Ivydene Gardens Vegetable Gallery:
Site Map

There are 8 VEGETABLES detailed in this Gallery.

How to grow vegetables successfuly in pots.

Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers by Edward C. Smith (ISBN -13: 978-1-58017-556-2 or ISBN-10: 1-58017-556-2). Ed Smith has chosen, planted, tested and tasted dozens of vegetables in every type of self-watering container and shows you how to grow the best vegetables ever.

3 problems in growing vegetables in traditional containers:-

They need watering every day with a hose or watering can.
Even when they are watered regularly, most vegetables will not produce as much in a traditional container as it would in the earth garden.
The methods traditionally used for growing edibles in pots are not organic. I prefer to use organic methods.

One solution to the problem of constant watering is the self-watering container, which is different from a traditional container in that it does not have a hole in the bottom. As long as there is water in the reservoir, the soil in the self-watering container will not dry out. This helps to solve problem 1, also helps solve problem 2 as it helps the vegetables to grow better without their roots drying out (vegetables are between 80 and 90% water). A mature tomato plant may need to drink as much as a gallon a day.

amberolsowandgrow

The Sow and Grow Unit from the Amberol Harvester Range is an ideal balcony container large enough and deep enough to grow anything you would wish to plant in it. It is superb for tomatoes.

Vegetable, Herb and Green Manure Plant Description and Comparison pages

Vegetable Gallery Introduction

GREEN Vegetable FOOD

PURPLE Vegetable FOOD

RED Vegetable FOOD

WHITE Vegetable FOOD

YELLOW Vegetable FOOD

Beetroot (Globe) - Bolthardy

Broccoli (Sprouting in Summer/Autumn) - Rudolph

Carrot (F1 Hybrid) - Creme De Lite F1

Cauliflower (Summer/Autumn Use) - Boris

Chilli Pepper (Hot) - Bhut Jolokia Fiery Furnace

Courgette - Cavili

Cucumber (Mini-Cucumber) - Cucino F1

Lettuce (Butterhead) - Relic Red Deers Tongue

GREEN Vegetable FOLIAGE

RED Vegetable FOLIAGE

BEETROOT, BEET AND BORECOLE Vegetable

BROCCOLI AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS Vegetables

CARROT AND CAULIFLOWER Vegetables

CHILLI PEPPER AND CHINESE CABBAGE Vegetables

CORN SALAD, COURGETTE, CRESS AND CUCUMBER Vegetables

LEAF SALADS, LEEK AND LETTUCE Vegetables

Site Map for Vegetables

The unique ‘Aquafeed’ self-watering system from Amberol keeps plants permanently watered, releasing the vital nutrients in the soil. The high capacity capillary action wick lifts water and added nutrients from a large, built in water storage chamber protected from the heat of the sun, so simply top up the reservoir twice a week in most conditions.

amberoljuniorcultivator

The Junior Cultivator is the all rounder. Good for herbs, salad stuff but deep enough for beans and peas whilst also good for strawberries.

amberolfruitfull

The Fruit Full Unit is perfectly designed to grow strawberries by the bucket load. Keeping the plants over the edge of this narrower unit prevents them rotting when ripening.

amberolsaladserver

The Salad Server is perfect for growing every sort of salad crop, lettuce, radishes, spring onions, beetroot and many others. With its built in water reservoir and aquafeed system you can expect superb crops with minimum maintenance and effort.

amberolpodandbean

The Pod and Bean planter can be used to grow peas and beans of all varieties. It has the depth to allow canes and sticks to be pushed into the soil which will support these climbing plants as they grow. It also makes a superb planter for onions.

amberolminigarden

The Mini Garden can be used as a floor standing unit or easily fixed to a wall. This is ideal for growing herbs or as a raised small strawberry bed.

Making a potting mix for your self-watering container:-

In typical container growing mixes, structure is created by combining 2 basic components: something that will absorb water and something that water will flow round. One planting mixture combination is:-

8 parts of spagnum peat moss,
1 part of vermiculite, and
1 part of perlite
10 parts of spent mushroom compost or 2.5 parts of Worm Castings or 2.5 parts of your own compost from a Garden Wormery.

which is the best choice for self-watering containers. 2/3rds fill a wheelbarrow with the above planting mixture and according to Edward C. Smith (for Americans) add:-

1/3 cup blood meal (for nitrogen)
1/3 cup colloidal phosphate (for phosphorus)
1/3 cup greensand ( for potassium and trace elements) and
1 tablespoon azomite.

or according to me (for UK Citizens) add:

500 grms Cal-Sea-Feed (for trace elements and minerals, calcium which neutralizes the acidity of the peat, and Cal-Sea-Feed also encourages beneficial soil bacteria)
500 grms Blood, Fish, Bone (for Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus)

before mixing thoroughly. Add water whilst mixing to make a moist mixture but not a soggy mess. Transfer the result to a self-watering container (whose reservoir is already filled with water).

