This archive brings together practical, experience-led articles from The Backyard Farmer, covering gardening, DIY, indoor growing, foraging, reviews, and sustainable living. Each post is written with real-world use in mind — focusing on working with nature, building practical skills, and making sustainable choices more accessible.
Introduction If you’ve ever tried growing onions in the UK and ended up with tiny bulbs, plants that bolt early, or sets that seem to disappear into the soil — you’re not alone. Onions often get labelled as one of the easiest crops to grow.
Why I Was Invited to Speak Recently, I was invited to give a talk at the Cheshire Smallholders Association after being featured in the NAS (National Allotment Society) magazine. The Chairman’s father — a previous chairman himself — had read the article, tried the allotment
Potatoes are normally planted between late March and May in the UK. First earlies go in first, followed by second earlies and maincrop varieties. These dates are only a guide. Light, sheltered ground may be ready in March, while cold, wet or heavy soil may
Introduction If a tree in your garden suddenly starts leaning, dropping leaves early, or showing fungus at the base, it’s easy to wonder whether something is seriously wrong. In many cases, the issue is less dramatic than it looks — trees are resilient, and seasonal
Carrots are best sown outdoors in the UK from March to July, once the soil has started to warm. February sowings are possible under cloches, fleece, cold frames, or in a greenhouse bed, but unprotected outdoor soil is often too cold for reliable germination. For
Learning how to grow carrots in the UK is mostly about getting the soil right. Carrots grow easily from seed, take up little space, and do well in gardens, raised beds, allotments, and containers. They can seem tricky if you end up with forked, tiny,
Knowing when to harvest carrots in the UK mostly comes down to timing, size, and a quick look at the root shoulder. Pull them too early and they’ll be thin and underdeveloped. Leave them too long and they can become woody, split, or lose some
Potatoes are one of the most rewarding crops to grow in the UK. However, knowing when to harvest potatoes in the UK can make the difference between small immature tubers and a full basket of perfect spuds. The exact harvest time depends mainly on the
Introduction – What to Harvest in May (UK) If you’re wondering what to harvest in May, this guide covers the vegetables, fruit, and herbs that may be ready to pick in late spring. May is a turning point in the UK growing season. The garden
Winter is quieter in the vegetable garden, but there is still plenty to sow, harvest and prepare. December is mainly about harvesting and protecting crops, January brings a few early sowings, and February is when the new growing season starts to gather pace. This guide
Autumn is still a productive planting season in the UK. From September to November, you can sow fast-growing salad crops, plant hardy vegetables such as garlic and onion sets, and establish crops that will overwinter for an earlier harvest next year. What you can plant
Companion planting can help you use space efficiently, support biodiversity and reduce some pest pressure, but it works best as part of good garden management rather than as a cure-all. The UK companion planting chart below shows which common vegetables grow well together, which combinations