Hassle free growing with lack of time

[SMW]

Hi all,

This was my first year growing fruit and veg. I would say I had a decent year with potatoes and fruit in the ground and some more veg in the pots and baskets. However, I really did struggle to keep on top of the weeding with work and family. Watering wasn’t a problem as my son loved to help! My plan was that my son would love getting his hands dirty and help me, generating an interest in him. It didn’t go to plan, just watering!
Early next year we are expecting a new baby and I know next year is going to be very busy. I am worried the little bed in our garden will be neglected and full of even worse weeds. At the moment I have it turned over with lots of paper shredding and cabroard. But I am thinking of investing in some weed membrane and planting through this next year to reduce the need to weed. I am also going to use more baskets for fruits and veg as they looked after themselves except for the watering.
What are peoples thoughts on hassle free growing, any tips that I could spend time on now to save time when the baby comes?

Thanks

S

[veggiechicken]

How big is the bed that you're concerned about?
The quickest way I've found to keep weeds down is by regular hoeing. Just skim them off with a hoe every time a weed is brave enough to put its head above ground.

[Snoop Puss]

I suspect weed membrane might make the watering a bit less fun... Could you maybe use hay instead as a mulch or perhaps a trailing plant like nasturtiums to provide ground cover? Or how about veg plants with more leafy cover, like courgettes or squash. Kids love courgettes and squash because the flowers are so big and dramatic. And in the case of courgettes, there's pretty well something to harvest every day!

I agree with VC about hoeing, if you can manage it.

[Mr Bones]

Depending how big your bed is I'd mulch it with compost, it'll keep the weeds down and won't harbour slugs in the same way as weed membrane does.

[More basil]

How about planting quite densely and using the principles of square foot gardening? Small beds with improved soil, intensively planted so the plants suppress weed. I am sure there's lots of stuff on the forum about this method.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_foot_gardening

[Chestnut]

I personally would opt for something which will be fairly self sufficient if you get distracted for a few days when baby arrives. Maybe something like potatoes which don’t let many weeds grow between them, and don’t need watering and picking every other day?
Do you want to be harvesting when baby arrives (to entertain toddler), or would you prefer something which can be completely ignored for a couple of weeks?
If you have an idea of baby’s due date, this crop planner may help you choose suitable plants ;-)
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/pdfs/vegplanner.pdf

[lolie]

There are lots of different weed suppression methods, so that one shouldn't be much of an issue.

I'd be more concerned about the possibility of losing stuff to pests/disease if you don't get into the garden for a few days.

Square foot gardening is definitely an option for you, but you do have to keep on top of things regularly. You need to make the time to have things ready to plant as a square becomes vacant and to amend vacant square before planting. You do need to keep an eye out for pests as well. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes a day if you're talking a relatively small garden, but it can be a time sink if you have lots of large beds.

What size bed are you talking about and what, specifically, would you like to grow? Pots and baskets can be more high maintenance than a bed, depending on what you plant in them.

[fishpond]

Cover the bed in cardboard,overlapping as needed.
Cover the cardboard with 4" rotted manure/homegrown compost.
Plant into it as and when.
Any weeds that come through that, can be hoed off, pulled out.
It will also do your soil a power of good---Makes life easier and the soil 100% better.

[Jimmy]

I use membrane from Wilko the cheapo black one.
I use it on my brassica beds, sprouts , sprouting broccoli and kale.
Seems to work well for these large well spaced plants .
Have to occasionally bash down the mares tail which tries to raise the membrane.
And remove some that find the holes.
Used it also for squash , courgette and cucumber patch.
Jimmy

[Jimmy]

It's difficult to use membrane on some plants.
Take carrots for example.
What I do is make a shallow trench say 3 inch deep and about 6 inch across weeks before you sow the seeds.
Every few days give it a good hoeing.
Then on sowing day fill it with good compost.
And sow into that
Jimmy

[Jungle Jane]

You could direct sow some meteor peas & the Sutton broad beans now,they'll grow slowly while you're not looking,then they'll be ready to harvest around April.

[SMW]

thanks for all the replies folks, very much appreciated! My wife is due mid feb. If my other child was keen on the garden it would work out well as I can use it to entertain him but as it stands hes only interested in hosing lol. The plot isn't that big, about 5 metres by 3 metres. I have a terriblesteep bank beside it full of gravel, rubble, horsetail, willowherb etc that is continuing to feed the areas. If I was to cover this with membrane and lets say plant through wildflower plugs, I assume it will prevent weed spread but will it attract slugs to my plot?

Thanks, only learning

[Jungle Jane]

Wildflowers would self seed onto the soil,it might be difficult with membrane? I don't use membrane,I don't do much weeding either,I clear the area I'm planting/sowing in,then look after that area mainly. Have you got a little magnifying glass/plastic for children,it's fun finding bugs & looking at them close up. Maybe a nature kit for Christmas

[veggiechicken]

Plant it with raspberry canes in the shape of a den. As they grow taller, tie the tops together to make a roof. Let your son play in the den and pick raspberries. Make another little den with bamboo canes and grow beans and squash up them next summer.
Cover the soil with woodchip or something for him to play on. Make a "road" from one den to another and plant strawberries on the "pavements".
Gardening should be fun, whatever your age

[SMW]

I love the creativity here! Plenty of food for thought lol

Thanks for all the replies