Want to create a veg patch

danielley

Hi all,

I am a novice gardener and have a garden which is about 6m x 6m and currently all lawn.

I would like to grow my own produce so have decided to commit one side of the garden along the fence for that purpose.

As the garden is south facing, is there a particular side of the garden would be best for this? I have been thinking that if I pick the right hand side then the plants will be in the shade from about 2pm onwards during the height of summer, which may be a little better for them !?! but I'm not sure if I have got that completely wrong.

Also, I am undecided whether to create raised beds, or just grow straight into the ground. Can anyone advise of the pros and cons of this? I can only think that raised beds would mean less bending, but they would also cost more to establish.

Many Thanks

Leif

Raised beds are useful if you have shallow soil, very poor soil, or poor drainage. It is cheaper to deep dig, and incorporate lots of organic matter, and sharp sand if needed. I would have thought you would want to use the sunniest part of the garden, so keep an eye on how the shadows move during the day. I prefer deep digging, and creating paths between beds to avoid walking on the beds, and compacting the soil. Others may disagree.

Cally_Smart

I would say choose the sunniest side after all there's no guarantee we will get enough sun to really worry about it being too hot you need to make the most of what we get ! Tomatoes,peppers,peas, ideally like 6 hours sunlight a day.Things like lettuces,cabbage ,broccoli don't mind a bit of shade.I am just going to try & grow a few things in the area around the side of my house ,it's a bit shaded until midday when the suns almost over head so I'm hoping it will get enough sun.I agree with what leif says& our soil is extremely clayey so we made a sort of raised bed to lift the soil a bit and will try to improve it.I saw soil conditioner in aldi today £1.99 for a 40 litre bag.

Linda32

I would personally go for beds as well, sowing directly into the soil rather than raised beds. Just make sure you can reach from each side.

You really do want the sunnier side of your garden for most of your veggies.

You can start to make your beds now by digging up the grass. Its not an easy job I'm afraid but you will get an end result.

Also have a think about what you like to eat, then you can decide what you want to grow. For example if you buy the bags of salad leaves then these are far far cheaper to grow yourself.

:T Exciting times.