STARTING AN ORGANIC VEGETABLE PATCH

Well, maybe we won't start it today.......

This week I have made the decision to go out and start on building the vegetable patch. The idea, I must confess is daunting, partly down to the fact that because of moving house, it’s the third veggie patch we have built in as many years, and secondly because there are so many factors to take into consideration.

There are certain lessons in the garden that I tend to learn again and again like clear away dog mess before you play on the lawn and wear gloves when pruning roses. This week’s lesson is about breaking the vegetable design jobs down into sections so that they are more manageable. We’ve been busy with the shredder for the last week or so and this was initially something that I wasn’t even going to start, it was too daunting. There are mountains of cuttings to shred and the thought of all of these being manually pushed through a hole no bigger an a golf ball is the stuff of science fiction and black holes. But you know what? After a few hours you can actually see where we have been as the pile gets slowly smaller and smaller. Having a big garden has shown me that you don’t have to start and finish a job in the same day. Julie’s dad, as a matter of interest, actively lets jobs run into another day as he thinks it’s incentive to get out of bed in the mornings as you have something to look forward to.

LESSON FOR THE DAY
This then is my lesson for the day. I don’t have to go out and build the raised vegetable beds, fill them up and plant the seeds in one day in a rush to get it finished so I can start something else. Getting the right site for a new vegetable patch is an important issue and there are a lot of factors to take into consideration before even the spade is lifted. I will be using this as an excuse not to start building for at least a couple of weeks. I think it could be called procrastinating, but I would rather take my time and get the details clear in my head before I steamroll in with the spade and realise I have chosen the wrong spot.

KEY FACTORS
Our new and mature garden has a lot of sunny spots, a key factor when locating a new veggie patch. A bit of a compromise is needed if you have a new garden though as you wouldn’t be very popular with the family if your raised beds went where the patio should go. Putting the beds where they have the potential to get the sun for about six hours a day is ideal (ah, the thought…) Good light from the sun on the vegetables will help them grow and the roots will benefit from the suns warming effect on the soil, which is why raised beds are such a good idea, the sun can get to more of the soil warming it faster in spring to start off the growing process.

TREES AND SHRUBS
We have a lot of trees in our garden and as beautiful as they are they do pose a few problems. Light is one and roots are another. Because the garden is so mature we have decided to split the growing areas up into small sections. We have an area near to the house that gets good light and because the trees are not too close the soil is quite loose. There are a few cotoneaster and privet shrubs near though and although they don’t block out the light, there roots could cause a problem so we will be building up the soil a bit. I am a bit reluctant to start bringing in soil as I feel that there are solutions closer to hand. We can bulk up the beds with the woody shreddings we have been collecting and then there’s always a trip to the beach to get some seaweed. We are lucky enough to have local horses and cows, which will also help when it comes to bulking agents.

I am a bit ahead of myself here though as I am not going to be doing the soil preparation yet as there are still more factors to take into account before the wheelbarrow comes out….

THERE’S MORE
Shelter is important. We are high up and will need to keep the South Westerly’s off the crops whilst keeping good circulation. If the spot is too sheltered then fungal problems can occur. The main thing is to avoid gusting winds that will batter elevated crops like runner beans. Wind can also dry vegetables out rapidly, requiring more watering. The area we have is just right, it will get the breezes, sunshine and it is well drained.

It’s no use having a plot that is under water all winter as this means you will not be able to work on it and get it ready in time for spring planting. Again, raised beds come to the rescue here if you have a wet site. Just four planks of wood nailed together and filled could save a fortune in irrigation pipes.

BE INDEPENDENT IN INISHOWEN
It’s more important that ever to grow your own vegetables and even world spiritual leaders are now telling us to grow our own as it’s the single most important thing we can do to be less dependent on fossil fuel and take important step of being more self sufficient. There are added benefits of being more in control of our diets and of course keeping active, fit and saving money…. If you are feeling enthused and committed to finding out how to go about growing, you may like to contact the Inishowen Organic Group.


INISHOWEN ORGANIC GROUP NEEDS YOU….

I had e-mail this week from Noel, who runs the Inishowen Organic group. They will be holding their next AGM on the 29th of January and will be appointing a new Chairman, Secretary, PRO & librarian. Noel and the existing members have all benefited by pooling their combined knowledge and some members have put up poly tunnels whilst others have started to raise chickens as well as gain invaluable knowledge of organic growing. The group will need active members and motivated leaders to take the Organic Group into a very crucial time in history where we need to be looking at our lifestyles and learning to be more self-sufficient. There are courses down at the Organic Centre in Rossinver the group could go to and of course connecting with other people who have an interest in growing vegetables and becoming more sustainable as a community helps build local knowledge.

If you are interested in going to the meeting it’s on the 29th January at McClure's Bar, Carndonagh and will start at 8pm.