86
VEGETABLE GROWING TRICKS AND TIPS FROM GREENBOURNE NURSERY ✦ Have your own little veggie patch
H
ere are a few little tips that I always use when growing vegetables.
Soil preparation is everything Vegetables require nutritious and light oil, a good supply of water and light Yes, I realise you have heard me go on and on about soil preparation in numerous articles in this series. However, I am going to reiterate it again here. And for very good
reasons, vegetables require high amounts of nutrients, a good supply of water and light, friable soil to allow all those beneficial organisms to breed, feed and thrive. When preparing a new garden bed, do till the soil lightly to disrupt any compaction issues. Add ingredients such as compost, cow manure, mushroom compost etc. Combine all the ingredients with the existing ground soil gently, then water well to completely saturate the area. Top dress the soil with a manure pellet and then you have an area that is primed for some vegetable planting.
If using an existing garden bed, the ideal situation is to not till the soil. Remember that we want as minimal disturbance to the ‘home’ of our precious little helpers as possible. Just add the fresh new ingredients in layers on top of the existing soil. Again, products like compost, cow manure etc. are great to use. After layering the ingredients on the existing soil, just lightly aerate the soil with a large fork then water in well. These strategies should be at least applied annually to keep the soil in good health.
