New/old help please required.

[sparkyaj]

Good evening folks. Been a few years since I was in the garden. Have recently moved house and am now lucky enough to have a veg plot back again. It had been planted with flowers and is all dug out now.

Before I go dropping veg straight in I wondered if anyone had any prep suggestions please.

As i understand the ground has very good drainage but dries out in the summer.

I don't want to spend the next few months growing things and hen find I get rooting issues if the ground bakes in the sun

Would it be worth growing some things now or do you think it would be better juatbto prep it now and grow in it next year?

A few things on this list for me.

I'd like to try companion planting this time around as I like flower/colour in the plot as well.

Would like to get some rhubarb growing again here.

Think that's it for now.

Greenhouse I guess I could get going pretty quickly actually thinking about it.

Any help or suggestions would be gratefully received.

[Guest]

Hi

If it is just a case of baking. I would get stuck in and use it now. Just keep in mind regular watering, veg that don't fuss about being on the dry side (peas, beans, squash etc. once established), mulch (newspaper, card, grass cuttings, muck ) and ground cover plants (squash, oca, nasturtiums).

[sparkyaj]

Hmm OK thank you _ ive lost touch its been so long since I last was really into growing my own veg.

The veg plot is 32ft long, 8ft deep.

If I get it dug over this weekend what sort of things could I be planting now. As its limited space it would be nice to get the most out of the space this year.

Looking back through my old posts here I worked a similar sized plot which was split into 4 sections and used to rotate the growing but I dont really think I have too make space to spare for that here this time around.

I love runners, sweet peas, normal peas, roots like carrots, beetroot, parsnips, fancy growing some pumpkins this year, love savoy cabage and calabrese too.

Green house - Happy to plant out tomatoes and maybe some peppers, possibly melon - will see

Thanks again.

Looking forward to this.. :-)

[veggiechicken]

Welcome back!
If you can't manage to dig it over - and, if its as dry as you say, I don't think I would, cover it with cardboard, and plant squashes and courgettes through it.
Put up some bean sticks and, if you're quick, you should be able to get some started now. If not, there'll be plenty of seedlings in the garden centres.
Plant your rhubarb and fruit trees/bushes somewhere outside your veg bed - as they'll need a permanent position.
Whatever you do, grow something this year. Don't wait
Have fun!!

[Cadalot]

Welcome back to gardening

You could look at square foot gardening if you want to maximise your area

[Jay-ell]

Alternatively see if your local council does cheap green waste compost/soil amendment and go no-dig, covering the ground with cardboard, the cardboard with compost and plant into the compost.

[vixylix]

My ground is similar - I've dug it and topped with compost / mushroom compost to help keep it pliable - I'd like to tell you if it was working but its not stopped raining since!