New Vegetable Garden Techniques

Essential Skills and Projects for Tastier, Healthier Crops

The Quarto Group

Contents

MAKING A NEW PLOT

Creating a new productive garden or redeveloping an existing one can seem daunting when you start, but taking time to assess your site and plan what you want to grow and where will soon pay dividends.

Let the adventure begin

A new garden is an exciting challenge and a daunting task in equal measure. It's sometimes hard to know where to begin, but being methodical is the best way forward. You will soon discover that growing your own fruit and vegetables is a wonderful adventure and a fun-filled, productive part of life.

Any garden will need some attention at first, if you want to create the ideal conditions for a bountiful fruit and vegetable patch. The first thing to do is to assess your site and soil, whether you have an old, established plot that has gone a bit wild, a mature, well-tended garden, or a patch filled with builders' rubble at the back of a new-build home.

This book includes a raft of growing tips and techniques, but let's kick off with how to prepare the ground. Work your way through the four points opposite and you will soon be ready to start digging.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE

This is often a case of noting assets that you want to keep and acknowledging problems that must be solved. Go out and have a good look around. Make a rough plan of all you see, noting down the location of trees and their names, if possible – fruit trees are always worth saving until you find out how they perform. Hedges, shrubs, rubble, house walls and fences should go on the plan, too, along with access points, the closest water supply and concentrations of weeds.

Indicate where land is sloping or flat, and work out which direction is south, checking how shadows fall when trees are in leaf and which parts of the garden get sun at different times of the day. Also make a note of where water drains to. Dig down to establish soil depth; this can vary on uneven sites. Measure the site too, either with a long tape or footsteps in a 'heel to toe' manner, if you don't have one.

CLEAR THE SITE

Remove rubbish and sort through any piles of old bricks, wood, and stones. Old tins and containers make good planters, as long as they haven't been filled with anything toxic, and rubble can be reused to make paths or alter levels in the garden. Cut down long grass and weeds on overgrown plots and see what the land is like beneath. Use a strimmer, trimmer, scythe, or garden shears to chop soft growth and secateurs or loppers on tough stems. Mow shorter growth with the blades on a high setting, and wear eye protectors in case you hit any stones. Wear gloves and keep arms and legs covered to protect yourself against thorns, or any glass, metal, or worse in the undergrowth. Finally, dig out deep-rooted weeds. A flame-weeding device will kill off surface growth, but you will have to repeat this many times on perennial weeds. Also use it in cold weather when earthworms aren't close to the surface, and never on dry plants, which may cause a fire.

CHOOSE THE BEST SPOT

Look at all the information you have noted down and locate your vegetable plot in a sunny, sheltered spot. Choose areas with the deepest soil for vegetable beds. A fig tree might grow well over a pile of rubble, but greedy potatoes won't. If possible, avoid very wet or dry areas, and steep slopes, unless you want to make terraces. Also try to choose a place that isn't overshadowed by trees, hedges, or shrubs. Apart from shading, trees also pose problems when roots compete for nutrients. Some trees are worse than others: ash, plane and poplar are greedy, with wide-spreading root systems; almond, cherry and willow are less problematic.

A wall is a useful backdrop for some tender plants and it can offer the plot protection from prevailing winds. You will need good access and a supply of water is essential; install an outdoor tap if there isn't one in the garden.

THINK LAYOUT

Existing gardens can be changed to fit new plans, and you can extend or reduce bed sizes or build raised beds, if you prefer. A cleared plot provides a blank canvas with any number of opportunities. Decide on the position of fixed features, such as raised beds, compost heaps, and a shed. Think about access to these features and how visible you want them to be from the house. You may also need to plan for fences, screens and hedges if your site is exposed.

Peg out beds with sticks and string, mock up raised beds with cardboard and use planks to simulate paths. Make paths between beds at least the width of a laden wheelbarrow, or for a lawnmower if using grass, and allow space to turn any corners. Push a wheelbarrow along pegged-out paths to check access is unimpeded.

When you have pegged out the plot as you want, stand back and survey it from all angles. Make any changes before you start to dig.

DIGGING THE LAND

Having assessed your site and cleared it of rubble and debris, you now need to make sure you have a good set of tools to dig new beds and remove weeds before planting your crops.

Tools of the trade

Before you start creating your beds, check that your tools are up to the tasks of digging, weeding and planting. A shovel can clear a lot of earth with one scoop, but if you find it too heavy to lift, a lighter border spade could be a better option. This tool would also be ideal for maintaining neat edges.

If you have a well-tilled plot, then simply forking through it to lift out weeds, or turning it over to incorporate feed, may be all that's needed, before raking the soil to level it. Alternatively, you may wish to splash out on one of the specialist weeding tools to make this job easier.

Using a rotovator

If you plan to cultivate a large area, you can opt to use a motorized tiller or rotovator. This will plough through the land quickly, chopping up everything and turning the soil over. This is a quick method if you are working on reasonably clean and stone-free ground. You can clear a large bed in a day, leaving the soil ready for planting, but problems arise if the ground contains lots of perennial weeds. The blades will chop up their roots and stems and mix them into the topsoil. New weeds may then grow from each chopped bit of root or stem, creating a bed packed with perennial weeds that will then need to be removed.

