Veggie Gardens How to set up a raised veggie garden...

Step 1 THE RAISED BED • You can build a raised garden bed out of timber or building blocks, but the simplest way is to buy one in kit form from your local Plants Plus Garden Centre. • Galvanised steel garden bed kits are quick and easy to assemble. • They can be constructed on almost any surface (hard or soft) and they are decorative enough to be given pride of place in a sunny garden or courtyard.

Step 2 CHOOSING THE RIGHT SPOT • Most edible plants like a sunny spot. Six hours of sunlight a day is ideal, so place your raised bed in an open position. • Beware of nearby trees which may cast shade on your plot or have invasive roots. • If you’re placing the raised bed directly on soft ground (i.e grass or soil) then cover the area first with wads of newspaper or porous weed mat to smother out potential weeds.

Step 3 THE FILLING • Once you’ve constructed the garden bed, fill it with a combination of organic garden soil and other goodies, perfect for plant growth. • For best results choose from one of the following methods:

Option 1 The ‘dig’ method • Fill your raised garden bed with a generous combination of organic garden soil Plants Plus Groganic Soil Improver and Plants Plus Fertiliser. • To give your veggies a real boost, add some Plants Plus Blood and Bone and some Sulphate of Potash to slowly feed your crop through the growing season. • A good fistful of Blood and Bone per square metre of soil should do it. Add roughly one part Sulphate of Potash to ten parts Blood and Bone.

Option 2 The ‘no-dig’ method • Use the no-dig method and fill the kit with layers of organic matter like pea straw, lucerne, compost and manure that will rot down into a nutrient-rich living soil. • Top it off with a good layer of garden compost. • As the organic matter breaks down just top the beds up with more compost.

Step 4 PICK OF THE CROP • Grow cool season vegetables like Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Broad Beans, Peas and Onions throughout the colder months. • When the weather heats up, you can grow tasty warm season varieties like Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Capsicum and Eggplant. • Check out the full range of vegetable seedlings ready to plant now at your local Plants Plus Garden Centre.

Tip!

In a no-dig garden it’s best to start with shallow rooted plants like brassica’s, lettuces and cucurbits until the organic layers begin to break down, and then you can experiment with larger crops.

How to set up a raised veggie garden... Step 5 PLANTING • Water the punnets before gently removing (and if necessary separating) the individual seedlings. • Pay attention to the recommended spacing on the label then dig planting holes large enough to accommodate the roots comfortably. • Plant to the same depth they were in the punnet and then backfill the hole, firming the soil down lightly.

Step 6 KEEP YOUR VEGGIES LOOKING GREAT • Apply a good layer of Earthcore Water Saving Mulch to your bed after planting to help to retain moisture, reduce weed growth and gradually improve the soil. • Give seedlings a good dose of Powerfeed for Veggies at planting time and throughout the growing season to get your veggies off to a flying start. • To keep your veggies looking great liquid feed your raised beds every few weeks with Plants Plus Fruit & Citrus or Plants Plus Organic Fertiliser. It has the perfect balance of Nitrogen for good leafy growth, potassium for flowers and fruit and phosphorous for strong roots and top yields.

Growing Inspiration

Recapture old fashioned flavour by growing our range of Heirloom vegetables. Seeds have been carefully saved and collected over generations to produce colourful and flavoursome gourmet fruit and vegetables, with some varieties dating back 100 years! Don’t forget to add some fresh herbs to your plot to tantalise your tastebuds. If you cook a lot of Mediterranean style food, grow herbs like Basil, Oregano, Marjoram and Parsley to flavour your favourite dishes or opt for an Asian theme with Coriander, Lemon grass and Vietnamese mint.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to view more inspirational ideas!

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