outdoorsoil
Open ground
Growing directly in the soil where it lies, with no built structure around it. The default for allotments and vegetable plots.
What this changes about growing
- Rooting depth and water reserves are limited only by the soil itself, which is why deep-rooted crops do best here.
- The soil warms and dries later in spring than a raised bed, so sowing dates run a week or two behind.
- Existing soil texture and drainage cannot be changed quickly; the crop has to suit the ground.
What GrowingHQ has assessed in it
Only plants with an actual assessment appear here. A plant that is absent has not been ruled out — it has not been looked at for this method.
| Plant | Suitability | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Amelanchier | Well suited | |
| Apple | Well suited | A rootstock matched to the space; A compatible pollination partner in range |
| Armand clematis | Well suited | |
| Asparagus | Well suited | |
| Bearded iris | Well suited | |
| Beetroot | Well suited | |
| Berberis | Well suited | |
| Blackberry | Well suited | Strong posts and wires or a fence; Three metres or more of run |
| Blackcurrant | Well suited | |
| Blue fescue | Well suited | |
| Borage | Well suited | |
| Broad bean | Well suited | Support for tall cultivars on exposed sites |
| Broccoli | Well suited | Firm soil; Netting against pigeons and caterpillars |
| Brunnera | Well suited | |
| Brussels sprouts | Well suited | |
| Buddleja | Well suited | |
| Bugle | Well suited | |
| Cabbage | Well suited | Firm soil; Netting against pigeons and caterpillars |
| Californian lilac | Well suited | |
| Canna | Well suited | |
| Cauliflower | Well suited | |
| Chamomile | Well suited | |
| Chard | Well suited | |
| Chervil | Well suited | |
| Chives | Well suited | |
| Christmas box | Well suited | |
| Clematis | Well suited | |
| Climbing hydrangea | Well suited | |
| Coriander | Well suited | |
| Cotoneaster | Well suited | |
| Courgette | Well suited | Rich soil with plenty of organic matter; Around a square metre per plant |
| Crab apple | Well suited | |
| Crocosmia | Well suited | |
| Crocus | Well suited | |
| Daffodil | Well suited | |
| Dahlia | Well suited | |
| Deutzia | Well suited | |
| Dill | Well suited | A sheltered position |
| Echinacea | Well suited | |
| Epimedium | Well suited | |
| Escallonia | Well suited | |
| Evergreen climbing hydrangea | Well suited | |
| Fatsia | Well suited | |
| Feather reed grass | Well suited | |
| Fennel | Well suited | |
| Firethorn | Well suited | |
| Forsythia | Well suited | |
| Foxglove | Well suited | |
| French bean | Well suited | |
| Fuchsia | Well suited | |
| Garlic | Well suited | Free-draining ground over winter |
| Garlic chives | Well suited | |
| Gladiolus | Well suited | |
| Golden-scaled male fern | Well suited | |
| Gooseberry | Well suited | |
| Grape hyacinth | Well suited | |
| Hard shield fern | Well suited | |
| Hardy cyclamen | Well suited | |
| Hardy geranium | Well suited | |
| Hart's tongue fern | Well suited | |
| Hawthorn | Well suited | |
| Hebe | Well suited | |
| Hellebore | Well suited | |
| Henry's honeysuckle | Well suited | |
| Heuchera | Well suited | |
| Hippeastrum | Well suited | |
| Holly | Well suited | |
| Honeysuckle | Well suited | |
| Hosta | Well suited | |
| Hyacinth | Well suited | |
| Hydrangea | Well suited | |
| Hyssop | Well suited | |
| Ivy | Well suited | |
| Japanese forest grass | Well suited | |
| Japanese maple | Well suited | |
| Jerusalem artichoke | Well suited | |
| Kale | Well suited | Netting against pigeons through winter |
| Kohlrabi | Well suited | |
| Lady fern | Well suited | |
| Lamb's lettuce | Well suited | |
| Land cress | Well suited | |
| Lavender | Well suited | On free-draining ground. Marginal to poor on heavy clay. |
| Leek | Well suited | |
| Lemon balm | Well suited | |
| Lettuce | Well suited | |
| Lily | Well suited | |
| Loganberry | Well suited | Posts and wires |
| Lovage | Well suited | |
| Magnolia | Well suited | |
| Mahonia | Well suited | |
| Maidenhair spleenwort | Well suited | |
| Male fern | Well suited | |
| Mexican feather grass | Well suited | |
| Mexican orange blossom | Well suited | |
| Miscanthus | Well suited | |
| Mock orange | Well suited | |
| Nerine | Well suited | |
| Onion | Well suited | |
| Oregano | Well suited | Sharp drainage; Full sun |
| Ornamental allium | Well suited | |
| Osmanthus | Well suited | |
| Ostrich fern | Well suited | |
| Pak choi | Well suited | |
| Parsley | Well suited | |
| Parsnip | Well suited | |
| Passionflower | Well suited | |
| Pea | Well suited | Support appropriate to the cultivar's height |
| Peony | Well suited | |
| Periwinkle | Well suited | |
| Pieris | Well suited | |
| Plum | Well suited | A sheltered position for the early blossom |
| Potato | Well suited | Room to earth up along the row |
| Pumpkin | Well suited | |
| Quince | Well suited | A sunny sheltered position |
| Radish | Well suited | |
| Raspberry | Well suited | Slightly acid, well-drained soil; Supports for summer cultivars |
| Redcurrant | Well suited | |
| Rhubarb | Well suited | A permanent position — it stays for a decade or more |
| Rocket | Well suited | |
| Rose | Well suited | |
