HELP WITH VEG PATCH

moby30

I am looking for help getting my veg patch up and running. Its 25 mtrs x 15 mtrs and I also have a 6mtr x 3 mtr poly tunnel but have'nt planted anything since setting it up 3 years ago and just dont know where to start. I was thinking it might be better if someone was looking for a plot would like to use it aswell and show me the ropes. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks

shawnee

You have quite a large patch there for someone starting out. Perhaps you would be better starting smaller. They you could see how it goes. First thing you need to do is to get the soil in shape. Remove weeds etc and make sure the soil is fertile. Then you could plant garlic (now) shallots in february and move forward. Best way to do it is to start it. It's yours and you plant what you would like to eat and enjoy the challenge and satisfaction. But my suggestion is to start small.;)

moby30

Thanks shawnee. Last year I had chickens on it and when I moved them I covered it in old carpets-Dont know if that was a good idea or not but thats what one of the neighbours told me. I was going to do potatoes, carrots and onions only this year. I know its far to big for what I am looking for so I was hoping somebody might like to avail of the free spot.

tommy2bad

Big area to dig on your own allright. covering it was a good idea, it'' be easier to dig and if you still have the chucks fence em in, theyll root everything up before it gets to grow.
It's not compulsory to plant the whole thing,start with a bed for the onions, a drill for the carrots and a patch for the spuds. Might as well put a few cabbage plants down as well. Put tomatoes in the tunnel and see how you get on with that much.
If you like doing it ,it will take over and soon your plot will be too small, it'll go "could get some fruit bushes, oh and might as well have an apple and pear tree or two, now where will I put the rhubarb and asparagus? might see if sweetcorn would grow here, no wait! pumpkins......"
Thats what happened me

redser7

then a pond ...
Just get started!

bijapos

moby30 wrote: »

I am looking for help getting my veg patch up and running. Its 25 mtrs x 15 mtrs and I also have a 6mtr x 3 mtr poly tunnel but have'nt planted anything since setting it up 3 years ago and just dont know where to start. I was thinking it might be better if someone was looking for a plot would like to use it aswell and show me the ropes. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks

That's 380 sq metres!! :eek: That's a hell of a lot. I'd got with your initial idea and maybe rent part of it out to someone who knows what they are doing, so they can show you a few things. You could look to see if there are any community gardens or groups in the area, they might be able to use the extra space.

You'll never be able to eat all the produce off that, so I'd stick with the chickens in one section, then devote another bit to fruit. Grow a few apple, peach, pear or whatever trees, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry etc etc bushes or try a couple of fig trees, you won't regret it and surplus fruit is always easy to get rid of.

Any land that you think you might not use for a while you might consider having a wildflower garden in it, it will do a bit to attract wildlife for the few years that you might not use it.

paddylonglegs

shawnee wrote: »

You have quite a large patch there for someone starting out. Perhaps you would be better starting smaller. They you could see how it goes. First thing you need to do is to get the soil in shape. Remove weeds etc and make sure the soil is fertile. Then you could plant garlic (now) shallots in february and move forward. Best way to do it is to start it. It's yours and you plant what you would like to eat and enjoy the challenge and satisfaction. But my suggestion is to start small.;)

Could you give me some detail on getting soil in shape? I will be breaking into field so I understand I have to rotivate,remove weeds and stone,but how do I get any other nutrients into soil? Do I need to buy any product and where can I get it? Is this the right time of year to do this?

Sorry to hijack thread btw!

moby30

Thanks again for all the replies. I have 6 apple trees planted and 4 plum trees aswell as rhubarb in a seperate plot and they are flying. Unfortunately I lost all the chickens to a neighbours cat-other than that I was leaving them on it to rotovate it and manure it. Where the plot is far too big for what I'll need this year its free to anyone that wants the use of it and I'll gladly do whatever work needs doing so if anyone knows anyone looking for a plot in North Wicklow send them this way.:D
Thanks

shawnee

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Could you give me some detail on getting soil in shape? I will be breaking into field so I understand I have to rotivate,remove weeds and stone,but how do I get any other nutrients into soil? Do I need to buy any product and where can I get it? Is this the right time of year to do this?

Sorry to hijack thread btw!

If the soil is black and not brown clay then other than digging it there should not be much else to do. Now is actually a good time to dig if the weather is dry. Just dig it and leave it and the frost will break it up and help. You can dig it again nearer planting time. If however you are in a housing estate and the ground is mucky and sticky , you have another job in hand

madmaggie

:)Hi, good on ye for wanting to your own. I would suggest doing raised beds, I did mine 4m long and 1m wide, with a 60cm path between the beds, just the right width for a paving slab path. Now I can garden in my slippers! Setting them up and filling them was the hardest part. I would also suggest getting a compost heap or bins going, if you haven't done so already. You will never have enough compost. That tunnel will be great for the soft veg such as tomatoes, peppers, etc. Aslo great for getting crops going early, and raising plants for planting outdoors. Start small, then build up. Watch out for fruit trees and plants in Aldi, they also do cloches, polythene and fleece, and fertilizers. There'll be no stopping you!!