GOOD GROUNDWORK MAKES GREAT VEG
If you plan on growing vegetables this year, it is time to make preparations.
Anyone who has grown vegetables before is keenly aware that delays can really put you on the back foot.
for quality vegetables, the key choice is the site. Make sure it is open and sunny with good soil but reasonably well sheltered too.
Control weeds and grass by digging or cultivating with a rotovator as soon as the ground is dry enough to do so.
Sometimes this can be done early, but in some years, it can run late, but always better to wait for the right conditions. Well-rotted compost or manure can be dug in, ideally
before potatoes (unless slugs are a problem), sweetcorn, courgettes or pumpkins, but not before carrots, turnips, parsnips or onions. Check for lime status too, especially on acidic soils, using a simple test kit available from garden centres or online.
In the meantime, select the kinds of vegetables to grow, the ones that you like to eat and the ones that are best eaten when super fresh, such as French beans, asparagus and peas.
If you are a beginner, make sure to start with a small area and build up — it is very easy to take on too much and get overwhelmed.
It is best to learn how to grow vegetables on a single square metre, or two, than to defeat yourself before you have even started by taking on too much. Remember, don’t bite off more than you can chew!