An Edinburgh man’s account of how he is able to harvest abundant crops of food from 12 square meters in his own back garden, which now requires only 4 hours a year of maintenance.
Republished Article from “NextDoor” Edinburgh Group.
by Yann Ao Drenn
I live not too far from Kings Building University in Edinburgh and have constructed a greenhouse of 10 square meters. Last year, I harvested: 25 kg of tomatoes, 30 kg of beans, 15 kg of peas, 1 kg of peppers, and a continuous supply of lettuce for four months. Additionally, I managed to yield 20 kg of courgettes. I did not water too much because the greenhouse was so full, that the condensation provided a sort of internal rain. Also, the dense quantity of plants created an interconnectedness and adaptability through, what I presume, mycorrhizal networks, often referred to as the ‘wood wide web,’ is a captivating aspect of plant ecology. Mycorrhizal networks signify symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi that involve the exchange of nutrients, water, and even chemical signals. Mycorrhizal fungi establish a symbiotic relationship with plant roots. They extend their mycelium (fine, thread-like structures) into the soil, effectively creating a network that can span expansive areas. This network establishes connections between multiple plants, enabling the transfer of resources and information. Via these mycorrhizal networks, plants are able to share nutrients and water. Certain plants may possess more abundant water or nutrients, and they can allocate these resources to nearby plants facing scarcity.
The first year (4 years ago) we didn”t have much, then we kept the seeds. The next years, because of the adaptation, we got more. We did the same process again. We have more and more every year per sq meter because of the phenotype adaptation. However, we mix with other seeds to prevent a inter breeding and degenerate the reproduction.
I must admit that I’ve shifted my gardening approach quite a bit. These days, we simply plant, water just a bit (in the greenhouse), and let nature take its course. Over the course of a year, my wife and I spend a maximum of 4 hours working on it together (I’m not joking). That’s about 2 hours each.
Here are the details of the greenhouse. Total cost: £310. While it may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the greenhouses you could purchase for a few thousand pounds, it is functional and efficient. The primary objective was to cultivate crops with a mindset, rooted in my upbringing, that our sustenance depended on what I could harvest.
Building a green house is quite simple. A bit of timber, transparent corrugated sheet, screw and FUN
The problem, with our urbanised society, we rely on shops and we are told that farms need to have big field. My family were all crofters. They lived in few acres and they had lots of productions. I still have this principle embedded in my mind. Each time I plant something, this is like I’ll have to rely on this to survive. Obviously, for this, I don’t use fertilisers and pesticides. Against slugs and snails I use sand.
When I plant things, I reckon this is important to plant to pay tax as well. Lol Again. I mean to plant lettuce close to areas where I’ll have a chance to get slugs, nails, etc. Then the rest is quite safe. We don’t break the ground, just scrape it a bit. I mention the mycelium network. I’ve observed that the surrounding plants, which are “sacrificed” change their structure. Maybe they send messages through the mycelium network for the other plant. So we don’t have too many caterpillars. However, we all have a reason to be fed as well anyway. This is why, as my family (before) grew things in a sort or apparent disorganisedway. There is an excellent author: Masanobu Fukuoka. I would recommand his books.
Personally, I have nothing against corporations. The only way to weaken them is to stop going there. This is funny to look at consumers trolley. In winter, they have cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. They also have lots of ready meals. Then they rant about inflation. I recommand “Scotland the bread” for flour and make your own bread. Very easy and even with the gas or electricty it is cheaper. Also, your health has no price.
We don’t grow root vegetables. We go once a month or every 2 months to East Coast Organics (near Tranent) and we buy 20 kgs of tatties, the same of carrots and neaps etc. We don’t keep them that long. I reckon we eat them all in 2 months. With the carrots, we do salads and other things. I reckon we eat a lot, but we enjoy it.
The lettuce tree (as pictured) – We just let the lettuce (a chicory) grow and we collect the leaves. It keep growing and we don’t “kill” the source. The leaves are left intact because too much “I don’t know what” so the caterpillars and other pests don’t touch them. Also, the uneaten leaves are transformed into soups (with tatties and carrots) and preseved in jars for winter.
You can grow tobacco plant, to make a simple and cheap fungiside to get rid of e.g. mildew. You put the leaves in water for a week or you can also make a tea (don’t drink it, this could be very dangerous) then you dilute 1/5 unit of water and you can spray it.
About the Author: Yann Ao Drenn
I transitioned from a business career to pursuing my true passions (Body movements, body energy and Maths)
- Feldenkrais Principle Neuro Functional Reorganisation
- Professor of Junomichi (Real original Martial Art Judo, not Sports Judo).
- Pilates-Taiso.
- Reiki.
- Self-defence.
- Survival camps; A few years ago, I volunteered to evacuate civilians from war zones Leading self-defence seminars for men and women.
- Master in Neurology,
- MBA, PhDs Mathematics and Quantum Physics.
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