Vegetables

No Dig – No Pesticides – No Worries

Permaculture is about working in harmony with existing natural habitats and eco systems. In maintaining the integrity of the soil’s surface, underground ecosystems are undisrupted and so left as nature intended.

No chemical additives such as herbicides and pesticides are used in the gardens at Ro Dama Farm. Companion planting, composting and natural organic fertilizers are used to create a sustainable, carbon neutral approach to growing food.

Older indigenous strains, heritage and commercially unavailable varieties of fruit and vegetables have been planted to encourage the proliferation of tasty and healthy produce that can be shared with local people in food poverty.

We’ve had such a wet and chilly March and now…in early April 2023 we are fully grateful for a warm sunny day and a small rise in temperature so we can get on with planting more tasty food. Gardening skills are encouraged for people of all ages and experience.
The big polytunnel now contains a diverse selection of leafy winter greens. Now in mid February 2023 we have flowering Broad Beans, Spinach, Chard, Kale, Pak Choi, Mizuna, Fennel, Winter Lettuce and Landcress.
We have a lush mustard crop in February 2023 in the small tunnel. We will use the mustard as a green manure crop, incorporating the nitrogen rich greens back into the soil.
In January 2023 we already have a wonderful crop of pick and come again Winter Lettuce. There’s Kale and Spinach further up the raised bed.
Broad Beans, Kale, Spinach and Pak Choi are doing well in December 2022, even with temperatures as low as minus 6.2 degrees in the large tunnel
In December 2022 we are growing delicious Land Cress in the tunnel, although it is prolific in many spots across the field growing wild
July 2022 saw the harvest of our fabulous heritage variety of sweet corn, courgette and radiant strawberry spinach
Courgette, Maize, Beans and Squash going Bananas in July 2022 inside our big polytunnel
Our large tunnel in late February 2022. The ollas are working really well, We’ve added more organic matter from our compost bins to the raised beds. Spinach, Chard and Tender Stem Broccoli have all over wintered in the tunnel.
Pak Choi in our first polytunnel growing in December 2020
Kale growing in our first outdoor terrace garden in August 2020
Another growing area is prepared using a layer of cardboard beneath the new compost where lettuce, rocket and kale are planted
Runner beans in early July 2020
Our newly created compost heap, steaming and decomposing within four days. The small polytunnel in the background.
Much of our small polytunnel is now planted with a wide variety of tomatoes as well as a healthy crop of pick and come again organic perpetual spinach.This year we have planted Stawberry spinach in this area. Already small red strawberry like berries are beginning to form on the green stems….an exciting new food crop for us.
Father and son team Willo and Jago begin the hard work in establishing the first of our raised beds in the new polytunnel . The tunnel is still under construction in July 2021 and is already producing basil, tomatoes and a deliciously fragrant naturally self seeded mint.

July 2021 and Jago plants the first of of our planned raised beds that will sit inside the latest 30 foot long polytunnel. It’s still early days with building the tunnel and the front and back doors are soon to be fitted.
Strawberry Spinach is now ready for harvest. Its sweet nutty berries are a taste delight in any salad dish
Courgettes and onions have thrived on the top terrace of the community garden. Despite of the ongoing rabbit interest in our vegetable garden, the onions have largely survived. Our Red Cabbage crop was eaten by our wild rabbits. Spinach, Garlic, Chard have also survived…..so far!
Our Courgette plant in the small tunnel has gone monster while Cucumber and other Squash trail around its base.
We were recently introduced to the wonderful ancient Chinese technique of using Olla in our indoor growing spaces. The terracotta cones enable the water to pass into the soil gradually. There’s much less weeding and watering to do as well so there’s more time to do other things in the tunnel.
Filling bottles with water in this way means the Ollas are working for a much longer time before needing to be refilled. The Pak Choi and Broccoli are being munched by small creatures in this part of the tunnel.
This Squash continues to grow alongside Spinach in the small polytunnel in November 2021
Broad beans are already pushing up in the small tunnel in November 2021. The layer of organic matter around the Broad Beans is decomposing Bracken from the meadow. We are continually adding more organic matter to help condition and improve the existing clay soil.