veg_gardens

Like most organic gardeners, I have a bit of an obsession with composting. Usually this time of year, green material is in fairly short supply. Sadly, in a way, not this year. At the community garden where I have a plot, this year many new gardeners are keeping the trash bins full of weeds and other green material.

My first use of this material was to build shallow compost "paths." Let me explain, the town dumps partially decomposed wood chips near the plots for out use. I both dug a lot of this into my beds, used this as much, and to cover the paths between beds. As all this green material became available, I spread a six inch layer of it over the wood chips in the path, and covered that with a thin layer of wood chips, and repeated the process. I don't want to go to high with this idea, because I'm afraid that it might create enough heat to burn the nearby plants. So each day I bring some of the green material home to add to my compost pile.
You can never have enough, right?

I find making small garden beds for root crops to be a very relaxing experience.  I don't use anything to frame my garden beds, since I find thatedging just gives slugs somewhere to hide and breed, and framing isn't necessary.  After double digging the soil, I ass as much organic matter as I can spare, but for the initial dig I use at least 4 inches of peat and manure, and dig it into the top foot of soil and follow that with greensand, rock phosphate, and bonemeal.   I tend to breakup remaining clods of dirt, and get on my hands and knees to work the soil until it feels "perfect,"   I probably over do this step, but I do enjoy the process.

When I'm happy with the soil, I rake the top of the soil flat, and  broadcast the seed,.  Today I prepared a 30 square foot bed for carrots, and in one small corner of the ged planted parsnips.   After broadcasting the seed on top of the bed, I cover with half an inch of potting soil and water well.
Carrots, (and beets, and turnips when I plant them next week) are thinned to 3 inch equidistant spacing, and parsnips to 6 inches. When the soil is properly amended and prepared, the yield makes all the work worthwhile.

I've been gardening for a couple of years and am still a relative enthusiastic newbie. The past two seasons I've had fun experimenting and finding out what works well in my garden and what doesn't. This season is going to be a little different though, in that I now have a 3 1/2 month old daughter and my time in the garden is going to be limited both in terms of time and effort.

So I'd like suggestions of what I can grow that will survive if left unattended for a few days at a time! Ideally drought- and pest-resistant, and not need too much fertilisation beyond an initial compost boost.

Things I think I will try:
Potatoes. Never grown before so I'm keen to try, but feel free to talk me down if the soil-piling will be too much work!
Cougettes (zuccini). I've had amazing success with these providing I remember to water them!
Onions. Plant, water, ignore. Easy.
Carrots. Companion to onions.
Herbs. I have an established herb-garden that self-seeds well.

Things that haven't worked for me:
Brassicas. I have perfect soil for them but the cabbage white butterfly decimated my crop!
Beans. Ditto but blackfly.
Pumpkin and squash. Only ever grown in pots but never successfully fruited. Will they work better in the ground?
Salad. I think they scorched last year.
Beetroot. Failed both in the garden and in pots. I think I over-crowded them so may try again one to a pot.

I also have established rasberry canes, gooseberry bush and a wild plum tree. Soil is chalky alkaline, zone 9 (UK South West).

I'd love to hear your comments/thoughts/suggestions!

Hello fellow gardeners, this will be my first proper post here.

Has anyone else tried the 3 sister method of co-planting beans, sweetcorn and pumpkins?
In theory, the beans nitrogenate the soil, corn acts as a support for the beans and the pumpkins spread around to suppress weeds and hold in moisture.

In reality, the whole thing looks like a shambling mound. Beans are entwined around corn, even when the corn is only 8 inches high in places, pumpkins are running riot (as pumpkins do) and have invaded the next bed with their curly tendrils, corm looks OK, but it'll be tricky to get in and harvest it. Overall, it's a bit chaotic, but seems to work.

My asparagus has been quite neglected. not sure where I want to plant them in the garden but apparently according to what i read on a website, it is long overdue.

I planted the seeds a while ago in compost in toilet roll tubes.

Hai!
I'm reclaiming my garden from years of neglect from the previous owners (and ourselves, as we got moved in and settled). This year I have planted out the veg garden and I'm thrilled and amazed at the wonder of little seeds and what they turn into!

But I have a couple of questions:

Last night I began to clear and reclaim the greenhouse from the years of neglect. it has a couple of trees growing in it and it was covered in ivy.

Question 1: To what extent should I *clean* the greenhouse before using it? It needs some minor repairs but otherwise does it need disinfecting? Will I be dealing with someone else tomato blight for example?

Question 2: I now have a ton of ivy. What do I do with it all? I have been advised NOT to put it in the compost bin as it will most likely just take root. Do I bag it up for the council to collect? Is burning it the best option?

Any advice gratefully received.

So Im confused and need some help. Its my first year gardening, and well my yard is covered in English Ivy (Hedera) I mean it is EVERYWHERE...up the trees, in my front yard, going up the back of my house etc etc...i would LOVE to plant my veggies, but im worried if I put it by the ivy, it will ruin it? Please correct me if im wrong.

thanks so much