| Rosemary | Well suited | Sharp drainage; Full sun |
| Rowan | Well suited | |
| Royal fern | Well suited | |
| Rudbeckia | Well suited | |
| Runner bean | Well suited | A support structure to 2.5 m, firmly anchored; Deep soil enriched with organic matter |
| Sage | Well suited | Sharp drainage; Full sun |
| Salad burnet | Well suited | |
| Salvia | Well suited | |
| Savory | Well suited | |
| Sedge | Well suited | |
| Shallot | Well suited | |
| Silver birch | Well suited | |
| Skimmia | Well suited | |
| Snowdrop | Well suited | |
| Soft shield fern | Well suited | |
| Sorrel | Well suited | |
| Spinach | Well suited | |
| Spiraea | Well suited | |
| Spring onion | Well suited | |
| Star jasmine | Well suited | |
| Strawberry | Well suited | Straw or mats under the fruit; Netting |
| Swede | Well suited | |
| Sweetcorn | Well suited | |
| Tayberry | Well suited | Posts and wires; Around three metres of run |
| Thyme | Well suited | Sharp drainage; Full sun |
| Tiger flower | Well suited | |
| Tuberous begonia | Well suited | |
| Tulip | Well suited | |
| Turnip | Well suited | |
| Viburnum | Well suited | |
| Virginia creeper | Well suited | |
| Weigela | Well suited | |
| Whitecurrant | Well suited | |
| Winter savory | Well suited | |
| Winter squash | Well suited | |
| Wisteria | Well suited | A very strong permanent support, on a wall it cannot damage |
| Yew | Well suited | |
| Agapanthus | Workable | Free-draining soil and a sheltered position |
| Bay | Workable | Only in a mild sheltered district, and it will eventually be a tree. |
| Camellia | Workable | On acid soil only. Impossible in the ground on chalk. |
| Carrot | Workable | Deep, stone-free, unmanured soil; Insect-proof mesh against carrot fly |
| Celeriac | Workable | |
| Celery | Workable | |
| Cherry | Workable | A dwarfing rootstock; Netting as the fruit colours |
| Chicory | Workable | |
| Cucumber | Workable | A ridge or outdoor cultivar; A sheltered sunny site |
| Endive | Workable | |
| Globe artichoke | Workable | |
| Grape | Workable | A cool-climate cultivar; A sheltered sunny site |
| Lemon thyme | Workable | |
| Lemon verbena | Workable | Only against a warm wall in the mildest areas, and with the roots protected. |
| Marjoram | Workable | |
| Mint | Workable | A sunken container or a physical barrier |
| Pear | Workable | A warm, sheltered, frost-free position; A compatible partner in flowering group range |
| Rhododendron | Workable | On acid soil only. |
| Shiso | Workable | |
| Tarragon | Workable | |
| Thai basil | Workable | |
| Tomato | Workable | A sheltered sunny position; Preferably a blight-resistant cultivar |
| Apricot | Marginal | |
| Aubergine | Marginal | Only in a hot summer in the south, and even then the crop is a fraction of what the same plant produces under glass. |
| Basil | Marginal | |
| Blueberry | Marginal | |
| Chilli pepper | Marginal | |
| Fig | Marginal | A lined planting pit or buried container to restrict the roots |
| Melon | Marginal | |
| Peach | Marginal | |
| Sweet pepper | Marginal | |
| Aglaonema | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Alocasia | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Aloe vera | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Anthurium | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Bird of paradise | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Boston fern | Not suitable | |
| Calathea | Not suitable | |
| Chinese money plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Christmas cactus | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Curry leaf | Not suitable | |
| Dieffenbachia | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Dragon tree | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Echeveria | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Fittonia | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Haworthia | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Heartleaf philodendron | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Hoya | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Jade plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Kentia palm | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Lemongrass | Not suitable | Will not overwinter outdoors anywhere in Britain. |
| Monstera | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Moth orchid | Not suitable | |
| Parlour palm | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Peace lily | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Peperomia | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Pothos | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Rubber plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Snake plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Spider plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| String of hearts | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| String of pearls | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Swiss cheese vine | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Syngonium | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |
| Vietnamese coriander | Not suitable | Only as a summer plant that will be lost in autumn. |
| ZZ plant | Not suitable | Tender: will not survive a British winter outdoors. |