What needs little care and attention?

[mrdinkle]

Hi There,

I have not been able to get an allotment locally and have limited growing space in my garden.

My In Laws have kindly offered me use of part of their large garden ( in return for some veg and me doing the lawn ~ I expect). Only trouble is that it is 15 miles away and I do not travel in that direction regularly.

I was thinking, that perhaps I could take them up on their offer but plant things that require little or no attention so that it is less problematic if I am unable to visit regularly.

If I did this, what do you recommend that I grow? I probably could visit as often as once a week but sometimes only once a fortnight.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[smallblueplanet]

If you can get them to pick them climbing beans and courgettes are pretty staightforward. So are potatoes, well and tomatoes. What sort of stuff do they/you like?

[mrdinkle]

I was thinking of stuff we do not have space to do here;

parsnips, cabbages, sprouts, tatos, peas, runners, broads, carrots.

Tomatoes I'd do in the greenhouses and we use courgettes - but they do not so I'd do them here, I suppose the more delicate things like lettuce, peppers etc would be better off here?

I would not like to ask them to do anything too much as they are both getting on, though father in law would probably not mind picking stuff and watering (if they were about).

[Nicos]

Rhubarb????

[mrdinkle]

We have a rhubarb crown in the garden! That reminds me, I must chuck a bucket over it!

[SarzWix]

I should think potatoes & onions would be the main ones; carrots if you rig up some kind of cover to keep off the carrot fly; cabbage, brussels etc would also need fine mesh to keep off the caterpillars; leeks would probably be ok, and raspberry canes look after themselves once you have some support rigged up.
Good luck

[T-lady]

I reckon strawberries are pretty easy too.

[vegnut]

Me thinks that any root veg would be ok Parsnips, beetroot, carrots, turnips, celeriac, possibly sweed and moolie. Or you could try something that takes up a fair bit of ground like Butternut squash.

[mrdinkle]

Thanks for all your the responses.

I think the rooty type things will end up over there.

[Snadger]

Welcome to the vine mrdinkle!

You need to think of ways to cut down on maintenance. To keep weeds down and save on watering you could either use a mulch of black plastic and plant through it or use a thick mulch of FYM or straw on top of cardboard!

With the whole allotment bedded and covered with mulch, the world is your oyster and you could grow almost anything.

Tatties are fairly problem free and can be left to get on with it. Likewise squash, marrows and pumpkins.

If brassicas are netted they should be fairly problem free.

Just grow what you like to eat and mulch,mulch,mulch!