Setting up a Kitchen Garden
Spring 2012 feature for Burst
Spring 2012 feature for Burst
This was a feature on how to prepare soil and plan a small vegetable plot. It was aimed at people who had never tried growing crops before. The information was reduced down to a simple guide on field rotation, how to secure seeds or plug plants and how to take care of them over their lifespan.
Illustrations by Mel Chadwick. Editor, Hanna Oakes.
Read the article here:
Seasonal Gardening: When You Plant a Seed, You Pray it Grows
Every time I hold a husk in my hand, I'm reminded of that wisdom. It is humbling to see something so small being relevant to feeding the world's population. Try it for yourself by growing a few veggies - it certainly makes you feel grateful for God's provision.
March: Chooseyour favourite veggies from a four-crop rotation plan, which dividesplants into sections according to family resemblances. Plan fourbeds based on your ideas and buy in seeds or research where you canfind plug plants.
Thinkabout the quality of the soil needed for each of the four beds andadd different fertilizers, using bone meal for root veg and fishblood and bone for onions. Reduce acidic soil for the leafy-greenzone with calcified seaweed – it helps prevent club root and willadd minerals. Manure is great for runner beans; but avoid using withpea plants.
Put inonions, shallots and garlic in the ground during March and cover themto ensure the birds don't pull them out.
Thinkabout the quality of the soil needed for each of the four beds andadd different fertilizers, using bone meal for root veg and fishblood and bone for onions. Reduce acidic soil for the leafy-greenzone with calcified seaweed – it helps prevent club root and willadd minerals. Manure is great for runner beans; but avoid using withpea plants.
Put inonions, shallots and garlic in the ground during March and cover themto ensure the birds don't pull them out.
April: Putseeds directly in the ground under taut lines held by sticks, orgerminate them in windowsills. If there is a drought then payattention to watering them (or sneakily pray for rain, your friendswill be annoyed but the farmers will love you).
Alsostart the assault against weed growth by periodically gliding a hoeover the ground, avoiding where you have planted the seeds. Thisaction prevents germination.
Alsostart the assault against weed growth by periodically gliding a hoeover the ground, avoiding where you have planted the seeds. Thisaction prevents germination.
May: Theweather should now be mild enough for runner beans, so plant them outand use long canes for their supports. Find spare room for butternutand courgette plants in any vegetable bed,
Use alittle seaweed feed to strengthen plants or put in further plugplants.
Addcompanion plants to help deter pests – basil with tomatoes,marigolds with carrots, nasturtium withrunner beans and oregano or garlic with leafy greens.
Checkthe situation most evenings to see how dry the ground is, howsuccessful slugs are in finding your micro farm and to look for otherpests and deficiencies.
Now justlook forward to Harvest Festival.
Use alittle seaweed feed to strengthen plants or put in further plugplants.
Addcompanion plants to help deter pests – basil with tomatoes,marigolds with carrots, nasturtium withrunner beans and oregano or garlic with leafy greens.
Checkthe situation most evenings to see how dry the ground is, howsuccessful slugs are in finding your micro farm and to look for otherpests and deficiencies.
Now justlook forward to Harvest Festival.
