Josh shares his tips to maximise year-round productivity in the veggie patch. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe His garden has covered the basics: it is located in an area that gets full sun and is sheltered from strong winds. Compost systems nearby are used to continually build up the soil.
Today he is covering some of the higher levels of thinking that allow him to maximise productivity and plant health in this relatively small vegetable garden. ‘Crop rotation, efficient watering systems, and creating a healthy garden ecology are all practices that will get you on your way to really cranking out veggie production at your place. And they are ideas as old as gardening itself.’
Crop rotation— don’t plant the same type of veggies in the same bed from season to season. Leafy crops are typically the hungriest plants, so plant them followed by fruiting crops, and then root crops in that order. Planting legumes at the end of this rotation helps to build up the soil nitrogen before moving back into a crop of leafy vegetables.
Watering— you want a good quality and properly installed irrigation system to sustain your crops during dry weather. Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water established plants as the water is applied directly to the roots. However, this isn’t ideal for newly planted seedlings or germinating seed, so Josh also has sprinklers in his veggie beds as well as the drip irrigation in each bed.
Companion planting—growing plants other than veggies for the purpose of creating a diverse and healthy growing environment. It is particularly important to choose plants that attract beneficial insects. Josh plants up the border around the garden with a range of flowering plants to attract insects that will act as pollinators or predators that eat pests.
Featured Plants: BROAD BEAN  - Vicia faba cv.  SPRING ONION ‘RED LEGS’  - Allium fistulosum cv.  MEXICAN BUSH SAGE  - Salvia leucantha  SANTOLINA  - Santolina chamaecyparissus  TANSY - Tanacetum vulgare  (Check before planting: this may be an environmental weed in your area)  SWEET ALYSSUM  - Lobularia maritima  YARROW  - Achillea cv.  PINEAPPLE SAGE  - Salvia elegans  ___________________________________________
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