Edible gardens and feeding the family.
Why is it good to grow your own vegetable garden?
The benefits are numerous; you can have completely organic produce, the learning of how to grow and where food comes from is an invaluable life lesson, it will be 100% fresh, you can grow things that can’t be bought in the shops and it’s a fun outdoor activity.
Is a vegetable garden worth the $?
Absolutely, consider how much a packet of lettuce seeds cost containing hundreds of lettuces and you have your answer. Even with the initial outlay of setting up a vegetable garden and continued maintenance, it is worth it on so many levels.
Making your vegetable gardening journey easier:
Before you embark on creating a new garden it is always good to have a plan and an understanding of what is needed when it comes to site selection, aspect, plant choices and requirements, soil preparation and long-term care and desired effects.
Choosing the right Location:
A full sun location with 6 hours direct sun per day is preferable.
Another consideration is locating your edible garden that’s full of your herbs and vegetables near the house. This way it is more time efficient and easier to maintain and harvest from.
Setting up new gardens:
Start by marking out an area with marker paint or string lines. You can make them any size or shape - traditional rectangular beds, potager style, large circles whatever takes your fancy. Make sure you can reach the centre though from either side for ease of planting, weeding, and mulching.
You can also install large, raised garden beds. These can be made out of wood, corrugated iron and straw bales. Then there is the no-dig raised bed method too.
Designing your edible space so that it’s easy to tend, fertilise, harvest and overhaul when needed is key.
If building multiple beds, leave enough space to comfortably walk between the beds with your tools.
I have a mandala style garden, which is lovely creative style of garden. You may wish to consider crop rotation and even the addition of an herb spiral in your patch.
Choosing the right Soil for your new garden:
Understanding your soil type and preparation for maximum productivity.
Whether you have clay, sand or generally poor rocky soil the addition of organic matter is the key to success. Add good quantities of Rocky Point ActivGrow and Cow Manure to ensure you have rich friable free draining soil to a depth of 30cm.
Once you have watered this in well, mulch on top with Rocky Point Sugar Cane Mulch, Lucerne Mulch, or Pea Straw Mulch. This will help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds and protect soil roots.
Choosing the right crops for your vegetable garden
What to plant when is critical to your overall success. Know what grows in which season. For example, as we head into autumn and winter it is time to plant brassicas, various root crops, peas and snow peas and so forth but check with local garden centres because this can vary slightly depending on your climatic location. Remember most vegetable crops are seasonal and short lived.
The addition of flowers and herbs will create biodiversity, and this is always a positive.
What else can be a part of your edible patch?
- Trellises: For climbing vegetables and fruit.
- Shade structures: That can be put into place during the height of summer.
- Scarecrow building: A fun family activity to create a talking piece.
- Chicken tractors: For larger patches you can move your chickens around to clear or create new garden beds.
- Birdbaths: To attract insect eating birds.
- Ponds/water pots: A water source for frogs, fish and insect.
- Bathtubs and water pots: To grow edible water plants in.
