It's March, folks, and that means one thing: SPRING IS HERE! the clocks may not have sprung forward just yet, but its definitely the time to be gearing your garden up for the coming months, particularly if you plan on growing your own like we are.
GROW YOUR OWN VEG...
I'm not an amazing gardener - I'll say that upfront. I'm amateur at best... in fact beginner is maybe more apt. I've dabbled at gardening, but never approached it with real gusto and planning. But, with the new home, I really intend to do it right this time, and i find it best to start simple.
We have a very small patch in the north west corner of the garden - it does get good light despite its location as the buildings around us are very low. The back wall of the garden actually gets hit by the southern sun for most of the day, so I'm hoping this will yield some great results veg-wise. So it is here that i am beginning.
JOB 1: Clearing the ground
Though its a small area (barely 1.5m x 1m) you'd be amazed at how many leaves and garden debris had accumulated on the earth. So job 1 was to fork and clear the ground, removing and leaves and weeds which were emerging.
JOB 2: Fertilising the Soil
All soil needs fertilising to prepare for growing vegetables - I've used a general fertiliser which I scattered over the soil, forked in and then watered. This will give the veg a good foundation for growth (much like decorating, its the prep work which really matters)
JOB 3: Selecting the Veg
As I've decided to tackle things slowly and develop my skills, I've opted for a nice easy-to-grow vegetable: Onions. I've picked two varieties, a white "Stuttgarter Giant" and a "Red Baron" salad variety. As Onions are used in 90% of my cooking, I know they'll get used and they store really well - this is why I'm growing my own veg after all - so it seemed an obvious choice.
JOB 4: Planting
I marked out lines and made small holes about 3cm deep and 12cm apart - I could fit about 40 bulbs in the area so I chose to plant 20 of each variety. Placing the bulb in, roots down, It was a simple case of covering them up, Marking the line with a little Label and watering in.
JOB 5: Waiting
So now, after a total of 1 hour in the garden, I've only got a wait of around 6 months or so before the onions are ready for me to interfere again. Until then, its just regular watering, feeding and ground maintenance.
Simples :)