The solution is to dig out as many as you can before setting the blades turning. You can also grow potatoes to suppress weeds or weed regularly to keep on top of the problem. Or you may prefer to just get crops in the ground and cope with the weeds that follow afterwards, but if you want to sow seeds into your beds, stick to a fork and spade to dig the land.

LAZY BEDS FOR BEGINNERS

Digging soil to the correct depth to make a fruit and vegetable garden can take a lot of time and effort, but these lazy beds make the job much quicker and easier, and they work just as well as conventional beds.

What is a lazy bed?

This bed is a raised ridge formed by folding soil from the outer edges across a middle strip, so that all the weeds and grass are sandwiched between the layers. You then incorporate manure or compost into the bed, and grow a crop that produces plenty of foliage, such as potatoes; the potato leaves help to suppress weeds in the first season of cultivation.

Several lazy beds side by side create a large growing area. You can make them straight, curved, or angled to fit the shape of your plot, but don't create tight curves or there won't be enough soil on either side to earth up the potatoes. After a few months, when the crop is dug out, the beds can be flattened down to make a level planting area.

Fast work

A fit gardener could create a 4m x 4m (13ft x 13ft) area of four beds in a morning. Others may take a day, or prefer to spread the task across several days to avoid undue stresses and strains. The technique is maybe four times faster than single digging an area of the same size.

Preparing the area

Mow or cut any grass and weeds down as low as you can, and remove the roots of persistent weeds, such as dock, dandelion, and thistle. Mark out the area to be cultivated and decide how many lazy beds you want in this space.

YOU WILL NEED

Manure or compost

Seed potatoes with short green sprouts

TOOLS

Spade

Fork

01 Position the manure

Once you have marked out an area for a bed, lay manure or compost on top of the grass, in a row 8cm (3in) deep and 50cm (20in) wide, parallel to one edge of the bed, and 25cm (10in) away from it. Bulky feeds, such as manure, are better than artificial fertilizers for lazy beds.

02 Plant potatoes

Tuck sprouted seed potatoes underneath the manure in two long rows, 30cm (12in) apart and 10cm (4in) in from the edges of the strip of manure (this helps to prevent green potatoes). Plant early varieties as described above and maincrop varieties 40cm (15in) apart in each row.

03 Turn soil to cover the manure

Use the spade to cut down into the ground in parallel lines 25cm (10in) out from each side of the manure row. Turn turves to cover the manure, so the grass is sandwiched in the middle. Leave the edge against the manure uncut so it acts as a hinge when turning the turves.

04 Cover with soil

Dig up soil from either side of the manure strip where the turves were lifted. Use this to cover the top of the lazy bed with an even layer, about 8cm (3in) deep. Repeat the same method to make as many lazy beds as required. Channels between the beds aid drainage.

05 Add a mulch

Use short grass clippings, or another degradable organic mulch, around the emerging shoots. This adds more nutrition to the plot as it breaks down. It also helps earth up the potatoes, which is important if there isn't enough depth of soil between the beds to do so (see Step 6).

06 Earth up

When potato stems are around 20cm (8in) tall, dig up more soil from each side of the lazy bed and pile it around the growing plants. This extra earth keeps light away from potatoes growing close to the surface and stops them turning green, while also controlling weed growth.

07 Ongoing care

Potatoes in full leaf will cut the light reaching the soil, reducing weed growth. Walk up and down the channels between the beds and remove the weeds that do pop up and any discoloured foliage. You can also spray plants with foliar feeds or organic pest and disease controls.

08 Dig out the crop

Use a fork to dig down and into the side of the lazy bed. This breaks open the bed and reveals the potatoes, but take care not to damage roots in the process. Remove potato stems and weeds as you work along the row. Spread the soil out as you dig – aim to create a level surface.

WHAT TO GROW IN A LAZY BED

• POTATOES are the perfect crop for lazy beds. These large plants help to break up the soil and loosen it for the next crop. The manure is also incorporated into the soil to make a friable mix when the crop is lifted.

• RHUBARB crowns do well if planted in a lazy bed. The bed remains in place for the life of the plants and the large leaves suppress weed growth. Spread manure on the surface each spring to feed the plants.

• CABBAGES can produce fabulous plants in lazy beds in the first year you make them. They are often problem free and the large leaves help to reduce weed growth.

• ONIONS AND GARLIC are shallow rooted and suffer from competition with weeds. To grow these, cover a lazy bed with black sheet mulch material (weigh the edges down with stones or bury them under the soil). Cut holes to plant through and make sure that the soil doesn't dry out underneath.

• CARROTS and other slow-growing seedlings don't do too well in new lazy beds. These crops are too small to smother any grass and weeds that grow up from the sandwiched turves underneath. However, in the second year, after a clearance crop like potatoes has done its work, you can grow almost anything in the beds.

FOOLPROOF SINGLE-DIG BED

This traditional way of turning a lawn or field into cultivated beds requires more effort than lazy beds, but it is a useful method for areas where the soil is shallow and guarantees deep, fertile soil for a wide range of crops.

