Vegetable Planting

Posts Tagged ‘vegetable gardening tips’

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 broccoli

Growing broccoli is more straightforward than you might think. The version of the vegetable that is most widely commercially available in stores is actually called calabrese, but you can also try purple or white sprouting broccoli for an exotic look.

Prepare your beds

The secret of all successful vegetable gardening is good quality soil. Your plants ideally need a sticky textured soil that will drain well, but also one that is rich in nutrients.

If you have not been blessed with the best quality soil around, you can 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 »

Growing radishes is ideal way to introduce new or impatient gardeners to the hobby. Some radishes are ready within six weeks of planting – possibly sooner if you have good weather.

Apart from taking such a short amount of time to grow, the other great thing about radishes is that they are not too fussy about where you put them in your garden. The ideal spot is somewhere that receives partial sun. If you give them too much light they will go to seed quickly. Too much shade, and they will not flourish.

If your soil is not enriched with composted organic matter do not worry Read the rest of this entry »