Vegetable Planting

Archive for the ‘Organic Vegetable Gardening’ Category

Material

There are many ways to construct the edges of a vegetable bed and many materials that can be utilised. These include lumber, brick, stone, metal and plastic My preference is to use lumber in the form of railway sleepers (or ties).

Construction

The big advantage of my chosen material is that the job is simple and easy to complete quickly, although you may need a friend to assist as the sleepers are heavy. It is the weight that keeps the sleepers basically in place.

Steps to take

Firstly see what sizes of sleeper, or similar lumber, are available from your local supplier. It is much easier to adjust the size of your vegetable bed than to cut the sleepers to length, although some cutting may be required. A standard size is 8ft x 8in x 2in but there are many variations. Some of my beds are two sleepers long and one sleeper wide while others are one sleeper by one half sleeper. It all depends upon fitting the bed to your available space.

Layout

Lay out string lines to mark the outside edges of your vegetable bed remember that the thickness of the sleeper will add to one of the edges.

Now simply lay the sleepers on edge to match the string lines. While the weight of the sleepers will generally keep them in place they can topple if grandchildren climb on them.

Securing the sleepers

Again there a different ways to secure the sleepers, using pegs hammered into the ground, nailing or screwing the corners or using metal brackets.

Completed bed

My preferred method utilizes galvanised metal brackets place around the corners and across any lengthwise joins. The sleepers are drilled with clearance holes to suit the brackets and galvanised bolts fitted and tightened.

Corner joint

This gives a secure construction while still allowing some movement for final position adjustment if required.

Sleeper to sleeper join

How to grow pumpkins

If you have ever wondered how to grow pumpkins, read on and you will discover that it is not as difficult as you might think.

Frost sensitivity

Pumpkins are very sensitive to frost, so when planting the seedlings take care not to transplant them out into the garden until you are confident that the last frost has passed. To be on the safe side, consult other gardeners in your neighborhood about the frost patterns of the previous year.  Read the rest of this entry »

Organic herb gardens are a joy to the senses. They look beautiful, smell intoxicating and their produce lends a flavorsome note to home cooking. The main constituents of any herb garden are perfect for a novice to try as they are virtually indestructible and do not require much watering. These are rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint and chives. Once these core herbs are established, they will spread slowly.

It can sometimes be tempting to protect and improve your garden with artificial products. After all, you work so hard on it, why not take a shortcut? But you can overcome some of the problems that gardeners encounter in organic herb gardens without resorting to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Read the rest of this entry »

A great video with the editor of Organic Gardening magazine discussing what organic vegetable gardening is all about and how to get started.  A great beginner video!

The benefits of growing cabbage have been well documented throughout history. The Romans championed its medicinal qualities, while the Greeks believed that it cured the effects of too much alcohol on the body.

A number of varieties of cabbage are available, and if you plant a range of them you can enjoy the vegetable from your own garden throughout the year.

Growing cabbage in an area that has previously been used for peas and beans is ideal, as those plants lock nitrogen in to the soil, which can be slowly enjoyed by the next occupant of the vegetable bed. Read the rest of this entry »