A vegetable gardencan be a valuable source of tasty, he althy home-grown vegetables. If you want to have such vegetables, but you do not know how to go about it, use our guidehow to set up a vegetable garden step by stepIn a moment you will find outwhat to look for when setting up a vegetable gardenand what rules to follow to ensure that the vegetables you grow are he althy, grow well and yield abundantly!
How to set up a vegetable garden?
Fig. depositphotos.com
Step 1. Choosing a place for the vegetable garden
Place for a vegetable gardenshould be located away from a busy, polluted street or road. The site should be bright, well insolated and sheltered from the wind.
Large trees or shrubs should not grow next to the vegetable gardenThey shade it, and also have long, branched root systems that take away the water and nutrients from the vegetables we grow.Vegetables grown in the sun tend to contain more vitamins and taste betterWhen grown in the shade, leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach accumulate nitrates, which is very bad.
It is very importantlocating the vegetable garden in a place where water can be easily suppliedVegetables often need to be watered during the growing season. If possible, the terrain should be level so that rainfall does not accumulate on it.Vegetables should also not be planted on the slope, because then they dry out, not being able to get the right amount of water.
Step 2. Examine your soil in the garden
The soil for the vegetable garden should be fertile, permeable and humusA slightly acidic or neutral soil is best for most vegetables. The recommended soil pH for vegetables ranges from 6.0 to 7.0. Acidic or very acidic soils (pH 5.5 and below) are not recommended, because from such soils it is difficult to take up nutrients. The pH index can be measured with a pH meter or a soil sample can be tested at a chemical and agricultural station. Acidic soils require the pH to be regulated by applying calcium and magnesium fertilization, which is repeated every 4 years. The fertilizer is applied before starting the cultivation of vegetables.
Step 3. Prepare the vegetable growing stand
The place where we want to set up a vegetable garden must be thoroughly cleaned . We remove stones, branches, remnants of previously cultivated plants. Leftover plant residues are often a source of pathogenic organisms, including pathogenic fungi.
The soil for the vegetable garden should be carefully cultivatedLoosening and loosening the soil allows you to improve its structure, first of all to regulate water-air relations. Vegetables can freely take up water from soil with proper structure, and with it nutrients.A small vegetable garden can be cultivated manually with a spade , a tiller will be useful for a larger one. After that, the ground should be carefully leveled. In order to provide nutrients and fertilize, manure can be used every 2-3 years (50-80 kg per 10 m²) or compost (20-60 kg per 10 m²). The addition of bas alt flour is also beneficial, which is extremely rich in a number of macro- and microelements, including valuable silica, which strengthens plants and makes them resistant to diseases (the recommended dose is 1.5 - 3 kg / 10m²).
Cultivation of various vegetables on one olive branch
Fig. © Katarzyna Żywot-Górecka
Step 4. Plan your vegetable cultivation and create flower beds
In the next step, we have to plan a vegetable garden and determine what vegetables and herbs we will grow and in what order, i.e. crop rotation of vegetables. It is a good idea to follow the rules of allelopathy, which determines which plants are beneficial for the proper growth and he alth of neighboring plants, and which should be avoided. This has to do with the release of certain chemicals by plants.
For example, beans, peas, radishes and dill are good for potatoes, and onions for beets. In turn, tomatoes should not be planted next to cucumbers, peas and potatoes, and beans should not be planted next to beets. There are of course more examples for good and bad vegetable neighborhoods.
Vegetables are sown and planted in the beds.They can be sprinkled higher so that water does not accumulate in them. Vegetable seeds should be sown along the string attached at the beginning and end of the bed. Then they will be sown evenly and straight in rows.There should be paths between the beds for easy movement in order to care for the vegetables.
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Step 5. Sowing and planting vegetables
Beginning in early spring, you can startsowing and planting vegetables . In March, onions are sown. Onions can also be planted with green onions in April. Then you will get the chives early.
At the turn of March and April, lettuce, carrots, parsley, celery, peas and broad beans are sown and planted.Radish and lettuce can be sown or planted several times a year as they have a short growing season(radish up to 5 weeks, seedling lettuce up to 6 weeks). At the turn of April and May, we plant cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot and cabbage. In May - cucumbers, squash, zucchini, dill and seedling tomatoes (they can only be found on the beds from mid-May, when the risk of frost is over). Garden fennel can be grown 2-3 times a season.At the turn of May and June, beans are planted.
MSc Eng. Katarzyna Żywot-Górecka
