With the raised bed in place and ready comes the fun part transplanting our seedlings to the garden. The design of our plots was something we put a great deal of planning into. After making a complete list of the vegetables we frequently prepare and cook with, we then used various reference books to understand the benefits of pairing these particular plant families in companion planting. Basil when planted alongside tomatoes yields well, as does celery, so with our list of veggies penciled down we began the linking process. What we came up with in the end was a garden plan suited to both our lifestyle and our tastebuds.
For the seedlings we had a mix of locally sourced store bought varieties, some propagated from friend’s kindly donated cuttings and also some grown from seed. (seed planting tip: sow inside of empty cardboard toilet tubes which when ready for transplanting can be planted straight into the patch tube and all).
After giving each of our seedlings the recommended spacing in the bed, we watered in each of them with a diluted mixture of fish emulsion and seaweed solution. These natural extracts help stimulate root growth and also help in promoting good bacteria within the soil. Since planting we repeat this process fortnightly which is keeping our crops nice and healthy.
To find out what we are now growing in our patch, scroll down to the bottom of this post for the complete list!
At the end of a busy afternoon planting, this guy popped his nose over the fence when the sun went down to see what bounty he may be able to soon get his hands on. I’ll no doubt be writing a diary entry in the not to distant future on possum protecting your veggies!
What’s in the patch
Basil, Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Capsicum (Green/Purple/Red), Carrots Heirloom, Cauliflower, Celery, Chilli, Chives, Cos Lettuce, Coriander, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Kale, Leek, Lemons, Lemon Grass, Mint, Onion (Brown/Red), Oregano, Parsley, Peas, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Rocket, Rosemary, Sage, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Sweet Corn, Thyme, Tomato (Black Russian/Cherry/Roma/Yellow), Zucchini.
