How to create a small vegetable/fruit patch

[Nattsalie]

Novice gardener here. I have an area in my garden approx 10ft x 3 ft, beside a fence, and I'd like to grow vegetables/fruit in it. Presume I'm too late to start this year, but can I have some tips on how to begin.

What should I do to prepare the soil? What could I grow in this relatively small space? Do I buy plants or seeds? Any guidance really appreciated.

Which way does it face - if southwards you don't just have a 10 x 3 ft plot, but a fence to grow things up?
Seeds are a lot cheaper than plants, so if you have a sunny window sill you can use that to sow seeds. I'd also look into whether you could put up a small cold frame to help harden them off.
As to what to grow, I'd stick to stuff you like, that is usually eaten straight away (i.e. not stored like spuds, onions etc), that way you get the benefit of the taste of freshly harvested veg/fruit.
You can start preparing the plot now, maybe even build a raised bed?

We started this year so I am by no means an expert but we made raised beds to make access and digging easier. We put in a combination of manure, topsoil and compost. We spent a long time removing stones, which was worth it. With hindsight, I would have enriched the soil more.

Our experience of crops (in a poor year here - we are in Wales and there was no sun for two months during maturing season)

Lettuce and various salad lwaves -abundant and a delight
Spinach and radish -the same but short lived but you can do multiple planting
Poatoes and dwarf beans -space intensive -roughly 1 to 2 plants per meal
Watercress - wonderful.plant it anywhere and it grows like crazy
Herbs - i would keep in large pots or flower beds
Pumpkin -surprisingly easy but space intensive. I am going to try growing up a trellus next time and fertilise more
Courgette - incredible. Abundant and tasty. Need a lot of space. Still going strong though.
Tomatoes -ours grew well, had loads of unripe then died because of lack of sun.
These last two I would put much more fertiliser into the soil before planting.

You could get going on compost now.

Also, I currently have lambs lettuce, pak choi, rocket, cabbage and chard coming up. I am not bothering with brassicas as they need loads of space. Leeks gave been on the go for a while.

Definitely worth doing. It has saved our sanity during lockdown doing it. It is surprisingly easy and really pays back.

Climbing French beans - like dwarf beans but they climb poles to 6ft or more. Runner beans - I find runners do better in cold wet summers like we've just had (it's been cloudy and/or raining pretty well since May) and French do better in a hot summer. Mangetout or sugar snap peas - when you eat the whole pod it feels like you're getting a lot more crop for the space.

Later in the year, swiss chard, and your choice of brassicas - I grow cabalo nero kale and purple sprouting broccoli

Thanks all. Really looking forward to getting started. Will begin by working on the soil so I'll be all ready to go next year. Like the idea of using the fence and having dwarf beans climbing on poles. And hadn't considered salad leaves.

The critical thing is to plant things you actually enjoy eating -obvious on ond level but surprisingly easy to forget. Soft fruit is a winner in terms of effort/cost saving/deliciousness.

Hit send too soon - the autumn and winter is the best time to plant bareroot perennials like fruit bushes if you want to go down that route.

having dwarf beans climbing on poles Make sure the packet says "Climbing french bean" not "dwarf French bean"

I have the same space. I'm currently growing carrots, spinach and peas in there, hoping for a November harvest. I also had tomato plants growing up the fence. For next year I want to attempt square foot gardening so I can utilise as much space as possible.

You can put in garlic (and onion sets) this autumn. I always like to have something growing over winter, it makes it feel so much more productive and not so empty. One small row of garlic won’t take up much space and can be harvested next may just as the summer plants are going in.

Purple sprouting broccoli is another good one for tasty fresh veg in the spring, you would need plug plants. And broad beans from seed can go in now, start them in pots while you get the bed prepared. You can pull them all out in the spring when you need the space.

If you are preparing the soil take a look at no-dig gardening.

Also consider digging a trench to fill with vegetable scraps over the winter, if you haven’t got a compost bin. Just collect and bury a pan full at a time, it will do wonders for your soil.

If your fence is shady consider growing raspberry canes along the back. Fruit bushes and canes are best planted in autumn.

I've just put some leek seedlings in my veg bed, our garden centre has autumn planted veg in at the moment. I'm going to sow some broad beans to over winter and some peas (though the mice usually eat those). Also sowing some calendula and cornflower.

Some garlic and onion sets too.

So there's lots you can put in now - just put some manure on top for the worms to drag down over the winter.

UnaOfStormhold
'plant bareroot perennials like fruit bushes'

Could you explain what this means please.

The plants (say black current) are sold without a pot, ie the roots are visible, and the stems will have been pruned down. Come spring, when the ground is warming up you plant them out. You could do it now, if you can get hold of any.

You have a relatively small space so I would focus on what you like to eat. There is a group on Facebook called square foot gardening which aim to maximise crop per sqft they have lots of documents on best practices and how to enrich the soil.

For a small veg garden I would use a mix of seeds and plug plants. For instance my courgettes take up 75x75cm fully grown so I just buy 2x plants from the garden centre in spring which is cheaper than a pack of seeds. We love peas so I will buy seeds and do multiple sowings.

Some things grow well in pots/bags eg. Salad, carrots, potatoes and yes definitely utilise your fence for growing up!

It’s fun and you’ve got all winter to plan your space.