Detail of above materials:

Spagnum peat. Partially decomposed remains of centuries-old sphagnum moss, which holds both water and air. It is organic matter, but it decays very slowly and adds litlle in the way of nutrition. It is very acidic, with a pH of 3.5-4.5.
Sedge peat. The ancient, partially decomposed remains of sedge, reeds and grasses. It is of a darker colour than sphagnum peat and holds more water.
Coco peat, or coir. Recycled coconut husks, used for aeration and water retention as an ecologically sound alternative to sphagnum peat. It holds more water than sphagnum peat and has a pH range of 5.7 to 6.8.
Bark and/or sawdust. Used as a basic ingredient in some potting mixes. It provides organic matter, but few nutrients.
Vermiculite. Made from a form of mica rock. The ore has been heated causing it to expand and creating within it spaces for air and water. A cubic foot of vermicultite can hold 32 pounds of water - about 8 gallons. In addition to its air- and water-holding ability, it provides some potassium, calcium and magnesium with a neutral pH.
Perlite. Made from volcanic rock that is crushed, and then heated, causing the particles to expand like popcorn. Perlite holds water on its surface and keeps soil light and fluffy. It adds no nutrients to the mix and has a neutral pH.
Limestone (either dolomitic or calcitic). A source of calcium to counteract the acidity of peat moss. Dolomitic limestone also contains magnesium.

Details of organic fertilizer:

Azomite Trace Mineral Fertilizer is natural mined rock from a specific volcanic deposit in central Utah marketed as a free-flowing, less than 200 mesh, tan to pink powder with a density of 48 lbs./cubic foot. No additives, synthetics or fillers. Mineralogically, Azomite is rhyolitic tuff breccia. Azomite has 67 major and trace elements, so its name means "A to Z Of Minerals Including Trace Elements." Typical analysis shows every element that's beneficial to plants and animals, and other elements (micro-nutrients) scientists believe essential. Azomite was mined since 1942 as soil amendment. Crop farmers report improved growth, health, size. Potatoes report 19-60% increase in yield; sugar beets are larger, with higher sugar content. Citrus growers report improved recovery from decline, healthier trees. This material is easier to buy in America. I would tend to use the Cal-Sea-Feed in the UK, since it is easier to find and it will provide the Calcium instead of from the Limestone in the list above to neutralize the acidity of the peat.
Greensand is essentially a hydrated silicate of iron and potash. It is a natural mineral extracted from the famous greensand deposits of Sewell, New Jersey, USA. This natural mineral has a tendency to open tight soils and bind loose soils. Nutrient availability through its' "base-exchange" action releases the minerals in the soil for assimilation by the plant. Valued by growers for decades this rock powder contains a large amount of potassium and trace minerals. Greensand renews vigour of the mineral exchange in the top soil.
Cal-Sea-Feed - Calcified Seaweed substitute - A sustainable alternative to Calcified Seaweed for growers. Calcified Seaweed is no longer approved by the Soil Association for use in organic growing, due to concerns that the harvesting of this material is not sustainable and has adverse effects on the marine environment. Cal-Sea-Feed is a blend of dried seaweed, harvested in a sustainable and environmentally benign system, and natural calcium compounds - formulated to give growers the benefits of Calcified Seaweed without the concerns. Cal-Sea-Feed is rich in minerals, encourages beneficial soil bacteria, helps improve heavy soil structure and neutralises acid soils (do not use with acid loving plants). Approved for Organic growing by the Soil Association.
Blood, Fish, Bonemeal. A traditional long lasting organic based compound fertilizer - the favourite feed for generations of gardeners. Use anywhere in the garden for flowers, fruit, vegetables. Nitrogen 5% Phosphorus Pentoxide (P2 05) 5% of which Phosphorus Pentoxide (P2 05) soluble in water 0.44%(P0.19%) Phosphorus Pentoxide (P2 05) insoluble in water 4.56%(P1.9%) Potassium Oxide (K2 0) soluble in water 6.5%(K5.4%). Bone meal is an organic fertlizer that is derived from the meat processing industry. Animal bones are cooked and then ground and packaged, then sold as a slow-release fertilizer that offers a good amount of phosphorous. The N-P-K ratio of bone meal is generally 4-12-0, though some steamed bone meals have N-P-Ks of 1-13-0. Bone meal is frequently used to fertilize spring-blooming bulbs, but it also works well in vegetable gardens, on lawns, and in containers to provide phosphorus. Recent CSU research results concluded that no rock P (regardless of mesh size) is available for plant use unless the soil pH is below 7.0.

