When we first launched Ergrownomics back in 2017, it quickly became obvious that all that held most people back, was a lack of confidence. “I wouldn’t know where to start” or “I’ve never had green fingers” were phrases we began to dread in conversation. We realised that we could give people all the physical tools in the world, but feeling confident about growing went far deeper than that; that’s when we started writing these guides.
We knew that some very capable, well-researched and well-written books were already available on the market - helping people to learn themselves - but these seemed to deal almost exclusively with larger vegetable patches, beds, or allotments.
Our guidance, on the other hand, is aimed solely at compact, container growing – emphasising productivity, high density planting, and how they should both be managed.
What’s more, they’re entirely original and specifically aimed at growing in an Ergrownomics container – so you’re not just reading a re-packaging of old information (as is so often the case!) We’ve gone for a simple “step-by-step format” as we believe it’s easiest to follow - setting out instructions, pit-falls, and how best to stay clear of them. Technical terms are also avoided wherever possible, and explained wherever not, so you don’t need to worry about impenetrable jargon for the sake of it!
Finally, in conjunction with our “Follow Us” area, we believe these guides can be used as a full home-course on container growing – letting you teach yourself in practice, and get it right first time around!
Through following our beginner’s guidance, you’ll be sure to maximise the quality and quantity of the crops you grow at home! Having proper knowledge of vegetable garden planning and home-growing is an underrated asset, but knowing how – for example - to achieve the correct crop-spacing (through thinning), or harvest so as to maintain production, is quickly worth its weight in gold!
To complete the offering, we’ve also included several helpful tips on how to make full use of your crops before and after maturity; for instance, taking shoots during first and second thinnings, and utilising wastage into delicious foods! Supermarkets have conditioned us into believing that root vegetables consist of one edible part, and that the rest is best avoided, whereas this couldn’t be further from the truth; the tops of home-grown radish make a brilliant pesto, and the top-offcuts of beetroot can be stir-fried!
For all this information and more, try an Ergrownomics raised planter, and feel confident with your results.
Plant establishment
Using loose seed, root-trainers, pot grown plants and tubers – including a useful checklist to help identify which best suits your needs.
Crop management
When and how to carry out thinning, respacing of plants, weeding, and the mounding up of tubers.
Plant training
When and how to employ our plant training system.
Plant protection
When and how to employ nematode drenches (as a pre-emptive control on pests), the use of foliage sprays, and picking by hand to control pest outbreaks.
Plant harvesting
How to pick line leaf lettuce, how to harvest hearting leaf crops and root crops, the importance of picking herbs to maintain production, and how to harvest potatoes.
Watering
How to water seedlings, optimising watering using our dripline irrigation system, and maintaining effective drainage throughout your soil profile.
Feeding crops
Avoiding the use of fertilisers, fertiliser types, application of liquid feeds, and top dressing of inorganic fertiliser (including a useful checklist of crops that benefit from feeding).