There are a few things that you will want to get right when creating your veggie beds, once this preparation is done you´ll be in a great position to start producing awesome, tasty, nutrient rich veg. Basically it’s all about creating healthy soil, if you have healthy soil and you water well you will have healthy plants. That´s what I will walk you through in this blog post.
My experience is in most cases the soils will lack in organic matter and nutrients in places you plan to grow. If left like this then the plants will be weak, small and prone to attacks from pests. Also most vegetables we grow today need quite a lot of nutrients so we want to make the soil rich. So your job is to look after the soil, earth care.
You want a spot that receives as much sun as possible. The closer to you front or back door (zone one) the better, that way you will always see it and by default you will know when to harvest, if the mulch needs topping up, if it need more water, when to replant, as well as other interesting observations.
You want a spot that receives as much sun as possible. The closer to you front or back door (zone one) the better, that way you will always see it and by default you will know when to harvest, if the mulch needs topping up, if it need more water, when to replant, as well as other interesting observations.
| When you have decided where you will grow the next thing you need to do is, to aerate the soil by double digging, using a broad fork or by using a small rotavator. Having clearly defined permanent paths is important, as it's best to not walk on your veggie beds and avoid compaction. I always add aged manure when de-compacting the soil on beds like these, cow manure is best. |  |
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Once the beds are shaped, aerated and manure has been added then I add compost, in this case a bacteria rich leaf mold compost. A simple way of making leaf mold compost is by putting up four posts with chicken wire wrapped around them to form a cage, 150 cm diameter 120cm tall. There is a abundance of leafs this time of year and making it now will give you plenty of compost next season. There is always the option to add compost you make or buy.
I also add two additives; rock dust and sea-weed powder. These are inexpensive and can easily be brought on-line in 4 or 5 KG bags. You could also add blood and bone powder. These are sprinkled on the beds.
I also add two additives; rock dust and sea-weed powder. These are inexpensive and can easily be brought on-line in 4 or 5 KG bags. You could also add blood and bone powder. These are sprinkled on the beds.
Now the beds are prepared it's time to plant. In this case I am planting peas, curly endive lettuce, oak leaf lettuce, red chard, cauliflower and curly kale. I am also adding a layer of seedless mulch on top of the soil, straw in this case. There are many benefits to adding a layer of organic matter on top of the soil: It reduces undesired plants (weeds), evaporation, sun and rain erosion, regulates temperature and adds to the soil composition as it breaks down.
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Aged manure, compost, rock dust and seaweed powder are the key ingredients. If you have some beds already established perhaps you can try some of these tips to take them to the next level. Good luck with your growing. If you have any questions post them on my Facebook page and I will get back to you.
| Matt.P 28.11.2017 |