Using this planting mix, a self-watering container and the information in Ed Smith's book, you should be able to grow very good vegetables on the balcony 12 floors up a skyscraper or anywhere else where sunshine gets to a part of your outside space.

Plant Connection had a free Vegetable Wall Planner.

Why Topsoil is not suitable for use in a Container:-

In a container, topsoil compacts and the spaces between soil particles disappear. Compacted soil cannot receive, contain, or allow for the movement of enough air and water.

Why adding water retention gel to the container mix is not suitable:-

Since the container is self-watering, you do not need any additives to increase water retention. These additives are called hydrogels, and they are meant to be used in traditional pots, which dry out quickly. When they are added to the potting mix in self-watering containers, the mix quickly becomes waterlogged and the plants drown.

Gleaned from the newsletter of Permacore (South African Permaculture network) in 2004:

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING:-

PLANT 3 ROWS OF PEAS

Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul

PLANT 4 ROWS OF SQUASH

Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness

PLANT 4 ROWS OF LETTUCE

Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be patient
Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN WITHOUT TURNIPS

Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME

Thyme for each other
Thyme for family
Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE

THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

From SUNBURST The Parish Magazine of St Margaret's, Rainham, Kent of June 2010:-

"You could spend your life waiting for one of these....

There are 91,500 people in the UK who are waiting for an allottment. That is up from 76,330 in June 2009. And the popular grow-your-own trend, accelerated by the recession and rising price of food, shows no sign of calming down.

In Camden, North London, nearly 1,000 people are facing a 40-year wait for around 200 allotments. Islington, Burnley, Fylde, and Wirral all have waiting lists of longer than 10 years. In Oldham, 400 people are waiting for 19 sites. Other councils have closed their waiting lists altogether.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide allotments, but many frustrated gardeners say "it is just not happening, and is such a shame." As one keen gardener points out:"Having an allotment ticks all the healthy living boxes in terms of diet, exercise and low carbon footprints." "

Nurseries that grow and sell plants to the Public:-

Marshalls, S.E. Marshall & Co, Alcondbury Weston, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE28 4HY. Tel: 01480 443390. Website: www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk sell seeds and plants.

Gertrude Franck's Vegetable Garden Layout with Companion Planting
Fence with Flowers and Gate
D. All kinds of herbs, annuals and perennials	Path					D. Chives and Rhubarb
	P A T H	B. Cauliflower and B. Celeriac	P A T H	C. Late Carrots	P A T H
		C. Lettuce		C. Late Carrots
		A. Cucumber		A. Tomatoes alternating with C. radishes
		A. Cabbage C. Lettuce (second sowing)		C. Late Carrots
		B. Cauliflowers and B. Celeriac		B. Onions followed by C. corn salad
		A. Cabbage C. Lettuce (third sowing)		C. Late Carrots
		A. Late Cabbage and B. Celeriac		A. Tomatoes alternating with C. Radishes
		C. Carrots (second sowing)		C. Late Carrots
		B. Black salsify		B. Onions followed by C. Sugarloaf
		C. Carrots (second sowing)		C. Late Carrots
		A. Late Cabbage and A. Celeriac		A. Beans alternating with C. Kohlrabi
		C. Carrots (second sowing)		C. Endives or other salad crops
		A. New Potatoes		B. Spring Greens alternating with B. Celeriac then B. Kidney Beans
		B. Beetroot		C. Various Salad crops
		A. Brussels Sprouts B. and Kale		A. Beans alternating with C. Kolhrabi and C. Radishes
		B. Beetroot
		B. Leeks		covering 3-year-old Strawberries
		C. Carrots		covering 3-year-old Strawberries
		B. Marrowfat Peas
		C. Carrots
		B. Onions		covering 2-year-old Strawberries
		C. Lettuces and radishes		covering 2-year-old Strawberries
		B. Peas followed in August by Strawberries (new planting)
	Path

Hello Rebecca,

A little note on the home page of higher-ed.org :-

Welcome to the Higher

Education Resourse Hub

Perhaps Resourse should be Resource.

