Getting Started...Vegie Patch Basics

There is nothing like the taste and satifaction of growing your own vegies. Not only are there the health benefits of growing your own for you and your family, you are also helping the world. If you have never tried or would like a bit of a refresher this is a great place to start.

Where to Plant?

Give your vegie patch the sunniest spot in the garden. A minimum of 5 hours a day. Good drainage is preferable but you can always build up a garden on top of your soil or plant in pots.

Pick somewhere near the back or front door so you can easily pick your veg and monitor it as you walk by daily. Dig up lawn area or tired ornamental beds if you have to get the ideal spot.

How Big an Area?

Jackie French says to work out whatever lawn area you actually need, then plant up the rest! If you aren't ready to go to that extreme, which is probably good if you're just starting out, it's best to start in a nice manageable size like 2-3m². Then you can expand your vegie patch as your skills expand and you get more and more addicted to your fresh, home grown food.

How to set it up?

In a traditionally prepared vegie patch, you need to dig and turn over the soil, breaking up the 'clods' of earth into what's called a fine tilth, or until it's crumbly.

All vegie patches need a rich soil, so no matter what sort of soil you have, add some mushroom compost or cow manure and sprinkle round some potash, then dig it in.

Otherwise you can make a 'No Dig' Vegie Garden by creating an edge and filling in with soil and compost or compostable materials.

Mulch

Mulch keeps the weeds down and the moisture in, it makes a huge difference! Mulch the soil before you plant then scrape mulch aside for each seedling. This will save you time. Keep the mulch a little away from the new plants so they don't rot.

What to plant?

Plant something easy to grow and what you know you and your family will eat. Pick from our list of top 10 easy grow herbs and vegetables!

Top 10 easy grow herbs

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Bay, Chives, Garlic chives, Coriander (in cool weather), Basil (in warm weather)

Top 10 easy grow vegies

Lettuce, Spring onion, Cherry Tomato, Chilli, Zucchini, Beans (in warm weather), Rocket, Snow pea, Bok Choy, Mustard Greens(in cool weather)

Companion Planting

Help nature to control pests in your garden by also planting some beneficial insect attracting flowers like Alyssum, Foxglove, Phacelia, Echinacea, Bergamont, Poppies and Calendula. Include some Coriander and Dill to allow to go to flower. For more info, please see our Companion Planting Factsheet.

Planting

Sow seeds according to the depth and spacing advice on the packet. Seedling tags and our 'shelf talkers'(the little signs located in front of the seedlings in the nursery) tell you how far apart to plant your seedlings. Plant seedlings to the same depth as they were in the punnet and always plant into moist soil. Water in with a seaweed fertilizer to encourage new root growth and disease resistance.

Watering

Herbs and veg grow very fast, so they need a good supply of water. More when it's hot and windy and less when it's cool. A good rule of thumb for a mulched garden with rich soil is every 1-2 days in the Spring/Summer and every 2-5 days in the Autumn/Winter. Add lots of 'organic matter' (composts and manures) to the soil. Organic soils grow the best produce with up to 75% less water than in non-organic soils.

When to Plant?

Plant at the right time for the best results! There are 2 ideal times of year for most herbs and veg. 1. Spring after the last frost, this usually starts in late September. 2. Autumn as soon as the sting goes out of summer, this usually starts in mid March.

Troubleshooting

If you have a lot of clay, add some gypsum as well as compost. If you are digging into heavy clay in under a shovels depth then make a 'No Dig' bed.

When pests and disease visit, don't worry! Caught early, most problems are very simple to deal with. You are not alone!

Look for nearby signage to guide you when you purchase your plants and ask our staff about any common problems to expect before you go home. Observe your patch every day, if you notice something going wrong bring us in an infected piece to diagnose for you.

Armed with this know how, go forth and enjoy your home grown bounty!

Click here to return to the list of garden factsheets.