Table Of ContentSMALL PLOT
BIG HARVEST
A step-by-step guide to growing fruits
& vegetables in small spaces
Lucy Halsall
SMALL PLOT
BIG HARVEST
SMALL PLOT
BIG HARVEST
Lucy Halsall
Contents
LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, DELHI
Your growing space
Senior Editor Chauney Dunford Managing Editor Penny Warren
Editor Becky Shackleton Managing Art Editor Alison Donovan Why grow your own food? 8
Senior Art Editor Alison Shackleton Publisher Mary Ling
Crops in small spaces 10
Jacket Designer Nicola Powling Art Director Peter Luff
Production Editor Raymond Williams Publishing Director Mary-Clare Jerram Essential tools and equipment 14
Deciding what to grow 16
Picture Research Susie Peachey US Editors Rebecca Warren, Kate Johnsen
Choosing the right spot 18
Photography Mark Winwood US Consultant Lori Spencer
Preparing the soil 20
First American Edition, 2012
Sowing and planting 22
Published in the United States by DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014 Getting an early start 24
12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Growing in raised beds 26
Growing in containers 28
001–183249–Mar/2012
Watering and feeding 30
Copyright © 2012 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Text copyright © 2012 Royal Horticultural Society
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, Planning your plot
or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owners.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. Getting started 34
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Planting the bed 36
Tending the crops 38
ISBN 978-0-7566-9055-7
Plenty to pick 40
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions,
premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, Ending the season 42
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York, 10014 or [email protected].
The easy-to-grow plot 44
Printed and bound by Tien Wah Press, Singapore.
The family plot 46
Discover more at www.dk.com The gourmet plot 48
Lucy Halsall is editor of Grow Your Own magazine,
a dream job for her. She describes it as The
Good Life TV series in magazine format. Before
this she worked at the RHS Garden Wisley and
as the gardening editor at Amateur Gardening
magazine. Lucy was raised on her family’s small
farm and has been cultivating salads and
vegetables since her teenage years. Lucy describes
her own garden as “small, yet very productive!”
Grow your own vegetables Grow your own fruit
Tomatoes 54 Chicory 126 Strawberries 200
Tomatoes 56 Endive 128 Raspberries 202
Peppers 58 Watercress 130 Blackberries and hybrids 204
Chili peppers 60 Radishes 134 Red and white currants 206
Chili peppers 62 Beets 136 Black currants 208
Eggplant 64 Carrots 138 Gooseberries 210
Peas 68 Turnips 140 Blueberries 212
Runner beans 70 Parsnips 142 Apples 214
Green beans 72 Rutabaga 144 Pears 216
Green beans 74 Potatoes 146 Plums 218
Fava beans 76 Potatoes 148 Cherries 220
Cucumbers 80 Onions 152 Peaches and nectarines 222
Zucchini 82 Onions 154 Figs 224
Summer squashes 84 Shallots 156
Winter squashes 86 Green onions 158 Fruit crop planner 226
Winter squashes 88 Leeks 160
Pumpkins 90 Garlic 162
Problem solver
Summer and fall cabbages 94 Sweet corn 166
Summer cabbages 96 Sweet corn 168 The organic approach 230
Winter and spring cabbages 98 Kohlrabi 170 Preventing problems 232
Cauliflower 100 Florence fennel 172 Common weeds 234
Calabrese broccoli 102 Celery 174 Avoiding pests and diseases 236
Broccoli 104 Celery root 176 Common pests 238
Brussels sprouts 106 Asparagus 180 Common diseases 242
Kale 108 Globe artichokes 182 Nutrient deficiencies 246
Lettuce 112 Jerusalem artichokes 184
Lettuce 114 Rhubarb 186 Useful resources 248
Cut-and-come-again salad 116 Annual herbs 190 Index 250
Microgreens 118 Perennial herbs 192 Acknowledgments 256
Asian greens 120 Perennial herbs 194
Spinach 122
Swiss chard 124 Vegetable crop planner 196
Y
o
u
r
g
r
o
w
i
n
g
s
p
a
c
e
8 Your growing space
Why grow your own food?
Anyone who has ever picked fresh strawberries will know how unlikely it is
that the first harvest will reach the kitchen. The urge to eat them then and
there usually wins out over all but the strongest wills, reflecting one of the main
reasons to grow your own—taste. Freshness equates to flavor, and growing
your own crops allows you to pick them at their best. Compare store-bought
green beans to your own, and you’ll never buy them again. However, there are
also many other reasons to grow your own crops, whether it’s for your health
and that of your family, for environmental concerns, or for the pleasure of it.
Fresh and healthy
The positive health effects of eating
fruits and vegetables has long been
known, but there are also direct
benefits of actually growing them
yourself. Vitamin and antioxidant
levels are at their highest when crops
are first picked, with the levels falling
by half after 7–14 days from harvest.
Although supermarkets sell fresh
produce, you can rarely tell how long
ago it was picked or how well it has
been stored, especially if it has been
imported or kept in refrigeration.
Growing your own food means you
can pick fruits and vegetables no
sooner than is really necessary, Good for the environment Growing your own fruit and
ensuring they are as fresh, tasty, Local and global concerns have vegetables isn’t just about jumping
and nutrient-packed as possible. driven many people to assess the on the latest bandwagon however,
impact of food production on the it’s pretty fundamental—people need
Growing fitter environment, and terms such as food. By growing it in your own back
In addition to eating more healthily, “food miles” and “carbon footprint” yard or garden plot, you are reducing
the tasks involved in growing your have become synonymous with a the strain on global supplies. You will
own crops also provide good exercise, responsible, ecologically-minded also know exactly how “green” it is or
improving fitness, stamina, and attitude. Producing your own food how ethically it has been produced—
flexibility. Just one hour’s digging can at home embraces both these organically perhaps. You can also
burn off over 300 calories, while even concepts—food miles are zero, and share your surplus, helping to reduce
light puttering means being active. the carbon footprint is negligible. the global impact of others.
Why grow your own food? 9
Space to grow
Growing fruits and vegetables does
require a reasonable amount space,
but that doesn’t mean having a large
garden of your own—or even a
garden at all. Community gardens
have surged in popularity over the
last decade, with friends now
commonly sharing areas to beat the
waiting lists. The community spirit
found at most shared garden sites
makes them ideal for beginner
growers, with neighbors freely
sharing their knowledge, experience,
tools, and surplus produce.
If you have a garden, or access to
one, use every inch of space. Walls,
balconies, and fences are all suitable
for growing crops, as are containers,
windowsills, window boxes, and
hanging baskets. Even the smallest
plot with just a few plants will give
you a taste of what growing your own
fruits and vegetables is all about.
Greater choice (above) Beets are quick to grow and require little
Commercial growers are motivated care or experience. Try varieties you don’t see in
supermarkets, like ones with striped flesh.
by yield, shelf-life, and uniformity,
and grow vast monocultures of just (above left) Strawberries are the taste of summer
and are very easy to grow. Plant them in patio pots
a few varieties, giving little choice or in hanging baskets, and enjoy them utterly fresh.
in the markets. When growing your
own, you can set your own priorities You’re unlikely to ever see ‘Nun’s
when deciding what to plant. There Bellybutton’ green beans, ‘Fat Lazy
are thousands of different crops and Blonde’ lettuce, or ‘Yellow Stuffer’
varieties to try, many developed tomatoes in the supermarket aisles,
over generations, with qualities so why not grow them instead? You Community gardens are ideal for beginners to
learn the basics and to experience the pride of
better suited to your own tastes. can even develop your own strains. growing crops for the first time.