Billyoh seems a very good website. It has been written to inform and then link to its products - very well done.

The benefits of gardening older adults article was good and does tell me more than I knew before.

I will put this email into the Vegetable Gallery Site Map Page. You do realise that you can download any or all the website. Then for a page pick out the middle table which is normally the Data Table, put it into WORD, resort it to how you want and then you will have your own information page. You can add rows or coloumns to your own table from other pages in the site to add Use, Comments etc

Cheers

Chris Garnons-Williams

On 13 Oct 2022, at 19:26, Rebecca Parker wrote:

Hello,

My name is Rebecca and I am an online teacher for an alternative learning program for kids. We were discussing the benefits of gardening when we came across your website https://www.ivydenegardens.co.uk/p%20rockrose%20gallery/blinks.html while looking for resources. We wanted to say thank you!

One of my students, Betty, did some research and she sent in this article with a lot of really great information on the health benefits of gardening for senior citizens. This is what she found -

https://billyoh.com/resource/benefits-of-gardening-older-adults/

I suggested she share this with you because it had such great information we thought could be useful to you and your other visitors. Would you please add a link to it to your web page for them, even if it is just for a little while? I want to show the increasingly large group of students that they can accomplish things if they aren't afraid to come out of their shells and simply ask, especially while being in so much isolation these days! Please let me know if you’d be willing to help so I can share the exciting news with them!

Thank you in advance!

Rebecca Parker

VEGETABLE GALLERY PAGES
Site Map of pages with content (o)

Introduction

FOOD COLOUR
Blue
(o)Green
Orange
Other Colours
(o)Purple
(o)Red
(o)White
(o)Yellow

FOLIAGE COLOUR
Black
Blue
Brown
Bronze
(o)Green
Grey
Purple
(o)Red
Silver
Variegated White
Variegated Yellow
White
Yellow

VEGETABLE LIST
Artichoke
Asparagus
Aubergine

Beans :-
Broad
Climbing French
Dwarf French
Runner

(o)Beetroot
Beet
Borecole
(o)Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cape Gooseberry
Capsicum(Pepper)
Cardoon
(o)Carrot
(o)Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Chicory
(o)Chilli Pepper
Chinese Cabbage
Corn Salad
(o)Courgette
Cress
(o)Cucumber
Endive
Fennel
Garlic

Green Manure :-
Mustard
Phacelia Balo
Red Clover
Spinach

Herbs :-
Basil Gecofure
Basil Minette
Basil Red
Basil Sweet
Celery Par-cel
Chives
Cilantro
Coriander
Coriander Confetti
Dill
Dill Bouquet
Garlic Chives
Lemon Coriander
Lemon Grass
Marjoram Sweet
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme

Horseradish
Kale
Kohl Rhabi
Leaf Beet
Leaf Salads
Leek
(o)Lettuce
Marrow
Melon
Mushroom
Mustard
Okra
Onion
Pak Choi
Parsnip
Pea
Pepper
Potato
Pumpkin
Radicchio
Radish
Rocket
Salsify
Scorzonera
Shallot
Snap Pea
Spinach
Spinach Beet
Spring Onion

Sprouting Salad :-
Alfalfa
Fenugreek
Lentil
Mung Beans
Radish

Squash
Swede
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Turnip

GROUP PICTURES
Garden Pictures

Vegetable Height from Text Border for Vegetable Gallery

Blue = 0-24 inches (0-60 cms)

Green = 24-72 inches (60-180 cms)

Red = 72+ inches (180+ cms)

Vegetable Soil Moisture from Text Background

Wet Soil

Moist Soil

Dry Soil

Click on thumbnail to add the Plant Description Page of the Vegetable named in the Text box below that photo.
The Comments Row of that Vegetable Description Page details where that Vegetable Plant is available from.

When creating a vegetable garden, the most common method of reducing the likelihood of disease and pest problems caused by planting the same plant in the same place every year is to use a rotation system:-

4-Year Rotation: Legume, Brassica, Potato, Onions and Roots or Fixed Bed - for plants that stay in the same place for another 2 years
or
Gertrude Franck's Companion Planting: Spinach is sown in the spring and the rows between the rows of spinach are split into: Main Crop A, 0.5 Year Crop B, Short-lived Crop C or Perennial Crop D as shown below.

