Any vegie gardeners out there?

**Bundalene** · 15th March 2009, 06:40 PM

We have been growing our own vegetables for years, but always fighting weeds as well as the physical hard work of digging garden beds.

Did a bit of research, read a book by Ester Deans and decided to make a "NO DIG" garden

End results

We had an old water tank lying around which we cut into doughnut sections. Also had a stack of sleeper half back timbers which were also suitable for garden bed frames
We started this garden just after Christmas. Made a frame with the bottom layer of thick newspaper followed by a layer of rough twigs and branches for drainage. This was topped with cow manure and then a layer of decomposing mulch.

Then scooped out some of the mulch and added compost / vegie mix soil where the seeds are planted

Then planted seeds. Here is a garden bed with 2 types of peas and 2 types of beans at the back and radishes, rocket and cauliflower along the front

This tank bed has zucchini on one side, cucumbers and corn on the other, beans in the middle and just planted some dill and corriander at the front

This bed has pickling cucumber and corn

This bed has leeks in the center, sweeds, kohl rabi, cauli seedlings and carrots.

Shots showing more beds

The good thing about this gardening system - NO WEEDS. When a crop is finished, remove the plants, add a bit more mulch, compost and seeds and start again. Hope No1 son will water and collect vegies when we go on hols

All the garden has been producing more vegies than we can use so we are sharing them with all the family

Erich

**Savanahkelpy** · 15th March 2009, 06:44 PM

Are you a member of a seed savers network?

**moose** · 15th March 2009, 06:45 PM

That looks great, SWMBO and I have just started our first vegie patch, but we both have tragic brown thumbs, so we'll just have to see.

**Bundalene** · 15th March 2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Savanahkelpy

Are you a member of a seed savers network?

Um.... No.......

Can you Please Explain??

Cheers, Erich

**Bundalene** · 15th March 2009, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by moose

That looks great, SWMBO and I have just started our first vegie patch, but we both have tragic brown thumbs, so we'll just have to see.

You'll be really surprised how Brown turns to Green .......(or vice versa, if you forget to water

)

Keep trying - I had the greatest teacher - my Mum.

Erich

**Savanahkelpy** · 15th March 2009, 06:59 PM

Ok, i can see that you are a good gardener form your produce pictures and the no dig techinique, but i presume you buys your seeds from wherever, shop, seed rack in a hardware store, etc, but those seeds are usualy F1 hybrids and you cannot save the seeds from your veges and grow them as they won,t grow, "true to type"
Seed Savers network is a group of people who, generaly grow the old heritage and heirloom vege,s that haven,t been hybridised..
They save the seeds every year to maintain the strain.
I,ll try to find details, as i,m not sure if there are any groups, near you.
Laurie

**LandyAndy** · 15th March 2009, 07:03 PM

Nice work Erich
In the past I have been a keen gardener.
Had a few failiures leading up to summer and the weeds just got too much.
I actually just came in from watering an empty plot,hoping to get the weeds to germinate before I plant it out after easter.Also have been letting the chooks into the vegie patch to hunt out my 2 major pests,snails and slaters.They seem to be getting on top of the slaters.The mulch/no dig system is great,have been doing it for years without the containers.The system however leads to an abundance of snails/slaters.If you have chooks let them in the patch often,protect young plants/seedlings with milk crates or hanging basket frames.The chooks dont seem to harm established vegies(EXCEPT LETTUCE

),too busy chasing bugs.The go is to let them have a scratch for a couple of hours every few days.
Im hoping to try a small aqua culture garden bed,fish tanks been filtered thru hydroponic vegie beds.If it works out I will add further tanks/veggie beds.
Andrew

**Bundalene** · 15th March 2009, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Nice work Erich
In the past I have been a keen gardener.
Im hoping to try a small aqua culture garden bed,fish tanks been filtered thru hydroponic vegie beds.If it works out I will add further tanks/veggie beds.
Andrew

I don't know much about aqua culture but a mate's neighbour swears by it. As for the chooks - we go away too often - and have to watch the foxes. Let us know how you get on.

Erich

**slug_burner** · 15th March 2009, 07:38 PM

Great work Erich,

I have a garden but have not the same variety as yours. Lettuce of a few different types, trusty tomatoes, dill, parsley, basil, beetroots. A few fruit trees. Greatest problem has been shortage of water, kept things going on tank water but once that ran out a few things went to tea leaves.

d@rk51d3 · 15th March 2009, 07:51 PM

Top stuff mate.

We've always grown a few vegies at home, but I've just started working for a lady, living alone on 400 acres. She's just put 5 acres under netting (1 big net

) and has put in a variety of fruit and nut, which should start producing, now that she has someone to look after it.

We're in the process of prepping about 2 acres for veggies. Several B-Doubles of mushroom compost were brought in (and we lived on fresh mushies for about a month afterward) and now are in the process of deciding what to start planting.
All the fruit, veg, Yabbies, Trout, you can eat, all day every day, plus home-grown beef and lamb......and still get paid at the end of the week.

Somebody pinch me.

Oh, and for seed supplies, try "Eden Seeds" in Tassie, I think.

Huge range of non hybrid stock. Makes you hungry, just looking at the catalogue.

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