Prep your patch

PICTURE: COTTONBRO

Prepping your patch

Edible gardening is a growing trend. Starting a vegetable garden is a great way to introduce your children to the hobby of gardening and encourage them to spend more time outdoors. The garden is nature’s classroom and gives kids first-hand insight into how food is produced

PREPARING A NEW PATCH Correct placement is the key to success with vegetables. Find a space that receives about six hours of sun daily. But if this is a challenge in your garden, there are crops which can grow well in partial shade. A vegetable patch does not have to be huge – 1.5m by 2m is ample.

Assess your soil quality

Sandy soil runs through your fingers and clay soil forms clumps when squeezed. Loamy soil, considered best for gardening, is a crumbly, dark soil that retains water without becoming waterlogged.

If you have sandy or clay soil, improve the quality by digging in plenty of organic matter (compost and manure) for better retention, drainage, texture and air flow.

REWORKING AN OLD PATCH Remove the last of the last season’s crops and weeds that may have invaded the patch. You don’t want them completing for nutrients and water with the new crops.

If you put mulch down earlier in the season, don’t remove it, just dig it into the soil. Add more compost or manure to condition the soil and dig over to break up clods for better drainage.