Steve.I would find space for outdoor cucumbers as they are so superior to shop bought ones.
I agree, it's hard to trim the list down, I grow loads of cucumbers too, indoors and out and I eat them from May until November, we don't buy them. They didn't make the list because the health benefits are low : All the best - Steve
Very good Steve , even my wife watched it , when she said of the winter crops , you could grow those, I was able to reply I am thank you
That's great! thanks for the feedback : All the best - Steve
Great video, lots of good advice on growing through the Winter 🙂
Such an amazing video with so much information, thank you!
Amazing video. Super usefu. Thank you!!
Yet again another great video packed full of information and well presented thanks for sharing 👍
Glad you enjoyed it : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve, Another great video full of useful information, Take care.
Amazing top ten (ish). Thank you
thank you for sharing...invaluable top tips
Excellent vlog! Thanks so much. Ideas for this winter, much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful Pat : All the best - Steve
This is great informstion Steve. Thank you.
Thanks For the feedback Dawn : all the best - Steve
I really love this video, it's absolutely amazing! Thank you so much, Steve
Absolutely great work! ☺
Thanks, I'm planning to do about a dozen sample planting plans over the next year or so : All the best - Steve
Wow thanks I am going to use this plan in my garden albeit on a smaller scale. Exactly the information I needed when I have no benefit of a polytunnel or greenhouse. I probably would add a sneaky bucket of carrots though as they are my favourite. Thanks for this invaluable video. All the best.
Be sure to read the chapter of the book that goes with the video, it does include carrots ;-)
Brilliant thanks I will. Take care.
I feel like I am in a real gardening lecture. I have learnt so much. Thank you for educating us. 🙌🏾 Waiting patiently on my allotment. Number 19 on the list 🙀may be some time
Fingers crossed for you : all the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards thank you Steve.
What a super helpful video especially for those of us in the early stages of our veg growing.
Thanks, that was the target audience, just as a way to help think through a really simple self-sufficiency scenario : All the best - Steve
I have had more success with leeks than with onions so I think I would include leeks. Lettuce wise I have been very impressed with “Bronze Beauty” this year - it has been great through spring and through summer (not that we have had much summer!) so I will definitely be trying that again.
I've not used leeks in place of spring onions, although someone mentioned that young leeks are very nice raw. I've a tray of 160 waiting to be planted out to eat in October/November. Given my criteria for only a dozen varieties, I think onions provide more year round availability for a freshly harvested diet though : All the best - Steve
Really helpful, thank you.
also trouble with spinach from shops is the pesticides become concentrated during cooking [think how much they reduce] so after cooking they are one of the most toxic things one can eat.
Yes, my full framework for deciding what to grow includes the degree to which it is sprayed, carrots and potatoes being other great examples of what not to buy : all the best - Steve
Fab! Thank you
Thanks Steve for sharing another informative and practical guide.Just what I need to help me stay on track with making the most of my space. I find it easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of veggies and when to plant etc. So this is a great help. Just to add, I have had unusual success this year with abundance of early tomatoes grown outdoors and ripening mid June and still going strong with the variety called Latah.
I did buy some Latah for this year, unfortunately they turned out yellow and pasty, so clearly not Latah. Where did you source yours from Julie?
@@SteveRichards oh dear, that’s frustrating! I got mine from Real Seeds. Thanks again Steve for all your efforts in the videos
I got mine from Real Seeds too, they must have got them mixed up : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Now I think of it my plants were quite ropey to start with and I nearly composted them but then I thought I might as well stick them outside and see what happens and they came good! Strange!
They are renowned for being rather straggly plants
Amazing video. Ive taken alot of thr seeds u grow and added to my seed sowing. I need to get some kalets though really wanna try and grow them.
Thanks Mark
Hi Steve, I would add courgettes maybe in pots because they're fun!
Absolutely, they are in the section of the book that accompanies the video : all the best - Steve
Morning Steve. Would you mind if I put a link to this video on my blog. It's just such practical and useful information.
No need to ask Cherie, it's all in the public domain : All the best - Steve
I've watched this video twice, very interesting. I love Grenoble red lettuce, it's such a great variety. I'm definitely going to try green garlic and giant spinach this year. My brussel sprouts and kalettes are maturing nicely, do you steam the leaves? At the moment our taste buds prefer tuscan kale, which has done amazing well here in sw Ireland along with Chard. I think I sowed the field beans too late last year they were slow to get going. Many thanks for the great video
Field beans sown early can be harvested heavily in winter, but later they are for an early spring harvest. We steam most of our greens, but also for soups etc : All the best - Steve
Great as always Steve thanks so much. Where do you source your field bean seeds? The ones I've found are for green manure "not for consumption" sounds dangerous haha. Thanks!
I get mine from www.groseeds.co.uk/field-bean-seeds-green-manure/
@@SteveRichards thanks, they arrived quickly too
Taking notes…
See the section of the book, with all the details steverichards.notion.site/Small-self-sufficient-garden-plan-db77230590c545619c539dcbddf1d3ce : All the best - Steve
Excellent! Many thanks!
The Dave Apple sounds like a winner.
Was it grown from seed?
No one knows unfortunately, it’s an amazing find
I’m in the U.S and I’m in growing zone 6a do you know what growing zone your in? I ask because of needed adjustment if your in a completely different zone.
See the FAQ for details steves.seasidelife.com/2020/01/20/allotmentfaq/ : All the best - Steve
I don't understand how to access the ebook about kalettes. If there are instructions on how to get the book, I am unable to see them. Thanks for your help!
You click on the link in the video description for growing guides, here's the link steverichards.notion.site/Individual-growing-guides-bc279089de074c0ab0bfedc4f41d54dd and scroll down to the section on kalettes : All the best - Steve
Thank you very much! @@SteveRichards
Hi Steve. Where did you get the seeds of 3:30 from? I've looked online but all I can find is sets. Thanks.
Hi Sean, here’s a link on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct-ORG078-Struron/dp/B009PK9Z7K/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Sturon+seed&qid=1629285042&sr=8-1
@@SteveRichards Thanks, am going to give them a go.
Don’t leave them too long into June as they might go to seed, sow another batch in Feb for harvesting in July/august : all the best - Steve
Kings seeds also supply them Sean.
I’m trying Brokali this yr , have you tried it
I did try it and it was ok, but not that much better than the side shoots from calabrese in spring, in autumn/winter they were very small, so we are concentrating on purple sprouting broccoli instead : All the best - Steve
If I could double like...