Grow A Vegetable Garden

It’s very gratifying to work on a vegetable plot. It is great exercise and the home grown food tastes better than anything purchased in a shop. You are also aware of exactly what’s gone into the produce. A veg patch needs different jobs for which you’ll need the right tools. The basics will suffice and they are a hoe, rake, fork, spade and a trowel. It’s best to get high-quality brand names. Others may cost less money but they are not as likely to last as long. A barrow is also of use and a watering can. Every now and then, there are drought notices and it is a good idea to have one or two rain butts. If you’re starting your vegetable patch from scratch and it’s a substantial area, you may want to employ a rotary cultivator to assist with the digging. It will save you lots of time and an aching back. They can be leased if you do not want to purchase one.

To start with, you have to locate and plan out your plot. Plants ought to be moved around to keep the soil healthy. Make use of a soil tester in order to see which sort of soil you have. This is vital as different sorts of soil require different ways of treating it. The soil may be heavy clay, light, sandy, chalky or alkaline. It also has a bearing on what variety of veggies you should grow in your veg plot, as plants respond differently to differing types of soil.

The soil will need breaking up so the seedlings can settle in and so air and water can get through. Unless the soil is particularly hard, use a spade as opposed to a fork. Take the weeds out and add fertilizer or organic manure. It’s a sensible idea to create a compost bin near the veg garden. This will become a cheap source of fertilizer for the land.

Once you’ve set up the area and fed the soil, you’re ready to begin sowing and planting. Break up the vegetable patch into root crops, brassica and crops not in the first two groups. Root crops include potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips and onions. Brassicas are sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale. That leaves garden vegetables such as sweetcorn, peas, squash, beans and salad plants like tomatoes and cucumbers.

You could start some plants growing beneath a cloche or in a conservatory, especially if your are in an region where there’s quite a lot of windy or cold weather. Ensure that you keep up with the irrigation and weeding. Some gardeners find it helpful to put up a wall chart and plan out the tasks in the vegetable patch, month by month.