My potential veg patch!!

I moved in a year ago and we got married about 3 weeks ago so gardening hasnt been on my agenda, but this, ladies and gentlemen is my potential veg patch i know its not much, but its mine!! Its about 14ft x 4ft, and im going to put some picket fence around it o keep my dogs and the kids out!

The rest of our garden is as awful and its quite big, its a massive task. Its my daughter birthday in about 8 weeks and we want it nicer for then.

edited to: add the picture!!

 

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edited to say: i will get the hang off this, manage to post smallr picture in original post.

 

Thats a great space and i see so much potential, and it seems like its sunny, so lots should grow nicely for you....

 

Have you got pics of the rest of the garden? What's up with it? If it is mostly just overgrown, a good haircut will make an immediate difference and will make it seem like a much less daunting task to do any other jobs that need doing.

 

i havent got any pics of the rest of the garden as yet, it is mainly over grown, it looks mammoth but im sure its not especially when we both get on with it.

The space for my veg patch is brilliant, i am currently taking up the flags and putting them on freecycle, someone is coming to get the at the weekend about 6/7. Then im going to take the weeds out and turn it over to get all the weeds out, then put manure in it fence it off and cover it with polythene until next spring.

My dad said plant potatoes in it between now and then what do you think? would that be good for it?

I thought if i cover it with polythene, anythings thats growing will die off and it will give it a good break then i can start planting from a fresh, also if i put polythene down should i put some holes in it, not too many, but just to get some mositure in it, or will it be alright.

As you can tell im not well up on gardening but i really do want to be, i really do and im trying to make the effort to make it s nice as i possibly can to be able to spend as much time as possible out there.

We live in a bit of a grotty area (council estate) and i want somewhere to go and keep busy, i would love an allotment but i havent got the time or the energy for one (i have mild M.E, which currently seems to be in remission, but because of it i cant commit to an allotment every night or every over night), also i figure, theres enough space there for veg for a family of 4 and then some. xxx

 

Thank you so much for your advice john, thats brilliant, i like all of the veg that you mentioned so i will definately try and get some of them in, one of my main problems is during the day i have the toddler here with me and its not safe at the moment for her to be out there, flags, metal etc... so im having to pull up the flags when shes in bed really, im hoping though to have it cleared of the flags and weeded and part of the turning over done by the end of next week, if i really knuckle down with it i feel sure i will get it done then, get the fencing up as soon as and go from there, i cant wait, ill keep you posted with pics of how im getting on!!

 

she really does love growing and she does has some corn on the go at the moment and some tomatoes in the front, so when the back is a bit safer she will definately be out there with me no doubt x

 

One option to clearing a new plot is:

Get rid of the jungle!

Dig holes where you will plant things, and tip in half a grow-bag (or any other cheapest compost), as JWK says. Put a stick in each hole [about 4 feet apart] so you can find it when you ...

... cover the area with plastic sheet - preferably woven weed supressing membrane (rather than solid plastic sheet). Must not let light through.

Plant Courgettes, Winter squash, Pumpkins plants (buy from garden centre, rather than trying to raise from seed this late in the season) etc. through the plastic (that's what the sticks were for!) - just cut a "plus" through the plastic where the plants will grow.

The plastic will pretty much kill off the weeds between now and next spring. You can roll it back this Autumn to dig / improve the soil, and then put it back again next year and plant everything through it. That will further keep the weeds under control, and that should mean that most of them will be dead by the following year.

Although it won't contribute anything to the kitchen you could also grow Gourds - I reckon your toddler will think they are pretty cool - different colours, warts all over them, ugly as an ugly thing :D

This is the first year I've persuaded by youngest that Winter Squash are a better choice than Gourds

 

P.S. And maybe cut a second "plus" and put a 4" or 5" pot, or similar, in next to the plants - then water through that pot. Otherwise it can be difficult to water "through" plastic sheet.

 

Thank you for all you help Kristen, youve all been so lovely and helpful!!

I just have another question(s) relationg my compost bin, i have a big on as you can see in the picture, it looks like a dalek! Can i put all the weeds i dig up into the compost bin? Also i have a fig tree which has got good fruit on it and its in its first year in soil rather than a pot. Its however, in the front of the garden and getting a bit big for were it is, if i move it, will it do it harm and can i move it to my veg spot at the back without it taking over the soil and ruining any plants i put in there? What do you all think? x

 

Get brutal on it. Get some grafting gloves to protect your hands from anything lurking in there, and just let loose in frenzy. If there are no plants in there that you especially want to keep, just pull everything out indiscriminately (except don't pull long grass in the lawn, leave that to the mower otherwise you might rip the roots out and make big bald patches). Psyche yourself up, listen to some thrash metal, do a battle cry, and launch at it. Your neighbours might think you've flipped your lid but by the time you run out of steam you'll have great piles of compost material and the next day it won't look so daunting when you can then tackling it in a more orderly manner

Good idea about weeding it and digging it, but personally I wouldn't put polythene over it. That's just my personal view, as it is common practice to cover it if it is going to do nothing for a while. A cheaper and prettier option is to sow a 'green manure' crop into it. I've just bought some Crimson Clover seed from Wilkos for £1.55 for a pack that does 15 square metres. There are other options though. I personally like crimson clover for its rather striking red flowers, and bumblebees love it. It grows really densely so blocking out sunlight from the ground, so weeds have a hard time growing, and when you are ready to use the ground for something else, you just dig it all under. You then have good, nitrogen rich soil with loads of organic matter in it which makes life easier for any other plants you put in there. Crimson clover has an advantage over most clovers in that, as far as I know, it is only an annual, so bringing under control when you've done with it is nice and easy.

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Potatoes need good soil. It must be free draining while at the same time it mustn't get waterlogged. It must also be very fertile. If you dig the manure in first you will be ok, but time is ticking and the later it gets, the less likely you are to get a decent crop.

 

PROGRESS REPORT:

Well this is after day 1, good eh?