You’ve heard the real estate saying – ‘position, position, position’. It’s essential to consider the best spot to put your garden. That back corner might get sun all day in Summer, but is it completely shaded during Winter? The area you choose needs to be somewhat protected from wind and frost (if your area is prone to them) and needs to be in the sun for most of the day.
Choosing to build your garden beds above the ground has lots of advantages. Using timber sleepers to build your own beds or purchasing one of the corrugated iron options available now will provide good drainage and makes for easy maintenance without bending. Its important to fill your beds with quality soil so that they are relatively weed free and full of nutrients. When starting a brand new bed it’s also good to add supplements like compost or blood and bone to give your vegies the best start.
Decide what you want to grow! It’s important to look at the sort of vegies you want to grow and to plan for harvesting, so staggering your planting times is a great idea, rather than having everything ready to pick at once! If you have the luxury of lots of space in your yard, consider having three or four beds so that you can always have one bed empty. This allows the soil to have a chance to regenerate and rest, and reduces the risk of pests and diseases building up.
Always ensure you buy quality plants. For quick harvesting, seedlings are the way to go. Take note of the planting directions on the back of the ticket (or on our website) to ensure you aren’t planting too close together. Mulching after planting will ensure moisture retention and will also help to keep the weeds at bay. During the hotter months this is particularly important, and always water in the cooler parts of the day. Some vegetables will benefit from fertilising but it’s important to check when is the best time to do so.
Growing and harvesting your own vegetables, herbs and fruit is not only the healthiest, most nutritious option but it’s also really satisfying to know that you grew what you are eating!
Enjoy your vegetable garden.