How to get the most out of your vegetable garden
No matter what size your garden is, with a little careful planning you can maximize the space to get the most out of it. The key is to make a plan before you start planting – that way you’ll know exactly what you need and where to put it. I’ll give you some tips on how to layout your vegetable garden and how to space your plants so that you can enjoy a bountiful harvest all year round.
The first thing you need to do is take into account the amount of sun that your garden gets. Different vegetables need different amounts of sunlight, so it’s important to group them together accordingly. An Easterly or South-Easterly aspect is the best and protection from South, West and North-West winds should be provided. It must be remembered that no amount of manuring, watering and cultivation will compensate for the absence of sunlight from a vegetable garden.
Leaf crops, such as Lettuce, Spinach, and Borecole, do fairly well in partial shade, but even these need two or three hours of sunshine a day, and if a successful garden is to be maintained, the greater part of the area must have at least five hours of sunlight a day. Where there is no natural shelter, this must be supplied by planting wind breaks of quick growing vegetation.
Where there is a choice, select a friable loamy soil, a heavy soil being difficult and expensive to work, while a soil that is composed mainly of sand, though easy to cultivate, does not produce vegetables of such good quality as a loamy soil.
Once you’ve done that, you can start planning your layout. If you’re short on space, consider growing vertically – there are all sorts of creative ways to do this (check out our Pinterest board for some inspiration). Climbing plants like beans and peas are perfect for this, as well as tomatoes and strawberries.
The Vegetable or Kitchen Garden, as it sometimes known, should be in close proximity to the house, and in a position convenient to the kitchen, as well as easily accessible from the back gate so that manure, soil, etc., can be easily and readily obtained.
The garden should, if possible, be on a somewhat lower level than the house, so that water and liquid manure may be easily conveyed to the highest part, and where tanks or barrels can be arranged for holding supplies of liquid manure, and (where a pipe installation with convenient taps is not available) supplies of clean water.
Reserve a portion of land adjoining the garden for a manure pit, rubbish heap glass frame, tool shed, etc. This part of the garden should be hidden from view as much as possible, and a trellis with an ornamental creeper will serve well for this purpose.
Whatever the shape of the ground, it should be laid out as far as possible, in squares or parallelograms; rectangular figures being the most convenient and economical for planting.
If you have more space to work with, then think about using dividing walls or hedges to create different sections in your garden. This will not only give each plant the room it needs to grow, but it will also make your garden more visually interesting. Another great way to add interest is by using different heights – consider planting tall crops like sunflowers in the back, medium-sized crops like tomatoes in the middle, and low-lying crops like lettuce or herbs in the front. Not only will this give your vegetables the right amount of sunlight, but it will also create an inviting and pleasing aesthetic.
Best Vegetable Garden Layout
If the garden is to be devoted tovegetables alone, it may be laid out somewhat in the following manner:
A border, six or seven feet in width, next the fence, inside of that a path, then the central space divided into four quarters by cross paths, which may again be subdivided into as many smaller pieces as required.
If Fruit Trees are also to be grown, some modification will then be necessary. The exterior border could be made wide enough to hold them, or they might be arranged in one or two rows, running across the ground, while dwarf trees or shrubs could be planted on the borders by the sides of the paths.
The central paths can be covered with trellis work for Grape Vines, Passion Fruit, and other fruit-bearing plants of similar habit. The boundary fences in some cases can be utilised as a trellis for Tomatoes, Vines, and the like, while the borders, if not occupied by Fruit Trees, will be found useful for raising Cabbages, Lettuces, and other plants that require transplanting, early crops of French Beans, Sweet Corn, etc., and a portion can be set aside for Kitchen Herbs, Horse Radish, and other perennial crops. Should it happen that a Hedge forms the boundary, then, as its roots render several feet of the border useless, it is necessary to let the path run close to it, in which case the borders by the sides of the paths can be utilized as suggested.
Once you’ve planned out your layout, it’s time to start planting! When spacing your plants, make sure to give them enough room to grow. Overcrowding will not only stunt their growth, but it will also make them more susceptible to pests and diseases. A good rule of thumb is to leave about 12 inches (30 cm) between plants – but check the label on each plant for specific instructions. Once you’ve planted your vegetables, water them well and sit back and enjoy the fruits (or rather, vegetables) of your labor!
With a little careful planning, even a small garden can yield a bountiful harvest all year round. By taking into account the amount of sun your garden gets and grouping plants together accordingly, you can maximize the space and get the most out of it. And when it comes time to plant, be sure to leave enough room between each one so they have plenty of space to grow. With these tips in mind, you’ll be sure to enjoy a harvest that lasts all season long.
