First stages in setting up a fruit and vegetable garden
If you are considering growing some of your own fruit and vegetable garden a bit of thought and planning in January and February can make sure your venue is well on the way to a successful year.
Here are the key point that the GardenAdvice Advisors get our MyGardenTeam service members to consider
• Position of your fruit and vegetable garden – this is key it has to be in a sunny shelter position. With regards to shelter you can create this with hedges and windbreak but your fruit and vegetable garden has to be in a sunny position, under trees or in the shade of a wall all day long is not a good position.
• Next you need to selected what you wish to grow. A good place to start is to write down your favourite meals or dishes most will have an element you can grow. Currently some of the GardenAdvice teams favourite are fresh asparagus, fresh peas, forced rhubarb and blanched chicory.
• Consider crops that are best really fresh such as asparagus and new potatoes and fruit and vegetables you just cannot buy easily. Growing vast amounts of tomatoes and potatoes is fine but its a lot of work especially when you realise that you could have purchase them in the supermarket at a low cost.
• Once you have a list of the fruit and vegetables you wish to grow next think about the soil each crop needs. For example asparagus is from family of sea shore plants so thrives in a salty soil, the brassica family needs lime, rhubarb needs a heavy soil to supply water for the springs quick growth. You should be looking to engineer each area of soil to suit your crops – Mushroom compost will make the soil more moisture retentive and raise the soil pH, well rotted farmyard manure will lower the soils pH
• One of the keys with vegetables is to start early using black plastic and cloches to cover the soil once its been prepared will help to collect the suns heat and warm up to soil and speed you the early seasons growth once the seed and new plants are planted out.
The MyGardenTeam service from GardenAdvice provides you with your own expert gardener on the GardenAdvice staff to help you plan and create a fruit and vegetable garden. Click Here for further details
A Christmas Gift for the Gardener Who Wants to Grow
The ideal Christmas present for the gardener in your life
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the gardener in your life? The GardenAdvice Gardening Course is an exciting and practical way to boost their gardening knowledge. This course offers hands-on advice from experts in your own garden, covering everything from soil health to sustainable gardening practices. It’s a thoughtful gift that helps them cultivate their love for gardening and take their skills to the next level. Whether they want to master growing vegetables, enhance flower beds, or learn new techniques for garden maintenance, the course provides a comprehensive guide to all things gardening. With the course taking place in their own garden at their own pace, it’s a gift that works around their busy schedule. This Christmas, give them the tools to grow – both in the garden and as a gardener!
