Novice gardener seeks guidance on creating a fruit /vegetable patch

[BeattieBoffat]

Have decided that next year I will grow fruit (berries) and vegetables (peas, beans, peppers, corgettes and others, not sure what - happy to be guided). The ground, a patch about 4ft x 16ft beside a SW facing wall, was previously used for flowers and shrubs and my novice eye see not much goodness in the soil.

What can I do now to make a start?

Get your berry plants in this autumn. Bushes, raspberry canes and strawberries can all go in now. Order online, they might look dead but the roots will establish this autumn.

Dig a trench to fill with veg peelings. Put in a bag at a time and cover well with soil. Stop in May and add them to your compost heap instead.

Stick a few broad beans in the soil now. If we have a good autumn and spring you’ll get a lovely early crop. If not, you’ve only lost a few seeds.

Cover any bare soil with either home made compost or manure, or compost from your local council if they do it. I tend not to add bags of compost to soil as it’s very expensive.

Buy slug pellets & make sure your garden is deer proof.

I highly recommend Charles Dowding's no-dig organic gardening system. Have a look at his website and at his videos on You Tube. (He also has an on-line course and books available.) He's very generous with his research and information and answers queries promptly.

I am not related btw I just happen to have started a vegetable garden of my own recently, and so have done lots of research in to different gardening methods methods.

With his no-dig system, you protect the microbes and soil structure, and can grow quite a lot of plants in a small area, and you have already suppressed the weeds, so it's very efficient labour-wise. You have to pay for the initial thick layer of good quality compost, but thereafter it becomes more cost-effective as you produce your own.

Good luck!

Hiya op,
I am absolutely not experienced in anyway, this year has been my first year growing veggies, and its been really great.
We had strawberries in hanging baskets, cabbages that we've just picked, tomatoes that are still coming on, and green beans..

Honestly, we made a raised bed, chucked in some cheapo screeded soil and planted up (baby vegs plants sold cheap at aldi etc) best advice?

Go for it and try it...! If it works, then wonderful, if it doesn't, lesson is learned and better luck next time.

I was getting really stressed with all the reading up, worrying, trying to get it 'right' -- once I let go, did small amount of research (ie. Cabbages best placement, what to do about pests) then id bung them in the plot and go for it.

Honestly think the best thing to do is trial and error....

That and watch gardeners world/buy the gardeners magazines. I found these really helpful also!

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks so much for the tips and encouragement - will get started