Where to Make Your Vegetable Plot
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A well-placed vegetable plot will be positioned so that it is in
full sun for most of the year, especially from
early March to
late November.
Some vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts continue to grow and need sun
in the winter so take this into consideration as well.
Many vegetables are hungry feeders and almost all need a
constant supply of water. So don't start your vegetable plot next to trees
or hedges both of which will take the lion's share of water and
nutrients.
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During the summer months a constant supply of water can
only be guaranteed by hand watering, either by a hosepipe or watering
can. So make sure the plot is near a supply of water. You may also want
herbs to be near the house so that they can easily be harvested when
needed.
Shelter also needs to be considered. If your area suffers from strong
winds it will be necessary to create a windbreak to protect your
vegetable patch. A low
hedge (not too high or it will take water and nutrients from the soil)
can be effective. Strong shrubs such as potentillas will provide some
shelter and summer colour.
Consider also using raised beds, they are ideal for beginners to
gardening.
Click here
to go to our page on raised beds.
Clearing The Site
Before planting vegetables you may well need to clear the site.
Existing weeds can be a big problem and there are several ways to clear
them. Chemicals such as glyphosphate will kill most weeds dead within
three or four weeks but the effect on the soil is not fully understood.
The best method is digging the soil well and pulling out all the weeds
as you go. Destroy the weeds, do not put them on the compost heap
Another "green" method of clearing weeds is to cover the
ground with old carpets for a couple of months. This will kill most
weeds but not all. Click here
for another GardenAction page on how to clear strong weeds such as couch
grass.
As well as clearing weeds, other objects on the proposed
site need to be cleared as well. This includes rubbish and large stones.
Digging The Vegetable Patch
All that is required are a fork and lots of effort. Dig the soil to
a spade's depth with a fork, turning the soil and breaking it up as you
go. Remove any roots and weeds in the soil.
If the vegetable plot is large, a good compromise is to
dig half of it in the first year, and cover the other half with old carpet. Leave
the carpet on until next year and then it can be dug over when
all the weeds are dead.
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