Any tips for a beginner?
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Any tips for a beginner? Trish Brown 05-25-2008
Posted by Trish Brown on May 25, 2008, 5:04 pm
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 We're just about to embark on our first-ever veggie patch and I wondered
if anyone might have some tips for us? The reason we haven't started
before is that our block is boggy and spongy when the winter rains come,
yet arid and awful in the heat of summer. It finally dawned on me that a
raised (about 60cm or more) bed might be the answer! So, that's what
we'd like to do: build up a well-raised bed and then see if we can
reduce the grocery bill by growing some veggies.

I've read lots of material about permaculture and no-dig gardens (they
come with a recipe for layering that seems pretty impossible - I mean, I
don't know any sheep, so I won't be getting sheep-poo any time soon...)
My thoughts were to lay something drainy ('aggregate'? chitter? etc?)
and then pile on some organic mix soil (purchased at Great Cost from a
local bloke who sells it). We've got some recycled planks to make the
walls of the garden and a few years' worth of rotted grass clippings for
mulching.

Is there anything else I should know? What can I plant nowish (within,
say, the next month)? And is there anything mentioned above that sounds
wrong? I'd be *really* grateful for any feedback you can offer and hope
this might prompt a bit of a discussion on the ways in which others have
started their gardens.


--
Trish Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Posted by David Hare-Scott on May 25, 2008, 7:51 pm
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> We're just about to embark on our first-ever veggie patch and I wondered
> if anyone might have some tips for us? The reason we haven't started
> before is that our block is boggy and spongy when the winter rains come,
> yet arid and awful in the heat of summer. It finally dawned on me that a
> raised (about 60cm or more) bed might be the answer! So, that's what
> we'd like to do: build up a well-raised bed and then see if we can
> reduce the grocery bill by growing some veggies.
>

Sounds good to me. What is your native soil like? How much sand? How much
clay?

> I've read lots of material about permaculture and no-dig gardens (they
> come with a recipe for layering that seems pretty impossible - I mean, I
> don't know any sheep, so I won't be getting sheep-poo any time soon...)

How far are your from the racecourse or any riding stables? Horse manure and
stable bedding can be excellent cheap sources of organic material. Yes they
can have seeds but so can anything that is not hot composted. What about
gathering grass and clippings from your neighbours? Any tree loppers around?
Look around you and picture cheap sources of organic matter - some person's
rubbish may be your treasure.

> My thoughts were to lay something drainy ('aggregate'? chitter? etc?)

I wouldn't put in any non organic aggrgates, you want it all to rot down in
the end and some of your veges will put down very long roots.

> and then pile on some organic mix soil (purchased at Great Cost from a
> local bloke who sells it). We've got some recycled planks to make the
> walls of the garden and a few years' worth of rotted grass clippings for
> mulching.
>

Check out the options. Buying in bags will always be more expensive than in
bulk. Buying ready-to-go will be more than getting the components and
waiting.

> Is there anything else I should know? What can I plant nowish (within,
> say, the next month)?

Not a very good time, most of your winter veges should be in by now and
established. Particularly if waiting for things to rot I would wait a few
months and start with your summer veges in spring - say early September in a
frost-free area..

And is there anything mentioned above that sounds
> wrong? I'd be *really* grateful for any feedback you can offer and hope
> this might prompt a bit of a discussion on the ways in which others have
> started their gardens.
>
>

Some general hints

1) In one small volume a great starting book:
The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden - Clive Blazey & Jane Varkulevicius
(Digger Club)

2) Join Hunter Organic Growers Society (HOGS) The next meeting (free) is
Saturday 14th June on Kooragang Island. I will give you details if you are
interested.

David




Posted by Trish Brown on May 25, 2008, 8:14 pm
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David Hare-Scott wrote:

<snip>

> Some general hints
>
> 1) In one small volume a great starting book:
> The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden - Clive Blazey & Jane Varkulevicius
> (Digger Club)
>
> 2) Join Hunter Organic Growers Society (HOGS) The next meeting (free) is
> Saturday 14th June on Kooragang Island. I will give you details if you are
> interested.
>
> David
>
>
>

Ooo! Is this group in any way connected to the community garden on Ash
Island? That's what got me thinking I could do this. What an effort! I
was especially taken by the pyramidal garden built up with railway
sleepers. We were going to try that at first, but soon realised the cost
would be far more than the benefits (to us, at least). Also, after many
heated arguments about whether to build up a square or triangular plot,
we finally realised the end result would give the same growable area in
the end. Hence, we agreed on a flat rectangle. But the built-up pyramid
is *great* to look at!

