Garden greening, getting ready for a greener tomorrow.
In the United Kingdom, there is a waiting list for Allotments. The Covid pandemic has generated a surge in interest in securing a portion of land so people can go back to the simpler life and grow their own veggies.
Since most home/flat gardens are the size of a 'postage stamp' the land poor Brits are forced to rent allotments so they can have a little space to potter around in. The waiting list is about 18 months and much longer in certain areas. For those who want to skip the rental queue purchasing a 1000 sq ft allotment can cost upwards of one thousand Pounds.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, we have 'land for Africa' on most of our properties. More than enough to feed a family of four. All you need is about 300 square meters to be self-sufficient, or less if you are happy supplementing your groceries with home-grown goodness.
How to begin a veggie garden.
First off you need three things - some space, some sun and some water.
Allocate some Space
For space, if you don't have an available 300 square meter area, get creative and divide your veggie garden up into sections. Tomatoes are happy in hanging baskets, herbs will grow on the window sill.
Here is a little inspiration to get you started.
Start Digging
Measure out a 1m x 2m section. Dig a deep trench, one to two spade heads deep. Make a pile of topsoil on one side and the subsoil on the other side of the trench.
Fill the trench with a mixture of wet compost (grass cuttings, and kitchen veggie offcuts), dry brown compost (sawdust, grass clippings, leaves). Fill in the rest with the subsoil and top off with the topsoil and a layer of compost.
Plant some veggies
The best method is to use seedling trays and then transfer the veggies to the ground when they have three or four primary leaves.
Irrigate your veggie patch
We recommend a rainwater harvesting system for irrigation. The tank can be connected up with a pump and you can set your irrigation times for worry-free watering.
For more gardening info we suggest taking a look at Soil For Life.