At this point, information is requested from knowledgeable readers on all of the issues raised.

Condition of soil

Most of County Wexford has high quality soils, suitable for a wide range of agriculture. The 1964, 'National Soil Survey of Ireland' records that the most common soil is ‘Brown earths’, described as well-drained and having a wide use range. Next are ‘Gleys’, poorly to imperfectly drained with a limited use range and these are found in the south-east of the county and along the coast east of Gorey.

Most gardening books deal with how to react to the main three types of soil one has to deal with, but one issue is common to all who are about to transform a plot of land from the wild or a lawn into a plot for cultivation and this is drainage. The two main methods of achieving the required drainage are to drain the plot itself by digging in drainage pipes and the use of raised beds. Unless one has the expertise to do it oneself the first will require expensive material and expensive labour. The second can be done by anyone with plenty of time and some energy.

Raised beds

These range from soil sloped around the sides to form level beds up to six inches or more above the ground to beds with surrounding borders into which the soil is poured or shovelled. Beds are separated to allow working and walking paths in between. Ideally each bed should be no more than 4 feet in width so that all parts of it can be reached from both sides without walking on it.

The only practical way to make raised beds if one is not to dig trenches that will become water-logged is to buy in tons of top soil, around 20 tons for a reasonable number of beds. These days because of all of the recent now redundant building top soil is plentiful.

There is a Wexford topsoil provider under Opportunities in the general services section.

Raised beds can be constructed from railway sleepers, bricks, unwanted timber being sold off cheap in builders’ providers and even wine bottles, their necks thrust down into the soil. One can also make rustic beds from the large sawn branches of trees that have been felled. There are plenty of books and the Internet itself to explain the three year crop rotation system.

In late Autumn or during Winter, the raised beds can be covered with saturated newspapers (to stop them blowing away), laid down opened at the centre and with mulch (see below) placed on top to keep them intact. This prevents weeds forming and allows the plants to be inserted through holes in Spring. Within a year or less the paper disintegrates.

Compost

Compost is essential and can be produced in at least three ways:

A small area, about 6 by 4 feet, surrounded by metal or plastic fencing supported on posts hammered into the ground, open at the front for large green material, such as weeds, some grass and hedge clippings, old newspapers and so on.

A sealed bin, either plastic purchased from a hardware store or home-made from timber planks for kitchen waste.

Two larger areas, each uncontained except perhaps for marker stakes at each corner, one for grass, the other for hedge, clippings. These are for producing the valuable mulch that can be used on the raised beds and elsewhere.

In addition to one’s own compost, it is very useful to pay a local farmer to deliver a few tons of animal manure, which needs to be kept until it is well rotted. Should one have the good fortune to be near to a chicken farm, chicken manure is an excellent compost. For seed planting, fine seed compost purchased in the garden centre is much easier to use than one’s own likely coarser product.

The main crop

It may take a year or two (or an emergency) to create one’s own seed potatoes and it is very advisable until one is expert to use certified seed potatoes sold in all garden centres and most hardware stores for as long as they are available and after that to find them locally. Potatoes can be grown in the ground in drills that are earthed up as the greens appear or in the raised beds, the advantage of the second being that far less labour in earthing is required.

They can also be sown in black bags, boxes or large pots. Bags can also be used for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Instructions follow for bags.

Using black compost bags With a yield of 7-13 lbs.

Or buy potato planter bags

A fascinating and easy way to produce a large crop from a small area is to grow it under old newspapers. Keep all discarded newspapers in a shed, stacked up against a wall. For as long as the economy continues to produce newspapers you will be surprised at the volume you will create. Mark out a section of your garden or lawn where you want to make a new bed, say 20 feet long by 4 feet wide. If a previously used bed, rake or rotovate to create fresh, flat soil; if lawn, ploughing or digging will be required first. Lay down a covering of a few inches of (probably soggy if in Ireland) grass clippings or (what will likely be more scarce) compost or manure. A good place to do the first year is where the grass clippings had been already stored.

Fill the wheelbarrow with water and place enough newspapers to ensure that all are thoroughly soaked. Lift them out in complete sets and try to open them at the centre or as near as possible. Lay them side by side to cover the whole area of the bed and then lay a second level on top. At this stage even on a windy day they will be inert and easy to handle, but if dry weather comes they will begin to blow away. For this and other important reasons, cover them with grass and hedge clippings.

