Lower maintenance fruit and veg

[annie8]

Have been thinking I want to adjust my fruit and veg growing as I’m going to need more time and cold frame / greenhouse space for flowers. Since we moved here 3 years ago I’ve focussed on the edible growing but have finally got round to completely re doing the front garden and have just created a flower border in the back that I need to fill. Have attached the plan of my edible growing space plus I have the gh and cold frame. The only static things are herbs in bed 9, rasps on 10 and a gooseberry and rhubarb in 11. This year I’m growing chillis, tomatoes (gh and outside) celeriac, courgettes, leeks, peas, borlotti beans, strawberries, potatoes, carrots, beetroot, rasps, herbs, garlic, salad,rhubarb and gooseberry. Not looking at a major reduction but I need to maybe do more direct sow and I was thinking maybe some fixed things like fruit bushes? Also probably reduce e tomatoes that are a lot of work in that busy spring time. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on things they find are pretty low maintenance.

[veggiechicken]

More fruit bushes/trees and perennials.
Once planted that's more of less it - no repeat sowings or seedling cossetting needed.

[annie8]

Yes was thinking that. Given how far north I am have to be realistic about what’ll grow. Maybe blackberries or some of those hybrid soft fruits. When you say perennial what kind of veg do you mean?

[veggiechicken]

Do you grow summer and autumn fruiting raspberries? Black.white/red currants?

Re perennial veg, one thing to remember is, its in the ground for ever - so you have no chance of growing a second crop in that space. If you want maximum output form a space, grow fast grwoing annual veg. If you want less output with less work, its perennials.
Kale should work well for you and you don't need Daubenton or Taunton Deane as I've found that most kale will grow for a couple of years iif you let them.
Bulbing "spring" onions can be left in the ground yo bulk up and you can cut the tops off to use when you feel like it.
I may not be the best person to advise you as most of my garden is experimental.

[nickdub]

agree with what VC has said - in addition I'd just add that flowering shrubs are also relatively low maintenance as long as you pick ones which are not going to get too big for the space available.

[annie8]

I grow sugana raspberries which gives me rasps in summer and autumn but I am thinking that I would be better treating them just as autumn and getting some summer ones. Do you replace raspberries after a few years ?

[veggiechicken]

I tried those Sugana raspberries - they were pathetic compared to JoanJ (autumn) which I double crop.
I don't replace them - just let them die. By that time there'll be plenty of suckers around to take over.

The thing is - I don't do things by the rulebook, worry about failures, look for pests and diseases or fret if I don't have a good return on what I grow as my garden is my playground.
I suspect Nickdub is much the same.

[veggiechicken]

An old thread that may have some ideas for you, Annie https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...rry_86420.html

[annie8]

Thanks. I know you have a unique approach which I may not follow but you also know a lot so always lots I can learn from all your experiments. Will look at that rasp if it is a good one.

[Chestnut]

I also have been trying to reduce workload a bit, as I find I have less time per square foot since we got a larger plot. Lots of stuff you have already mentioned, but perhaps a few ideas I can add
I quite like using quick growing ‘catch crops’ like turnips between bigger winter brassicas, or shade loving herbs underneath runner bean wigwams, to save leaving bare soil attracting weeds.
Pumpkins or courgettes planted through a mulch of cardboard (and manure if you can get it), which seems to suppress the weeds until the plants have grown big enough to shade out any weeds

[bario1]

When I took on the second half of my plot, I had the same idea - far too much space to grow intensively/annuals, i don't have the time or even desire to grow that much veg (we don't do any kind of preserving/freezing, apart from the odd batch of jam if there's a glut of something).
So, I made an asparagus bed, an ornamental rock garden with rhubarb and blueberry bushes planted on it, a bog garden and pond, and a fruit tree/bush area (cherry, plum, greengage, gooseberry, redcurrant, backcurrant). None of these take much looking after, and give the plot a nice garden-like appearance. I also put in a turfed area with a bench for somewhere to sit/socialise.

[Jungle Jane]

Spring is a really busy time with the tender plants,if you’re soil doesn’t get waterlogged it’s nice getting onions,garlic,meteor peas & broad beans like the Sutton can all go in around October - November time,they grow a tiny bit overwinter then grow happily in the spring,you can leave them to get on with it. It’s nice to see some growth out there whilst sowing tomato seeds etc. If you sow cucumber,melon,courgette,corn & beans at the beginning of June they can be planted out fairly quickly,if you sow too early cold protection is a nightmare so I only really have tomatoes,peppers & flowers sowed early in March (& January for a couple of early tomatoes & peppers but only a couple of miniature tomatoes it makes it easier to handle).

[Scarlet]

...beans at the beginning of June they can be planted out fairly quickly,if you sow too early cold protection is a nightmare so I only really have tomatoes,peppers & flowers sowed early in March (& January for a couple of early tomatoes & peppers but only a couple of miniature tomatoes it makes it easier

Yes, this is key ( for me anyway) if you sow too early you have a GH full of tender plants that are often past their best before planting out. Tomatoes that are sown too early and then put out when the temps aren't ideal / or have been left in small pots too long don't often perform that well either. Beans come on quickly and can be started in modules, sprouted indoors and then planted up ( if you don't get mice) if you start at the end of May. It isn't time consuming if you aren't trying to jiggle things about trying to create space.

[annie8]

Thanks guys some good ideas. Think what I’ll do is up the soft fruit I grow, sow more crops in autumn, look at some alternative things to grow, reduce the tomatoes and not sow them and other crops like courgette quite so early.

[Dynamite]

How about a little Orchard. Full of trees.

Kind Regards.............Rob