Sustainability is the way of the future and with more people realising that there are also more people looking to adopt more sustainable practises wherever they can. Growing a vegetable patch is one way to do this as it’s a clean and green way to grow your own vegetables – saving you money, giving you a hobby and also supporting an ethical practice. Today, our Melbourne-based concrete driveway experts are going to show you just how you can organise your veggie patch to get the most out of it.
Plan the style
You’ll want to decide first off if you’re going to have a traditional patch at ground level or something that’s raised. The area you choose doesn’t have to be a big one either – as depending on what you’re looking to plant you don’t necessarily need a large area for your veggie patch.
You don’t want the patch to be too wide as it’ll be harder to get to the centre of it – so usually, two rows just over a metre in length are sufficient. If you really want to go any wider – then we suggest placing planks between the rows for you to walk on to get to the hard to reach areas.
You could also model the patch in a 2×2 square style – with each square containing four vegetables that are separated briefly from the other squares. This is also an aesthetic move as this may look better for your front or backyard.
Pick what you want to plant
The easiest way to pick your vegetables is to think about what your favourites are – as well as what’s expensive to purchase at the supermarket. You’ll want to avoid planting as much as you can in the first year because you’ll inevitably be biting off more than you can chew. Also, think of the size of your patch and how big the vegetables you’re looking to plant are as they’ll need to have sufficient room to grow.
The art of companion planting (and dealing with pests)
Generally speaking, insects and pests will attack plants of the same variety if they’re all grouped together. It’s for this reason that professionals will not plant the same type of vegetable together – but separate them to confuse pests. This will greatly work to your advantage. It’s important to note, however, that some vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower will need to be grown together under nets, for example, to protect against caterpillars.
Certain types of flowers will naturally attract insects – in turn distracting them from your patch. This works as an organic deterrent. Some of the flower varieties include calendula and daisy.
Study what you’re planting
It’s all well and good to pick what you’re planting, but you should really be researching everything there is to know about planting that specific vegetable, so you know when to harvest it. You should be able to look at it and see how it’s going by its aesthetics and by touching it.
This is the key to a successful harvest. Know if it prefers sunlight or the shade – or how often it needs to be watered. Lower areas of the garden will retain more moisture so it’s best to plant the vegetables that need more water in those lower areas.
Create shade
If you plant tall and climbing vegetables – then it can create shade for the plants that stick lower to the ground. This is a highly desirable and smart move to make if some of your vegetables won’t survive in the hot sun. This is also more sustainable than erecting artificial shade as you’re still adding to your garden.
Are you looking for a concrete driveway in Melbourne?
Veggie patches are fantastic things to strive towards. They’ll save you money in the long run and teach you to care more for the outdoors – the entire hobby is a sustainable practise that should be adopted by more people.
After you’re done with your veggie patch, why not get a new concrete driveway installed as well. A Better Driveway are the masters of concrete driveways in Melbourne and can help you to pick one that best suits your home as well as install it with ease and efficiency.
Our trained and fully qualified contractors are equipped with the knowledge and tools to bring your dream driveway to life – whether it be with the ever-versatile exposed aggregate or with coloured concrete.
If you’d like to get in touch with us to find out more about our Melbourne-based concrete driveway services, then please call 0412 537 776. You may also fill out the contact sheet on our website.