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Members' Experiments

Each year we organise several citizen science experiments that our members can participate in. Over the years, these experiments have played an important part in informing the way we grow organically today.
Members of Garden Organic standing in a polytunnel full of plants.

Experiments vary in complexity and time required, from more involved experiments trying out a new crop to a simple online survey. The necessary instructions, seeds (where appropriate), and record sheets are usually sent out in the spring and the results are returned to us by Christmas. We collate them and publish the findings in our magazine, The Organic Way – they may also be presented at conferences and used in the development of more detailed research studies.

Common themes of experiments include novel crops, comparisons of varieties, gardening techniques, and wildlife surveys. Most of this work is supported by our members but some experiments are run in collaboration with universities or commercial companies.

2023 Members' Experiments

We're running three experiments in 2023. We'll share updates and details about our members' experiments online and in our Organic Matters newsletter. You can log and save your results at any time by clicking on the links to the experiments below.

  1. Are our weeds attracting more beneficials than cultivated plants?
  2. Amaranth as a crop for a changing climate.
  3. Evaluating novel over-winter green manure mixes. September 2023 - April 2024.

You can also view the Coventry University report on 60 years of Garden Organic's citizen science activity or view the results from the previous year's experiments in the archive below.

View our Experiment Archive