Growing your own vetables is not only pleasurable and good for you, It's also therapeutic. The quality and quantity of fresh vegetables provided from a small plot can sustain a family all the year round. Knowing where your vegetables come from and how they've been treated is essential if you want to put quality food on the table.
A plot in the back garden growing vetables in rotation can grow a variety of different vetables according to the season. Crops can be grown in raised beds, were the soil is raised up and supported by a wooden frame. The advantage of raised beds is that the soil can be kept well drained and easily fertilised.Raised beds also act as barrier to defend against pests and disease.Raised beds are usually considered as easy to maintain compared with standard plot digging.
Digging the soil over to get rid of weeds and fertilise can be achieved by one of two methods; single or double dig. Single dig is quite simply turning the soil over once with a spade or fork to rid weeds and mix in manure. Double dig requires digging down a spade's depth and then filling in with the soil from next row (see illustration) If you have poor soil you will never grow quality produce. The soil must contain a healthy mixture of rotting vegetation to produce the nutrients required for living material. Cow manure is a great nutrient provider and encourages healthy plant growth which in turn reduces plant disease.Good drainage on your plot reduces pests like slugs and insects .Grow crops that to well, on the type of soil you have.If you want to grow usuall variety's grow them under frames or in a greenhouse with plenty of compost to suppliment your own soil.
Hedgehogs control slugs. Blackbirds,starlings robins,tits and thrushes control insects. Bees vital for pollinating. frogs and toads control insects. ladybirds control aphids. worms aerating soil.
Aphids damage plants. beetles destroy roots. Slugs plant munchers. caterpillars destroy fruit. weevil beetle damage crops. Rootfly cause plants to wilt.
