Gardening advice needed

[Zoidberg]

I have a bit of land out in the countryside located a couple of miles from where I live. It wasn't originally bought for prepping purposes but in hindsight I couldn't have picked a better site for a bug out location if I had tried, which was a fantastic stroke of good luck!

I have tried growing a some beans, potatoes and corn there before but without much luck. The problem is I just don't have enough spare time during the week to tend to the plants once they have started growing and only have a bit of time at the weekends as I have lots of other jobs to do when I am there. They either suffer from a lack of water in the summertime or get overtaken by weeds and grass.

I did plant some Jerusalem artichokes last year which grew really well on their own despite the rabbits eating some of the leaves and stalks but this year the rabbits ate them all even and dug up the roots too.
Can anyone suggest a method to grow some food using the minimum time input from myself as I can only spare about 1 hour each week to tend to them at the weekends.

[jennyjj01]

I have a bit of land...
...Can anyone suggest a method to grow some food using the minimum time input from myself as I can only spare about 1 hour each week to tend to them at the weekends.

I have an allotment and dedicate just enough time and effort to it to not have it taken off me under 'use it or lose it' rules. So, a few hours a week has to be pretty efficient. Personally, I primarily grow a few spuds, many onions and garlic and a few raspberries and strawberries. I also invited on a co-worker.

Generally...
You will probably have to embrace weedkiller...
Embrace lazy construction such as planters from a stack of tyres ( I know.... toxic rubber)
Grow only what you would eat, though courgettes are a doddle, no use if you never eat them.... Grow for value.

Let nature do some of the work, such as blocking out the sun to growing areas with tarps or weed membrane. Makes for easier weeding.
Weeds are your enemy, but fast growing big foliage plants like spuds or courgettes will suppress their own weeds.
Some veggies thrive without watering, such as spuds, onions and even outdoor tomatoes.
Some fruits and veggies are robust and self reliant like strawberries and raspberries.
Put in some ground prep hours now and then cover till spring.

Spend a while googling and yt searching for 'lazy food growing' https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lazy+food+growing&ia=web
Also google the wartime 'dig for victory' leaflets

Enjoy. It's cheaper than any gym membership.

[GillyBee]

You could embrace some tactics that work when you aren't there although these can be expensive. Eg nematodes to reduce the slugs and snails. But if some thing has managed to wreck Jerusalem Artichokes you may have bigger pests and need to defend against rabbits or deer. Those may need electric fencing or wire mesh to protect the plants. Alternatively, embrace the loss, take up hunting and eat the invaders......

[Zoidberg]

I have a bit of land...
...Can anyone suggest a method to grow some food using the minimum time input from myself as I can only spare about 1 hour each week to tend to them at the weekends.

I have an allotment and dedicate just enough time and effort to it to not have it taken off me under 'use it or lose it' rules. So, a few hours a week has to be pretty efficient. Personally, I primarily grow a few spuds, many onions and garlic and a few raspberries and strawberries. I also invited on a co-worker.

Generally...
You will probably have to embrace weedkiller...
Embrace lazy construction such as planters from a stack of tyres ( I know.... toxic rubber)
Grow only what you would eat, though courgettes are a doddle, no use if you never eat them.... Grow for value.

Let nature do some of the work, such as blocking out the sun to growing areas with tarps or weed membrane. Makes for easier weeding.
Weeds are your enemy, but fast growing big foliage plants like spuds or courgettes will suppress their own weeds.
Some veggies thrive without watering, such as spuds, onions and even outdoor tomatoes.
Some fruits and veggies are robust and self reliant like strawberries and raspberries.
Put in some ground prep hours now and then cover till spring.

Spend a while googling and yt searching for 'lazy food growing' https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lazy+food+growing&ia=web
Also google the wartime 'dig for victory' leaflets

Enjoy. It's cheaper than any gym membership.

Thanks for your advice. I will research more into these suggestions.
I really love courgettes too and will give them a try next year now.

[Zoidberg]

You could embrace some tactics that work when you aren't there although these can be expensive. Eg nematodes to reduce the slugs and snails. But if some thing has managed to wreck Jerusalem Artichokes you may have bigger pests and need to defend against rabbits or deer. Those may need electric fencing or wire mesh to protect the plants. Alternatively, embrace the loss, take up hunting and eat the invaders......

Thanks for your suggestions too.

I have already looked into trapping rabbits. It's not something that I want or intend to do but if things were ever to get really desperate it would certainly be a viable option as there are a lot of rabbits in my area.

[jennyjj01]

Thanks for your advice. I will research more into these suggestions.
I really love courgettes too and will give them a try next year now.

Courgettes have to be THE easiest thing to grow. Biggest chore is harvesting them and eating them.

[GillyBee]

I find courgettes are great once you get them big enough to shrug off the slugs and plant them in very rich soil. Think old compost heap. In poorer soil they get powdery mildew. But they need picking several times a week as do runner beans. If you have less time, squash/pumpkin and drued beans like Borlotti are similar to grow and harvest ar the end of the season. Personally I like Tromboncino which is dual purpose. Pick small and use as courgette or ripen them to store and use as butternut squash. But they are big plants and slow to get into production. Outdoor tomatoes are also worth considering if you choose blight resistant varieties and can keep them watered. Check the Charles Dowding website for ideas. It is very informative.

[Zoidberg]

Thanks for your advice. I will research more into these suggestions.
I really love courgettes too and will give them a try next year now.

Courgettes have to be THE easiest thing to grow. Biggest chore is harvesting them and eating them.

I have already ordered a few packets of courgette seeds. I bought a few different varieties to see which ones grow the best in the soil and climate here, then once I have found the ones which seem most suitable I will be able to buy more packets of that specific variety in the future.

[Zoidberg]

I find courgettes are great once you get them big enough to shrug off the slugs and plant them in very rich soil. Think old compost heap. In poorer soil they get powdery mildew. But they need picking several times a week as do runner beans. If you have less time, squash/pumpkin and drued beans like Borlotti are similar to grow and harvest ar the end of the season. Personally I like Tromboncino which is dual purpose. Pick small and use as courgette or ripen them to store and use as butternut squash. But they are big plants and slow to get into production. Outdoor tomatoes are also worth considering if you choose blight resistant varieties and can keep them watered. Check the Charles Dowding website for ideas. It is very informative.

I have also ordered some squash seeds for next year too.

That Charles Dowding website looks very interesting. I will have a proper read through it next week. Thanks.

[jennyjj01]

I have also ordered some squash seeds for next year too.

That Charles Dowding website looks very interesting. I will have a proper read through it next week. Thanks.

Dowding is very watchable and he makes a strong case for No-dig techniques which can be very seductive. But DYOR. If, like me you will not commit to rigorous weeding, and if like me, you balk at spending an arm and a leg on compost, you might find No-Dig is not the answer in your situation.
Check out the Dig For Victory campaign, and as a prepper, research Cuban Community growing
practises. They are very much about getting max bang for your buck in hard times.