When it is time to sow, cut holes in the papers each about a foot apart. The wet paper should come up in handfulls. Dig down with a trowel to loosen the soil/compost underneath, insert a handfull of new compost, lay the potato and pour more compost over it. As the greens emerge in the Spring, add more compost or mulch to stop the light getting at the emerging tubers.

The author did not do this properly the first year and a lot of the copious crop became exposed to light over the summer as the paper deteriorated and the top tubers developed green spots. The next year the laying of double and triple the amount of newspapers,and ‘earthing up’ more thoroughly with clippings appeared to solve that problem.

Straw and seaweed

The plan for next Spring is to try growing potatoes under both straw and seaweed, in the first instance perhaps placing the straw over newpapers after planting the seeds in holes cut through the latter.

Intensive potato production

In times of emergency, intensive potato production may be necessary, especially if one has limited space or digging strength. The system now described actually tricks each seed potato into producing more.

Potatoes have two growing stages. These are producing roots and flowering. In the normal mode when planted in drills or raised beds, they flower after awhile above ground when exposed to sunlight. This is flowering mode. If we can curtail this and get them to grow higher and higher seeking enough sunlight, they stay in rooting mode and produce more lateral roots which more potatoes grow on. We do this by building a simple but clever 'high-rise' box. We let the plant reach only a limited height (we cannot completely cover it or it will suffocate) and then keep adding increments of soil or compost so that it keeps striving upwards for its optimum light exposure to flower. The sites linked to below contain images and exact dimensions, but also detailed procedures. A large harvest of potatoes can result from each box properly constructed and managed.

Following are sources for instructions.

Making grow boxes The most optimistic reports are that some of these achieve up to 100lbs of potatoes. More than a pinch of salt perhaps required here.

Sophisticated versions with hinged panels in front to allow earthing up

Stacking box version

Potential from bags/boxes in an emergency

These tentative figures are now given in the hope that an experienced reader can confirm or correct them.

Say 10 bags with an output of 7-13 lbs = 70-130lbs
Say 3 boxes with an output (half the most optimistic) of 50lbs=150lbs
Using top figure for bags gives 280lbs or 560kg
Using weights of medium sized potatoes 5 = 2lbs above will give 700 medium or 280 large potatoes, which is almost a year's supply for one person. For a second person, about another 50 planted in the ground in 4 12ft rows could yield 6 per plant or 300 potatoes.

So, space for 10 bags and 3 boxes (small sunny yard) and 4 12ft rows (small garden) could, subject to the accuracy of the above figures supply two individuals with potatoes for a year. Subject also to the correct procedures being employed.

Other vegetables

Easiest to grow are turnips, large Swedes and small turnips, parsnips in loose well matured soil, lettuces, leaks, onions, courgettes, beans and peas, all outdoor although some such as the beans can be started indoors or in cold frames. Less easy are cabbages which require netting or fleece to keep pigeons and caterpillars away and carrots that need some extra attention.

Easiest to grow indoors in greenhouses, under plastic or in high cold frames are tomatoes and cucumbers. Cold frames can be constructed from scrap timber and stapled plastic. Both greenhouses and cold frames are essential for lengthening the growing season by allowing many seeds to get started. Each seed pack tells whether they can be started outdoors or indoors.

Obtaining seeds

With experience and plenty, one can begin collecting some of one's own seeds, but that may not be possible for those seeds that require expertise. Fortunately, Wexford growers have a seed supplier on their own patch. This is Vegetable Seeds Ireland in Enniscorthy, run by Brendan Doyle at Borelia, Glenbrien, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Telephone 053 92 36516 Mobile: 087 286 1221. They source high quality grower grade seed, package it on their premises and sell it online at reasonable prices and in reasonable quantities to the home gardener. Email dplant@eircom.net/. They have a Paypal facility online.

An easy way to get started and to extend your growing season if you do not have enough greenhouse or cold frame capacity is to buy in early seedlings in small pots or trays from a professional nursery and plant them out at the correct time. A good source in South Wexford is Wilton Gardens near Enniscorthy. Telephone (053) 924 7827. This is not far from Vegetable Seeds Ireland above.

Homebrewing ingredients and equipment

Wexford Brewing Company at Newtown, Adamstown, Co Wexford supplies homebrewing ingredients and equipment, many of which are not available in existing homebrew suppliers or local hardware or grocery shops. They cater for advanced homebrewers who mash their own grain, hop their own wort, and ferment. Phone: (053) 9240484, (086) 832 4780 Fax: +353-53-9240484 wexbrew@eircom.net.

For legal reasons we cannot advertise private liquor makers here.

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