Mulching is just as important in the vegetable patch as on the ground. It limits the effects of rain and wind, it protects against heat and cold, it reduces evaporation, and it nourishes the substrate when it decomposes.
Do not let the potting soil and compost mixture dry out, the less organic matter it has, the more difficult it will be to re-wet. As with flower pots, water as soon as the surface of the substrate is dry. To avoid these constraints, when assembling the saloon, provide a watering system with a micro-porous or drip hose.
Despite the mulch and the density of the plantations, there may be some undesirables that slip into the middle of your crops. Remove them as soon as they appear by taking advantage of watering or picking sessions. Also take a look under the leaves to spot any aggressors: slugs, aphids, caterpillars…
When the square empties after a growing season: tear off the feet and cut them into small pieces to replace the mulch. Mix in the dead leaves. A dose of organic fertilizer will promote the decomposition of this waste. A supply of compost or mature manure (or dehydrated) will be made regularly, when the crops are turning.
Read more on https://gartendek.fr/carre-potager/
Plant or sow?
The plants can be sown or planted, but the duration of occupation of each must be taken into account, which will be significantly prolonged if it is a question of sowing.
Sowing is done from April, especially since the earth warms up faster in the vegetable plots than in the ground. The following aromatic plants can be sown directly in place in the vegetable patch: dill, chervil, coriander, watercress…
Among the vegetables, these can be sown in place: carrots, spinach, broad beans, beans, lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, turnips, parsnips, peas, radishes, salsify, arugula…
If you have little space and 1 or 2 squares, you will prefer in terms of sowing those of root vegetables because they are difficult to transplant. Installing seedlings purchased in pots or sown in the nursery will save you occupation time, and you will have fewer failures.
Buying plants involves less work but the operation is more expensive. On the other hand, you will sow tomatoes, eggplants, peppers… in a warm place to put them in place when the temperatures suit them. You will also sow warm to get ahead for your plantations. To find out more, read our advice on warm sowing your early vegetables.
A bit of organization
Vegetable gardening in a small area requires good organization so that the crops take place one after the other without traffic jams or empty spaces. Especially since crop rotation is useful so as not to deplete the substrate.
For good management, make a plan of your squares, indicating the direction of the sun and any obstacles (walls, trees) that provide shade. Then make a list of the vegetables you eat, indicating how many you can put in a box and how long they stay there. Then place the vegetables in your boxes, starting with those that need a lot of sun (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons).
