Vegetables – Top Tips for Beginnner Gardeners
Filed in General on October 8, 2008 with no comments
Top Tips for Beginner Gardeners
There’s nothing worse than starting a vege patch all enthusiastic, putting the leg work in, then getting disappointing results. As spring is often the time when beginners decide to give it a go, I’ve put together a few top tips to help you on your way. If any of you have any top tips you would like to share then email them to me and I will pass them on!
- However enthusiastic you are, start small and extend your patch as you go.
- ALWAYS make your top layer of your patch ‘mulch’. I find pea-straw really good to use. It will keep the compost from drying out, prevents weeds from growing, protects soil from the weather, provides nutrients to the compost and keeps nutrients from dissipating.
- Easy veges to start with include spinach, radishes, lettuce, beans, zucchini and tomatoes.
- Sheep pellets (available at garden centres) are a good food for plants if you don’t have a worm farm.
- Start with seedlings (preferably organic), you will have less casualties.
- Water seedlings before and after planting them, so their roots settle into the soil.
- Attract beneficial insects into your garden with nectar rich flowers such as marigolds, calendula, Phacelia and poached eggplant (grow in pots if you have limited space).
- If you are planting anything that needs support – like tomatoes, beans, capsicum put the stake in when you plant to avoid damaging the roots later on.
- Water early in the day especially in summer.
- Start a compost bin or worm farm to provide for your garden (most councils run free courses).
