Although it may be tempting, to make layout look attractive, don't stagger paths. Put them in straight lines wherever possible. Remember, you will probably be wheeling a barrow down them at some point, and a straight line is shortest route between two points.

If you're doing a four-course rotation, double dig one bed in four for four years, incorporating large quantities of compost and, if possible, farmyard manure, as you replace soil, and removing all perennial weeds. The incorporation of large amounts of organic material means that completed bed has a surface several inches higher than pathway on either side. These heavily manured beds will be used for more hungry crops, such as brassicas. Single dig and weed remainder. From this point on, beds aren't walked on or disturbed.

The initial manuring of beds will provide adequate nutrients for first year's cropping. From then on an annual dressing of blood, fish and bone or another organic fertiliser in Spring, together with further applications of compost as a mulch, will keep soil fertility high.

Check pH of beds every other year with a soil testing kit and apply a sprinkling of calcified seaweed if beds are becoming too acid. Avoid any major disturbance of soil: just sprinkle fertiliser or calcified seaweed onto surface and hoe it in lightly. Because soil is so friable, it is possible to harvest deep-rooting crops such as carrots, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera without aid of a fork: they can simply be pulled out by hand.

4. There is one place that you are going to have to spend some money and it’s on paper. You can have a great image but unfortunately you cannot skimp on paper. Get nice thick glossy paper, it’s worth it. I’ve tried cheaper paper, which is good for test prints, but you need high quality stuff for good prints.

5. DPI, dots per inch. Depending on your printer and your software you may be able to print up to 1200 dpi which is probably unnecessary for what you’re doing. For up to a 4 by 6 inch print you only need about 300 dpi. Most people cannot see difference between a 300 dpi an a 600 dpi at 4 by 6 inches. For 5 by 7 or 8 by 10 you can go up to 600 dpi.

These steps will help you on your way to printing great digital photos at home. Remember though make sure that you have fun printing all those memories.

FYI Just so that you have a frame of reference, I’m a professional photographer and I have a six color ink jet that I paid less than $300 for and photo editing software that I paid less than $100. I print my 5 by 7 images for shows at 600 dpi.

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal