If you're like me and starting out on your kitchen garden journey for the first time this year, I would hazard to guess you are feeling somewhat daunted and overwhelmed? I guess this, as it's how I feel. I have read some books, watched some vlogs and read countless "How To" guides but I will be damned if I feel any wiser for it! But none-the-less, here is a beginners summary of what I've learned so far, all in one place, for you to peruse at your leisure. So let's begin this fumbling around journey together, who knows, maybe we will get lucky and grow some things.
So how do you know what to plant and when?
My approach to this had been to first think about what I want to try and grow this year. However, it transpires before starting this process you need to know how you're planning to garden your garden as it were.
1. What's your soil like?
If you are turning over and digging your beds from scratch then its advisable to test your soil to establish what type of earth you have on your hands. Soil type can hugely impact the type of veggies that will happily grow in your garden. See below. Conversely, if you are planning a no-dig garden then you are more in control of the soil you are planting in, testing is therefore not necessary. I've written some separate blog posts on the ins/outs and the whys of soil testing as well as what exactly the No Dig Method is and the pros/and cons. Both are linked to this paragraph.
My chosen method this year has been to go for an adapted No Dig Method - simply because I'm short on time (and at 7months pregnant, short on energy too!). Read about how we 'built' our version of no dig veggie beds in another of our posts.
2. How much space do you have?
Once you've got an idea of the type of soil/bed you have or will be putting in place the next thing to think about is how much space you've got to dedicate to your veggie patch. Important things to think about when siting your patch include the sunlight and wind exposure. Whilst there are some plant types that will be quite happy in dappled shade, nothing is going to thrive in perpetual shade and this may have an impact on the total space you have to play with.
3. What is your climate like?
In addition to your available space, it is important to give consideration to the climate in the region you live. Our home is in the uplands of the North Pennines, in the North East of the UK. Not as cold as some regions of the States or Canada, or indeed Northern Europe/Scotland but still not a tropical place. Some produce won't grow well or at all in temperate conditions, others will need a greenhouse or polytunnel to stand a chance. An additional important consideration is to take note of your last frost date. Info on this can be found at plantmaps.com (which is linked there for you!) For reference, we are in Zone 12. It's important to know when your last frost date is so you know when you can think about planting out your tender seedlings to avoid them being killed by an unexpected frost (and so you don't start them too early and have your home over run by plants - which may have been my first mistake this year already!)
4. What are you going to use?
It's all well and good growing a huge variety of different veggies, but what do your family actually use and eat? You don't want to have a huge glut of something that is just going to go to waste if you family are not that keen on whatever it is.
Once you have the answers to these questions you are ready to pick what you plan to grow in your space. In another post I will cover the plants I have chosen to grow this year and how I have designed my space to maximise my growing capabilities.