How To Plan a Veggie Patch

"Growing your own food is like printing your own money" — Ron Finley.

There has never been a better time to start growing your own veggies. Unfortunately, with advances in food production technology has come an overall degradation of our soils. This impacts in a negative way on the nutritional quality of the fresh food we eat. Our major supermarket chains keep a great deal of their fresh produce in cold storage, or import it from overseas, so that by the time it gets to your kitchen, the nutritional value is pretty questionable.

There are a couple of really compelling reasons why it just makes sense to grow your own vegetables:

• It saves you money at the supermarket It means you are getting the freshest, most nutritious food you possibly can. 
• It is an incredibly fun, rewarding and enjoyable thing to do with your family - it certainly helps to get picky eaters more enthusiastic about veggies 

So if you are completely new to growing vegetables, here is a guide to help you prepare a plot. Never underestimate the importance of researching your project and preparing the ground properly - you can waste a lot of time, effort and money by not taking the time to prepare at the beginning.

1. Select your site: The most important factor in selecting the right site is ensuring that it receives 5 - 6 hours of sunlight each day. 
2. Choose the size: Factors such as availability of land, how many vegetables you want to grow, and how much time you have to spend preparing and maintaining you garden should be considered here. 
3. Soil preparation: This is where you need to be ready to use some elbow grease. You will need to remove any existing vegetation and rocks. Then dig down to a depth around 15cm or so, methodically removing rocks and pebbles and tilling the soil as you go. Depth is important so that your plants don't under perform, but it is also best if you plant your veggies into raised beds. 
4. Choose your veggies: You will want to select veggies that your family eats a lot of, and that are suited to your particular climatic zone. Some veggies are far better suited to colder climates than others and vice versa. As much as you can, try to select plants accordingly. 
5. Plan your planting: Vegetables that grow to a greater height are best planted in a position that stops them for creating natural shade for other vegetables. This is where planning is really important. So before you start planting, compare the space and sunlight requirements for each vegetable you intend to plant and arrange your garden accordingly. 

Your best bet to get your veggie patch underway is with our Premium Blend garden soil, which is loaded with the nutrients that growing vegetables need to thrive and develop their own natural resistance to pests.