Gertrude Franck Companion Planting Vegetable Garden

Companion planting cultivation is concerned with which plants will respond well to a certain environment, and in which environment, pests can be discouraged and diseases prevented. In order to make such mixed vegetable cultivation possible, monoculture in beds is replaced by row-crop cultivation, in which the right plants will be properly spaced. The companion-planted garden has to be considered not only in relation to its plant material above ground, but also the affects on the soil and the biomass of that plant's roots. Ten ways that companion planting works is provided in the garden design section.

Companion Planting can also be used for pest control rather than chemicals.

The book "Companion Planting - successful gardening the organic way" by Gertrude Franck (based on her 35 years of practical experience in Germany) Thorsons Publishing Group 1983, ISBN 0-7225-0695-3 states the following:

Spinach is sown in spring in rows 20 inches (50cm) apart over the whole vegetable garden area for the following purposes:

these rows divide the vegetable garden up for the whole year,
the spinach roots prevent erosion, so the usual paths between beds are omitted,
young spinach plants provide protection and shade for the vegetable crops to be grown between them,
spinach provides ideal material for sheet surface composting, which becomes an intermediate space, a footpath, and
it is in between these lines of spinach that the other vegetable varieties are arranged.

The Garden Layout on the left shows that the rows are given letters. The main crop in the A rows is planted in May, but can follow an early crop almost immediately. They are 6.5 feet (2 metres) apart and are intended for:-

tomatoes,
runner beans,
cucumbers,
late cabbage,
broad beans,
potatoes and
courgettes.

Halfway between 2 A rows there is 1 B row, which is intended for plants which are going to require this space either in the first half or in the second half of the growing year. Each of these rows will yield at least 2 full crops. These are:-

leeks,
onions,
black salsify,
cauliflower,
celeriac,
kidney beans,
spring beans,
beetroot,
peas and
parsnips.

Halfway between the A row and the B row there is the C row, which is set with short-lived plants with a comparatively small, low growth. Each of these rows will produce 2 or often 3 crops one after another. These are:-

carrots,
lettuce,
endives,
kohlrabi and
fennel.

The perennial crops in Row D stay in the same place and the others are not planted in the same place for another 2 years:-

annuals

asparagus

chives

herbs

perennials

To avoid crop rotation problems the gardener :

changes his crops 2 or 3 times in the same row and
in the following year displaces the rows 10 inches (25 cm) away from where they were before, so that it is extremely unlikely that the same or a closely related plant will occupy the same place again.

Surface composting ensures a constant supply of nutrients and water to the soil, gives it protection and enriches it in humus. The strips where the compost is laid down this year will become the places where vegetables are grown next year, since the rows are displaced 10 inches (25 cm) sideways.

VEGETABLE INDEX

Vegetable Type links to Comparison Page .

Vegetable Name links to Description Page.

Supplier Name links to Mail Order seed supplier, who
supply seed sowing instructions.

Since Suttons have not donated more photos and no other seed supplier will (I have asked at shows from 2006-2015), I will take more photos from gardens available to the public, so that you the public can be visually informed about the vegetables whose seeds these mail-order suppliers will sell you.

4-Year Rotation:-

1. Legume
2. Brassica
3. Potato
4. Onions and Roots or

Fixed Bed. Succession gardening gives you the next veg to grow after the last one.

Companion Planting:-
Main Crop A,
0.5 Year Crop B, Short-lived Crop C or
Perennial Crop D

Foliage Colour

Food Colour

Good Companions

Bad Companions

The Companion Plant A-Z Table shows in tabular form the following, as a quick reference guide:-

name of original plant in alphabetical order
name of pest/disease of that original plant
name of antidote to that pest/disease as a companion plant, or name of companion plant or beneficial insect or animal to the original plant
name of antagonistic plant to that original plant or name of a Pest/Disease that this original plant is antagonistic to.

Artichoke

Fixed Bed
Perennial Crop D

aglobeartichokefol

Globe Artichoke

aglobeartichokefru

Globe Artichoke

...

Ivydene Gardens Vegetable Gallery: Site Map

There are 8 VEGETABLES detailed in this Gallery.

Ivydene Gardens Vegetable Gallery:
Site Map