This document provides instructions for a never-ending vegetable planter containing pumpkins, potatoes, and beans. The planter requires two half barrels filled with compost and seeds of broad beans, runner beans, pumpkins, and three varieties of potatoes planted on a yearly cycle. Following the instructions ensures the planter continues producing vegetables year after year with minimal effort through regenerating seeds and rotating crops.
2. AIMS OF THIS PLANTER
Never Ending – Continues year after year
Simple – Only requires attention once a month
• (excluding weeding and watering)
• Also Recommended: Nets this to keep off cats, Rabbits, Muntjack Deer, Pigeons
etc.
• Also slugs and Snails should be removed and transferred to your neighbours
garden
No Waste, can all be eaten.. ..
Teaches the Kids how to regenerate things
“A Love of Pumpkin, Spuds and Beans”
3. REQUIRES
Two Half Barrels Full Of Compost
One Pack of Broad Beans
• ‘Aquadulce Claudia’
One Pack Runner Beans
• “Firestorm”
One Pack Pumpkin Seed
• “Jack of All Trades”
Three First Early Seed Potatoes
• “Swift”
Three Main Crop Seed Potatoes
• “Cara”
4. 1ST SEPTEMBER Y1
Broad Beans are not a dwarf variety suited to
Barrels but a variety suited to September
planting
5. 1ST MARCH Y2
Broad Beans will winter very well and will come on
fine early Spring
Potatos do not really need Chitting for Barrels
6. 1ST APRIL Y2
Just Keep It Watered.
Beans do not need feeding..
7. 1ST MAY Y2
Beans will be flowering and attracting Bees
Don’t forget to plant your pumpkin seed in a
small pot at this point
8. 1ST JUNE Y2
First Family Meal on June 1st
• Broad beans and New Potatoes with anything
Keep 3 seed potatoes cool in the garage
9. 1ST JUNE Y2
Plant the pumpkin plant from the seed
you planted in May
10. 1ST JULY Y2
Bamboo canes required to support Runner Beans
Pumpkin will need Leaders Trimming once Fruit
has set. Not more than 2 Fruit are required in this
Barrel
11. 1ST AUGUST Y2
Just Enjoy the Speed Things are Growing
Keep Watered in Those Long Summer Days
Pumpkin Would Benefit From Liquid Feed
12. 1ST SEPTEMBER Y2
2nd Family Meal of the year
• Runner Beans and Potatoes with Anything
• Keep 3 Seed potatoes
13. 1ST SEPTEMBER Y2
And here is the start of the recycling..
• Plant the Broad Beans you have been Drying
all summer and water
14. 31ST OCTOBER
Carve 1st Pumpkin for Halloween
• Dry half the seeds in cupboard for next year
• Roast half the seeds and Eat
3rd Family Meal of the Year:
• Using 2nd Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Soup
• Pumpkin Pie
Recycle from slide three
• Don’t buy any more seeds . . .
15. FOOTNOTE - CONCLUSION
Having never tried this, I am not sure how many years this would keep working
Feeding the pumpkins would rejuventate the soil nutrients
It is recommend that Potato’s are not planted in the same spot two years in a row and fresh seed
potato is always used. This is the only flaw in this plan.
As an alternative, the potatoes could be replaced with Jerusalem Artichokes. They grow like crazy
every year and have fantastic yellow flowers. The only trouble is the kids will probably not look forward
to their second harvest….
Another alternative to the potatoes is to plant Salsify every second year – again this grows as a
perennial root, seeds can be kept and huge dandelion flowers are also fine
“A Love of Pumpkin, Spuds and Beans and Salsify – but possibly not Jerusalem Artichokes”