For those who haven't seen it: a square plot was laid out with old
railway sleepers. Next, another square, offset to form a diamond, was
laid on top. Two more squares, each graduated in size, were laid atop
the first two, forming triangular pockets in which the various veggies
grow. The tallest plants (eg. sweet corn) are in the bottom beds while
herbs are in the topmost ones. The whole area would only be about two
metres square!

What sorts of things happen at HOGS meetings, David? I've never belonged
to a gardening group, but would be interested to hear about it. I'm
feeling very much a novice, despite having been a keen pot-gardener for
most of my life. (Hm. That read funny. I meant 'gardener of potted
plants', not the other...)

--
Trish Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Posted by David Hare-Scott on May 25, 2008, 11:43 pm
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> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > Some general hints
> >
> > 1) In one small volume a great starting book:
> > The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden - Clive Blazey & Jane
Varkulevicius
> > (Digger Club)
> >
> > 2) Join Hunter Organic Growers Society (HOGS) The next meeting (free) is
> > Saturday 14th June on Kooragang Island. I will give you details if you
are
> > interested.
> >
> > David
> >
> >
> >
>
> Ooo! Is this group in any way connected to the community garden on Ash
> Island? That's what got me thinking I could do this. What an effort! I
> was especially taken by the pyramidal garden built up with railway
> sleepers. We were going to try that at first, but soon realised the cost
> would be far more than the benefits (to us, at least). Also, after many
> heated arguments about whether to build up a square or triangular plot,
> we finally realised the end result would give the same growable area in
> the end. Hence, we agreed on a flat rectangle. But the built-up pyramid
> is *great* to look at!
>
> For those who haven't seen it: a square plot was laid out with old
> railway sleepers. Next, another square, offset to form a diamond, was
> laid on top. Two more squares, each graduated in size, were laid atop
> the first two, forming triangular pockets in which the various veggies
> grow. The tallest plants (eg. sweet corn) are in the bottom beds while
> herbs are in the topmost ones. The whole area would only be about two
> metres square!
>
> What sorts of things happen at HOGS meetings, David? I've never belonged
> to a gardening group, but would be interested to hear about it. I'm
> feeling very much a novice, despite having been a keen pot-gardener for
> most of my life. (Hm. That read funny. I meant 'gardener of potted
> plants', not the other...)
>
> --
> Trish Newcastle, NSW, Australia

HOGS meetings are at organic growing establishments all around the Hunter.
Some are private homes on a small block, some are mixed farms, orchards, worm
farms, deer farms etc. The Island is a kind of home base where we go to do
things appropriate to most gardens, like make compost, prune fruit trees, make
new gardens.

We assemble at noon and have lunch together (BYO). The meeting starts at 1PM,
we have afternoon tea about 3 and it breaks up about 4-4:30. Bring surplus
produce, if you have any, to share or swap.

To get the next meeting at the City Farm, turn on to Ash island bridge on the
Hunter, from the New England Highway at Sandgate (near MacDonalds). Follow a
twisty road across the island for a few kms, there will be "HOGS" signs to
guide you.

They are a friendly bunch who don't mind beginners and they will answer all
your questions. Anybody can turn up at meetings but if you join you also get
a quarterly magazine, the use of the library etc.

David




Posted by Trish Brown on May 28, 2008, 7:26 am
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
David Hare-Scott wrote:

> HOGS meetings are at organic growing establishments all around the Hunter.
> Some are private homes on a small block, some are mixed farms, orchards, worm
> farms, deer farms etc. The Island is a kind of home base where we go to do
> things appropriate to most gardens, like make compost, prune fruit trees, make
> new gardens.
>
> We assemble at noon and have lunch together (BYO). The meeting starts at 1PM,
> we have afternoon tea about 3 and it breaks up about 4-4:30. Bring surplus
> produce, if you have any, to share or swap.
>
> To get the next meeting at the City Farm, turn on to Ash island bridge on the
> Hunter, from the New England Highway at Sandgate (near MacDonalds). Follow a
> twisty road across the island for a few kms, there will be "HOGS" signs to
> guide you.
>
> They are a friendly bunch who don't mind beginners and they will answer all
> your questions. Anybody can turn up at meetings but if you join you also get
> a quarterly magazine, the use of the library etc.
>
> David
>
>
>
Thanks, David. Dunno whether we'll make this meeting (Scouting
commitments are nearly every weekend at the moment), but maybe another one?

--
Trish Newcastle, NSW, Australia

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