Home : What we do : Getting involved : Contact us : What's on  


What we do : Distribution : Forest Garden : Fruit-picking : Co-op : Permaculture


Organic and freshly grown in Waltham Forest:

We grow a range of organic vegetables - seasonally produced throughout the year.

In spring we have salads, spinach, broccoli, the last of winter's leeks, spring greens.

Summer grows courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuces, beans, peas; soft fruits such as blackberries, blackcurrants and worcesterberries; potatoes, onions, celery, kohl rabi, beetroot, carrots, sweetcorn and more.

By autumn we add pumpkins, squashes, apples and pears to this list.

Winter brings on the cabbages, cauliflowers, jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, winter spinach, leeks and kale. And in the store there are onions, garlic and potatoes. Inside our polytunnel we grow salads for most of the year.

The site is primarily designed around a raised bed system. This helps prevent soil compaction while helping to build up soil structure and fertility. An essential element of organic growing is concentrated on the soil. Raised beds also help with our four year rotation design as we can easily tell what's going to go where the following year. Growing, working and harvesting is also made easier by raised beds.

Our four year rotation cycle involves growing related vegetables in different areas in consecutive years. If members of the same vegetable family are grown in the same place year after year, there is a tendency for pests and diseases to become established. It also brings benefits such as enhancing nutrient availability - making best use of the soil as different vegetables have different requirements. Allowing most efficient use of soil treatment - those plants that require compost all get it together. Improving weed control as vegetables have different weed suppressing qualities. Alternating helps keeps weeds under control. Improves soil structure as plant roots occupy different levels of the soil. Alternating deep with shallow rooting vegetables has a positive effect on soil structure.