subject: Growing A Vegetable Patch From The Beginning [print this page] It is very satisfying to work on a vegetable plot. It's good exercise and the home grown vegetables taste better than anything bought in a store. You are also aware of precisely what has gone into the food. A veg plot needs a range of jobs for which you will need the right tools. The basics will be sufficient and these are a rake, trowel, spade, hoe and a fork. It really is best to get well-known brand names. Other makes will cost less but they are less likely to last as long. A barrow is also of use and a watering can. Every now and then, there are drought orders and it's good to have a couple of rain butts. If you are starting your vegetable garden from scratch and it is a big area, you might want to use a rotary cultivator to assist with the digging. It will save you loads of time and cut out your back ache. They can be leased if you don't want to purchase one.
First of all, you have to locate and draw out your plot. Plants ought to be moved around to keep the soil healthy. Employ a soil tester to find out what type of soil your yard has. This is vital since different types of soil call for different ways of treating it. The soil may be dense clay, light and sandy or chalk or alkaline. It also has a bearing on what sort of vegetables you can produce in your veg garden, as crops respond differently to different types of soil.
The soil will need to be broken up so the seedlings can settle in and so water and air can get through easily. Unless the ground is particularly hard, use a spade instead of a fork. Remove the weeds and dig in fertilizer or organic manure. It's a good idea to set up a compost heap near the veg plot. This will be a low-cost supply of compost for the land.
Once you've set up the site and fed the soil, you are ready to begin planting and sowing. Break up the vegetable patch between root crops, brassica and produce not in the first two groups. Root crops include potatoes, carrots, swede, beetroot and onions. Brassicas include such veg as cabbages, broccoli, sprouts, kale and Cauliflower. That leaves garden vegetables such as beans, squash, peas, sweet corn and salad plants like tomatoes and cucumbers.
You could set off some plants growing underneath a cloche or in a greenhouse, especially if you're in an area where there is quite a lot of windy or cold weather. Make sure that you keep on top of the watering and weeding. Some gardeners find it helpful to put up a wall chart and plan the tasks in the vegetable patch, on a monthly basis.