What is single and double digging?

Single digging is when the soil is dug to roughly the depth of the head of a spade. It is useful if your topsoil is shallow and you don't want to bring up too much subsoil, clay and grit that may be close to the surface.

Double digging means that you dig to a depth of roughly two times the length of a spade head. Use this technique where deep cultivation is needed for plants with long roots, or if the soil contains lots of weeds, or you want to improve drainage.

Although both of these methods may sound like hard work, the digging progresses steadily once you make a start. The ground will be easier to dig after it has rained in the spring or autumn, but do not dig if the soil is waterlogged or icy.

After you have made your beds, you will have a level, aerated, fertile soil, all ready for planting, and the rich rewards make this initial effort worth it.

Removing weeds

Mow the grass or cut down an overgrown bed as low as you can. Dig up the roots of any perennial weeds that are unlikely to be killed by the lack of light when buried in the trenches (see Step 3 opposite). Bindweed, ground elder and horsetail will soon pop up again if not removed at this stage.

If you find it difficult to identify weeds, do some research and ask other gardeners what typically grows in your area, or remove any leafy growth that doesn't look like grass, before mowing the rest.

Making a double-dig bed

To make a double-dig bed, simply follow steps 1–6 opposite, but dig the soil out from each trench to a deeper level. Also make the trenches a little wider to improve access to lower levels – you may have to get into the trenches to dig them out.

YOU WILL NEED

Short sticks

String

Manure or compost

TOOLS

Hammer

Tape measure

Spade

Wheelbarrow

Fork

01 Mark out the bed

Use a hammer to knock sticks into the ground at the corners of your planned bed. Tie string between the sticks, then stand back and take a good look. Using a tape measure, make a note of the diagonal measurements (between opposite corners), which should be equal for a square or rectangular bed. Adjust the pegs as necessary.

02 Dig the first trench

Use a spade to cut out grass turves in a row along one side of the bed. Remove and stack them in a pile. Dig the soil out to a spade depth where the turves have been removed and place it in a wheelbarrow. The grass and soil will fill the final trench at the far side of the bed.

03 Turn the turves

Use a fork to aerate and loosen the base of the trench if the soil is compacted. Cut another row of grass turves next to your first row, turn them upside down and set them at the bottom of the first trench (see Step 4 for deep-rooted plants). Make sure each one is a size that you can lift easily.

04 Add manure or compost

Put manure on top of the turned grass if growing shallow-rooted plants, or in the bottom of the first trench underneath the turned turves if growing deep-rooted plants. Dig at least 10cm (4in) soil from the second trench and pile it on the first trench, so all the manure is covered.

05 Repeat until the end

Cut another row of turves next to the second trench. Turn them over, apply manure, and dig soil from the base of the trench as in Steps 3–4. Repeat until you reach the last trench in the plot. Fill this with the saved turves and soil from the first trench, plus some manure.

USING RAISED BEDS

Raised beds have many benefits, allowing you to grow crops that may not thrive in your garden soil. Here are a few tips on choosing beds that will suit you and ideas on what to fill them with.

Selecting materials

Many people like growing their crops in raised beds because they look attractive and can provide a rich, deep growing medium that is easy to manage.

The walls of raised beds can be made from a variety of materials. Stone, railway sleepers, grass turves, bricks or concrete blocks are all options. Use materials that are easy to acquire, ideally from a local source, and that will make a stable structure. For most people, the simplest option is sawn timber. Check the types of timber available and what you can afford, as prices vary enormously. Oak, sweet chestnut and larch are very durable; spruce is less so, but cheap and readily available in a variety of sizes.

Decking boards are also easy to work with and make strong frames, but avoid any that have been treated with toxic chemicals when growing food crops. Some treatments are declared to be environmentally safe – do check before buying.

Alternatively, choose from the many ready-made commercial options if you would prefer to buy your beds, but shop around as they may be expensive.

INSTALLING RAISED BEDS

• CHOOSE A HEIGHT for your beds that suits you. Beds with 15cm (6in) walls look good as lawn edging; taller beds that are 80cm (32in) deep allow you to garden without bending too much; or choose something in between for the best of both worlds.

• MAKE BEDS WIDE ENOUGH so you can reach the centre from each side. This will mean that you won't have to stand on the bed and compact the compost or soil.

• MAKE PATHS WIDE ENOUGH between the beds for a wheelbarrow. You may also want enough room to kneel down or to sit on a small stool when weeding.

• FILL THE BEDS with nutrient-rich materials, such as compost and topsoil. It's better to half fill the bed than to fill it with subsoil or grit, for example. You can fill to the ideal level over time by adding more layers as nutrient-rich materials become available.

• THE CONTENTS OF THE BED will settle over time. Add well-rotted manure or compost each year to keep them topped up.

• MAKE SURE DEEP BEDS have some drainage at the bottom and consider installing a watering system during the construction stage.

• FIX A GALVANIZED METAL STRIP around the base of wooden beds. This protects edges if you plan to use a strimmer to trim grass paths, as the spinning chord in these machines will chew through most timbers.