How To Start A Vegetable Patch: What To Plant & When

One of the greatest things about vegetable patches is that you don't need a lot of space to start one. This makes a vegetable patch the perfect choice both for smaller gardens, or for larger spaces with extra square feet left going to waste.

A vegetable patch is easy to create, and incredibly satisfying once you begin to reap the rewards. If you're looking to get on board and are wondering how to start a vegetable patch, you've come to the right place! Here at Gardeners Dream, we're talking all things vegetable patches, from where to plant a vegetable patch to when to plant your favourite vegetables.

How to start a vegetable patch

Step 1 - Choose where to place your vegetable patch

The first step to starting your vegetable patch is working out where to place it. A sheltered spot is ideal, helping to keep your vegetable patch protected through adverse weather conditions. However, while

shelter is good, you need to ensure you also select an area that still receives a lot of suns and natural moisture.

An area such as in front of a wall or fence is perfect; your vegetable patch will be protected, but will still receive the sun and rain it needs to thrive.

Step 2 - Prepare and clear the ground

Once you have selected your area, you need to be sure that your soil is of the best possible quality in order to give your crops chance to grow.

• • Begin by removing any larger weeds or debris from the soil.

• • Following this, treat the soil with a weedkiller such as the

    Rosate 360 TF 5 Litre Weed Killer

    .

• • Dig over your soil to a depth of at least 12 inches, and rake until it is level. This will leave you with well-aerated soil, meaning oxygen and moisture are able to easily reach the roots of your plants.

• Before beginning planting, water your soil and work in a vegetable fertiliser.

When to plant your vegetables

Of course, different vegetables thrive at different times. For inspiration when first starting a vegetable garden, we've gathered together five of the most popular vegetables and detailed when you should plant and harvest them.

Salad leaves

Growing leaves to create your own fresh, crunchy summer salads is incredibly satisfying and, as these plants continue to produce leaves throughout summer, they really are the gift that keeps on giving.

Salad leaves should be planted in well-drained soil anytime from mid-spring throughout summer. Keep them well watered, and they should be ready to harvest within around 3 weeks

Onions and garlic

Onions and garlic are extremely easy to grow - the fact that they need little to no maintenance makes them a firm go-to for the novice gardener. You should plant in well-drained soil, ideally around spring: though the long growing period of around five months means you could even plant onions and garlic in autumn - they will survive the winter and be ready to harvest the following summer

Potatoes

Potatoes are a vegetable patch classic! Sow yours between late February and early March and, with regular watering, they should be ready to harvest around 5 months later, between July and September.

Tomatoes

There's no better feeling than growing beautifully ripe tomatoes in your own garden. For the best tomatoes, start early. You can begin your tomatoes in a pot indoors as early as January, and transport them to your garden after around two months, when the weather becomes milder.

Tomatoes generally take around 5 months to grow, so should be ready to harvest by June or July.

Peas

Peas can be sown anytime from spring through to early summer - between March and June is ideal. They'll usually be ready to harvest 2 to 3 months later, from June through to August depending on when they were planted.

Peas will need

at the stems once they begin to grow. Opt for a high-quality

or wire held in place by garden canes to keep your plants strong and healthy.

To keep on top of your new vegetable patch, be sure to explore the full plants and gardening selection at Gardeners Dream. From

and

through to

, you can discover everything you could possibly need to keep your vegetable patch in top condition all year round.