The Kitchen Gardener: Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg

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This kitchen garden includes courgettes, corn, onions, chard and beans, set within a series of rectangular beds with narrow access paths between

Penny Hemming, head gardener at Riverford Organic, offers this basic recipe for a nice, crumbly, rich-smelling and loose textured compost that makes a fantastic soil conditioner within six months: Medium (18 – 24 inches/45 – 60 cm): Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, pea, potato, snap beans, summer squash, sweet corn, and tomato. While you can grow potatoes in a garden, I prefer growing them in containers.Dig and clear the area, removing all perennial weeds. Construct the beds and improve the soil if necessary by adding well-rotted compost or manure. Homegrown salad leaves are a cheaper alternative to bagged ones from the supermarket – and less wasteful. Sow cut-and-come-again varieties every few weeks for a succession of cropping. a b Komar, Stephen (May 7, 2017). "Some tips as you prepare your spring vegetable garden". New Jersey Herald. njherald.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017 . Retrieved May 9, 2017.

It's worth hunting out organically grown seeds and plants, as conventionally grown plants are often already loaded with pesticides and chemical fertilisers – exactly the type of things you are trying to avoid. We are also creating an edible flower and tea production garden which two of our lovely community groups are helping to make. This will be up and running in June/July with the idea of all the herbs and flowers grown can be used to make teas and infusions. We will also be planting some of our camellia sinensis collection which we can experiment making our own English breakfast and green teas. Jobs This Month– plan your month and see what you should be concerned with in your greenhouse and vegetable patch Other plants found in the kitchen garden: asparagus, artichoke, sow thistle, endive, chicory, watercress, scallions, chives, parsnips, purslane, smallage, tarragon, borage, bugloss, radishes, rapeseed, skirret, poppy, mustard, cucumbers and gourds. Whether you have a balcony, a small plot, or a sprawling allotment, we believe that everyone can grow their own fresh and nutritious food. With Kitchen Garden, you’ll be equipped with all the knowledge and inspiration you need to get started and to grow your own delicious bounty.Herbs, such as mint, thyme, parsley and sage, are expensive to buy but easy to grow, and many are perennial so will keep supplying your kitchen year after year. West Dean Gardens– Restored walled Victorian kitchen garden and glasshouses, with heritage and new vegetable varieties. West Dean, West Sussex PO18 0QZ BEANS are among the easiest vegetables to grow when considering how to plan a kitchen garden, particularly for beginners. Plant once frosts have passed, in a sunny spot, in well-drained soil. The best way to learn any skill is by practicing and failing forward. It’s no different for vegetable gardening. In your first kitchen garden project, you will:

Soil health is vital when planning a kitchen garden. Healthy, fertile soil, with good structure encourages good growth in the fruit and vegetable plants by helping them to absorb water and nutrients. While some plants like wet/dry cycles (waiting for the soil to dry some before watering), shallow-rooted vegetables like beet, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, greens & herbs, onion, pepper, radish, and spinach need consistently moist soil. Kitchen Gardens: Soil NUTRITION Carrots– Sow early carrots under cloches in February, or wait until March or April in the open. For sweet, small carrots, sow every few weeks from early spring to late summer for a successional harvest from June to November. They like light soil, with plenty of organic matter dug in with full sun for early varieties, or some shade for main crop varieties. Carrots can also be grown in containers and raised beds; thin out the seedlings in the evenings, firming down the soil to help prevent carrot fly. Water when the weather is dry. It's also worth knowing when to harvest vegetablesfor the best tasting crops – take a look at our advice.The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. Hanna Rion Step Three: Consider What You Want to Grow in Your Kitchen Garden Potatoes– Plant chitted seed potatoes in the ground or containers – early varieties in late March and main crops in April, ready to harvest in 10 to 13 weeks. They grow best in fertile, slightly acidic loose soil, and need regular watering. Nurture your kitchen garden of fresh herbs and lettuce, ensuring the herbs get full sun and the lettuce morning sun. The main contributor to soil oxygen is a diverse population of microorganisms. A second contributor is ensuring that most water drains out, drawing oxygen into the soil. Soil drainage speed and healthy soil drains are measured in inches per hour. By signing up for a subscription to Kitchen Garden magazine you can expect the following in your monthly read: