2. The Hand-dug garden method
This project was started by my mother Jean who has vast experience in gardening and has maintained smallholdings and gardens since the 70’s. She initiated a gardening group which materialised as the dyfed smallholders group in south wales. Her current garden has been maintained since 1986 and her method has adapted over time so the following example is an ideal of her experience in this garden.
The plot is currently a 5m x 5m plot.
| Calculations | Details |
|---|---|
| Project Start | 1986 |
| Ongoing? | Yes |
| Original Setup Cost of Project | Unknown but very little |
| Labour time in project’s initial setup | 6 hours double digging |
| Annual labour time in soil prep | 15 hours |
| Labour time in maintenance between planting and harvest per m2 | 2.38 hours |
| Annual total labour time per m2 | 3:53 hours |
| Annual Prep Cost (no labour costs) | £20 seeds |
| Total Time Per Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 3 hours | Removing Garden Cover (recycled carpet) and Digging out any major roots such as nettle |
| 2 hours | Adding compost or manure to the soil by wheelbarrow |
| 10 hours | Breaking up any compacted soil by spade, raking over and making 10 rows. |
| 4 hours | For chitting potatoes, potting 1 tray of brassicas for transplanting and watering that tray 5m a day for 6 weeks. |
| 1 hour | Transplanting the brassicas. |
| 2 hours | Direct sowing the other vegetable seed into the remaining 9 rows. |
| 33 hours | Watering a total of 5 hours initially after sowing and 1 hour per day for 4 weeks. |
| 25 hours | Weeding 10m a day for around 5 months. |
| 3 hours | Pest control. |
| 5 hours | Other. Such as repairing damage from animal interaction (cats, ducks and chickens), bomfires and adding seaweed. |
| 8 hours | Harvest including picking and storing. |
| 1 hour | Covering the garden. |
| Total of 97 hours per year |
Treadit Gardens 