A key role of compost is to stimulate soil biology, which then makes nutrients available. Of itself, compost is not a fertiliser, in that most of its nutrients are not water-soluble and need biology, such as mycorrhizal fungi, to make them available for plants.

Hence the saying, ‘Feed the soil, not your plants’. This refers to feeding soil organisms, and this one understanding makes gardening a whole lot easier. You simply need to spread some well decomposed organic matter on the surface, once a year and every year, whatever is to grow there. You don’t need to know about ‘heavy feeders’ and ‘light feeders’. Soil life organises growth for us.

Surface materials are called mulches, and different mulches have varied attributes. Mulch materials vary in food value and texture, from compost to wood chips to polythene.

• Compost mulches are what I mainly recommend using, in other words decomposed materials, whatever they were in the beginning. Decomposed mulches generally result in fewer pests, and their nutrients are more available to plants than those of undecomposed materials.
• Other mulches are appropriate in certain situations, such as using polythene or plastic for a few months to reduce vigour of strong perennial weeds.
• Cardboard is useful for smothering and eliminating weeds when starting no dig. It is not necessary to use it every year, only at the beginning. Also use it around weedy edges, to prevent ingress of vigorous weeds such as couch grass.
• Path soil is easy to maintain with a thin mulch of wood chip, once path weeds are mulched and not regrowing.
• Some wood in a mulch is fine, whereas if dug in, it would slow growth by taking nutrients before plant roots can access them.

Surface feeding with any organic mulch means you don’t need to worry about its state of decomposition, as long as it is less than 1.5–2.5 cm / 0.5–1 in thick on the beds, and materials on the surface have time to finish decomposing while roots grow beneath. Roots also grow into any mulch if it is decomposed, such as compost.

Seeds

Seeds are becoming more valuable and appreciated. The planting and harvesting methods I describe often mean you need fewer plants which can live for longer, resulting in a more economical use of seed. Also, you can save seed by knowing the best timings and by sowing in the best conditions. This reduces the chance of failed sowings.

Propagation

Raising plants is such a key skill, and worth practising to increase your success rate. Having plants ready at each vegetable’s appropriate time unlocks massive potential for early, late and generally increased harvests.

Propagation through the summer, as well as during spring, brings the pleasure of a full garden all year, and of needing less space to grow the same amount of food. Combine this with no dig to enjoy a high output per area, and more food per amount of compost used.

Spacing and companions

I know how difficult it can be to space plants correctly, yet how to define ‘correctly’? It is the balance point between two objectives:

1. Each plant is far enough from its neighbours to have space for growing to maturity, and for you to have space to take harvests of a worthwhile size and amount.
2. Plants are close enough for companionship, and to make full use of available space and light.

Each vegetable has its own ‘best spacing’, according to the harvests you like, their timings, and how you like to harvest them. The photos throughout this course will give you ideas for spacing, even where I don’t specifically mention it.

I love this phrase, and succession is a great skill to learn. Enjoy the benefits of second cropping with new plants set out in summer. The results are rewarding as summer grows into autumn, and even into the following spring.

Succession skills include clearing plants quickly with minimal soil disturbance, easy soil preparation, intersowing and interplanting, and, above all, anticipating what needs doing a month or more beforehand. This ensures that you have seeds and transplants ready at the best times, during all the months that are suitable for growing in your climate.

Tidiness and edging

Find your balance point, where you are most comfortable between chaotic mess and straight-line order. I suggest the latter as a base layout because it makes a garden easier to manage at all stages, from planting to plant care to harvesting. The straight lines of beds and paths become softer when vegetables and flowers are growing strongly, often spilling into pathways and giving nice blocks of different shape and colour.

There is, incidentally, no obligation to have wooden edges or sides to your beds. The advantages to not having sides are that you save money and slug numbers can be less. You also have a fuller use of space to grow because none is needed for the sides, which grow nothing. This is especially valuable in the limited area of a polytunnel or greenhouse.

Little and often

Your soil and plants are friends that benefit from constant care and attention to the details, needs and issues as they arise, such as dealing with pest damage, providing support, tidying damaged leaves, watering, and removing unexpected weeds.

In the UK, we say there is no manure like the farmer’s foot. In North America, I hear that there is no manure like the gardener’s shadow! Both sayings have the same meaning, that just being there enables you to notice the needs of your soil and plants, allowing you to undertake any necessary jobs in a timely and effective manner.

Every season has its appropriate tasks. Stay involved at all moments, and take every opportunity to do just a few, but highly relevant, jobs each time. This will enable you to enjoy harvests for much of the year, and to have stored vegetables for the other months.