Vegans Steer Away From All Animal Based Products Which Means A Different Approach. This Article Is About How To Grow Veganic Crops.
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Vegan gardening might seem an alien concept to some gardeners. But, I like to keep an open mind, listen and look at the science. “Veganic” aka vegan-organic growing is possible, though there are challenges when focusing on the Compassionate Veg Garden.
So how is it possible to grow high-yielding, healthy crops in the UK without animal-derived inputs? The key has to be to focus on soil health. That means boosting the organic matter without using animal based manures, ensuring soil structure is right and that there are adequate nutrients to feed the soil microfauna as they are responsible for feeding the plants.
Before going into detail on veganics it might first be useful to look back on the history of veganism and veganics. The word vegan was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson. The word veganic came later. It was coined by Geoffrey L Rudd in the late 40s or early 50s. While the term was discussed in vegan circles following its coining, the first specific recorded instance of the term “veganic farming” in a published medium appeared in 1960. It was featured in a gardening column written by Rosa Dalziel O’Brien for the UK Vegan Society’s magazine.
Veganics: Focusing on Plant-Based Fertility
In the UK, traditional “organic” gardening often relies on slaughterhouse byproducts (blood, fish, and bone). Transitioning to plant-based inputs requires a shift toward “living” fertility. In some senses the approach is not a million miles from the one I advocate myself. Feed the soil so it can feed the plants. So green manures are a must. As are plant based fertilisers as below.
Green Manures (The Nitrogen Fixers): * Essential for overwintering UK allotments.
Clover and Vetch: Fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil via root nodules.
Grazing Rye and Fodder Radish : Prevents nutrient leaching during wet British winters.
The “Big Three” Plant Meals:
Alfalfa Meal: High in nitrogen and triacontanol (a growth stimulant). Finding an organic source is the issue here. They exist but are not cheap or easy to source.
Soya Bean Meal: A potent, slow-release nitrogen source. Again, sourcing them is not easy.
Seaweed/Kelp: Applied as a foliar spray or soil drench; provides 60+ trace minerals and improves frost resistance.
The Comfrey Cycle: * Symphytum officinale (specifically ‘Bocking 14’) acts as a “dynamic accumulator,” mining potassium from the subsoil.
The issue with using plant teas is knowing their strength. I often see people say dilute them 10:1 without any idea as to their strength!
Plant Based Compost: This is the one most of us are familiar with and is, for me, the mainstay of a garden whether Veganic or not.
The Mineral Foundation
Mined minerals are acceptable in veganic systems but should be viewed as “long-term deposits” rather than “quick fixes.” And they are not without problems of their own.
Rock Phosphate: For root strength. Slow-acting; apply in autumn.
Sulphate of Potash: Derived from salt brines. Immediate boost for flowering.
Epsom Salts : Said to be essential for magnesium-hungry greenhouse crops (peppers/aubergines). Though I think the juries out on this one!
The Perils of “Naked” Fertilisers
The “Salty” Soil Problem
Synthetic and many mined fertilisers are essentially chemical salts. When applied to soil lacking Soil Organic Matter (SOM), they create an osmotic imbalance that dehydrates soil microfauna (nematodes, protozoa, and beneficial fungi). The soil microfauna dies and an essential element of the soil’s life force is removed as below.
Damage to the Microbiome
Fungal Suppression: High-analysis synthetic phosphorus can signal plants to stop supporting Mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi are the “internet of the soil,” and their loss weakens a plant’s natural ability to find water and fight disease.
Enzymatic Decline: Research indicates that heavy reliance on mineral salts without carbon (compost/mulch) decreases the enzymatic activity of soil bacteria. Over time, the soil becomes “addicted”—it can no longer cycle nutrients naturally and requires ever-increasing chemical doses.
The Carbon Void: Fertilisers provide “fuel” but no “housing.” Organic matter (compost, leaf mould, wood chips) provides the physical structure (the “humus”) where microbes live. Without it, nitrogen leaches into UK watercourses (causing eutrophication) rather than staying in the root zone.
Practical Implementation for UK Allotments
The 70/30 Rule: Ensure at least 70% of your fertility comes from bulky organic matter (compost/mulch) and only 30% from concentrated meals or minerals.
Wood Chips: Use “Ramial Chipped Wood” (deciduous branches) to encourage fungal-dominant soil, which is more resilient to the “boom and bust” cycle of mineral fertilisers.
No-Dig Method: Pioneered by UK experts like Charles Dowding; this preserves the delicate fungal networks that chemical fertilisers often disrupt.
Research Sources
MDPI Fertilization & Soil Microbial Community) confirms that while minerals supply nutrients, high concentrations without organic matter lead to soil acidification and a decline in microbial biomass.
