New VegTrug - Where to Site??

[JoeBoy]

We suggest filling to within an inch of the top edge. Here is a picture of one of our displays from a recent US show we did. It just gives you slightly more flexibility with what you can grow at the front and back edges.

[Helgalush]

Thank you Kiwi Soph and JoeBoy. We've just gone out about an hour ago and filled it up! Although we are probably about 8cm from the top so could probably take some more soil to bring it up to the top. I am really looking forward to sowing and planting in it.

(I know our garden looks messy but its a work in progress, you should have seen it 3 weeks ago! Lol!)

[Kiwi_Soph]

Thanks Joe Boy. Yep, that is MUCH fuller than ours. Ah well, stuff seems to be growing ok. I might try and full it up a bit once we have done some harvesting though.

Thanks for that, I now have some ammo to say that yep, fuller may be better

[JoeBoy]

Actually it's probably not a bad thing as you can top it up at a later date perhaps before you re-sow to add a little nutrient with the additional soil back into the VegTrug. We always recommend that you start feeding after 6-8 weeks or so anyway, but if you are adding fresh soil, there will be less need for feeding.

[Helgalush]

I've had fun with my Vegtrug today. I have decided to do a square foot type approach, and it is in 9 sections, each roughly a foot by a foot.

In the middle foot I have sown carrots.
In the top right hand corner I have leeks innermost, and then a row of spring onions where it is shallower.
In the middle left I have done the same as above.
In the bottom left I have turnip seedlings - not sure they are going to have liked being transplanted though, and have sown some more turnips. In the same square I have sown a couple of French Marigolds to help with aphid control, if they will grow from seed outside.
In the bottom middle, I have one cauliflower that had been in a smallish pot waiting to go in the vegtrug, I hope it will do ok. I sowed some calendulas in with that as I read that they attract ladybirds and so I am hoping they will also help with bug control, if they grow in time.



So I have four squares left to fill. These will have beetroot, salad and I may try another brassica. I will also put some nasturtiums in around the edges.

The bugs were straight in to the cauliflower, for some reason they seem to have left them alone while on the patio, so I have managed to fashion a loose enviromesh cover over the top, though I see Vegtrug company also do an enviromesh frame made-to-fit jobby so I may get one of those...

Probably not quite the principles of sq ft gardening in terms of crop planning but its a start and I am sure I will learn as time goes on how to do it better.

[Kiwi_Soph]

how's the trug going? Ours is starting to fill up with various peas, flowers and the like. The pots around have taken off as well - but the trug is the most bountiful so far (not nearly as tidy as yours above though, guys). Still, just got back from a week's holiday and we are inundated with salad veg - I am quite pleased.