If you want to create a kitchen garden, you have made a really great decision. But, as you know, there are a few things to consider if you want to be successful with your crops. In this article we would like to help you with some tips for creating and planning a kitchen garden, thanks to which you are guaranteed to provide your loved ones with fresh fruit and vegetables this yearVegetableswill be a pleasure.
Create a kitchen garden – suitable types of fruit and vegetables
Creating a kitchen garden may sound easier than it actually is. There are many things you should look for. On the one hand, it is important when you start a kitchen garden that you find out which onesFruit– and vegetables taste really good too. For example, some types of carrots may turn out to be not so tasty.
Creating a kitchen garden – the location
The location of the kitchen garden is important. Lots of sun is important so that the plants can thrive. In addition, suitable soil is available to create a kitchen garden. Not every vegetable grows equally well in every soil, in every region or in every climate.
Less is more
Even too much of a good thing is not always an advantage. For this reason, when starting a kitchen garden, you should assess your fruit and vegetable needs in order to cultivate approximately the necessary amount. The free time you have available to take care of the kitchen garden should also be taken into account, as well as the fact that a larger garden is associated with more costs.
Small kitchen garden
If you want to start a kitchen garden, it's best to start with a smaller vegetable garden and see how it works for you. After all, you can expand at any time. The harvest must be able to be stored well later. Check whether and where you can design a warehouse and what quantities you can store there.
The choice of vegetables
The choice of vegetables depends on the location of the kitchen garden. To create a kitchen garden, you can first plan the location in order to choose the right types of vegetables, or vice versa: choose the location for the kitchen garden depending on your favorite vegetables. Observe which areas are in sun, which are in shade, and which are in partial shade, and research which vegetables are best suited to each area.
Type of vegetables depending on the soil
The soil also determines the choice of vegetables and fruits. For some it can be too clayey, for others it can be too acidic or too sandy. Some plants are very water-loving and like the storage properties of clay soil, while others prefer the water permeability of sandy soil. When it comes to creating a kitchen garden, everything depends on everything else.
Properties of the individual soils
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each type of soil can also be an advantage when creating a kitchen garden. A soil rich in humus is wonderfully able to store water. However, it quickly sours. It is practical that this can be neutralized again by adding lime.
Sandy soil
A sandy soil is very permeable to water, which is an advantage when creating a kitchen garden with plants that cannot tolerate waterlogging at all. The big disadvantage, however, is that the nutrients cannot be stored in this way, but are simply washed away.
The perfect floor
Medium-heavy clay soils are best suited for creating kitchen gardens. But these shouldn’t store too much water either. Plants can grow particularly well in this soil because it can store both sufficient water and nutrients wonderfully.
Check the soil for the kitchen garden
To make sure that important nutrients are not missing, you can also have the soil tested before planting the kitchen garden. It often lacks elements such as trace elements, nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus. At the same time, the pH value is also determined in this way. If necessary, you can now improve the soil by fertilizing.
Sketch the kitchen garden
Before you create the kitchen garden, we also recommend sketching out the area. It’s not just the vegetable beds that need to be included here. There are also herb beds, areas for fruit trees and berry bushes, but also space for the compost heap. This automatically creates a free space in the garden that can be used for a lawn, for example.
Fruit and vegetables and add
Once you have sketched the entire area, you can now also draw in the individual beds with the respective types of vegetables, as well as trees and bushes. Since there are a lot of things to consider when creating a kitchen garden, here are some tips on the individual elements:
Creating a kitchen garden – the individual beds
As you can probably imagine, there are a lot of things to consider when planning the individual beds within your kitchen garden. Of course, it is particularly important that each individual bed is easy to reach. Ultimately, gardening should be made easier and therefore be done more quickly. For this purpose, when you create the kitchen garden, you can plan garden paths between them that should be approx. 30 cm wide. You can also create raised beds. These are easier to work with because you don't have to squat or bend over to work.
size of the beds
Widths of 60, 100 or 120 cm are usually chosen for the beds. Of course, this depends on the amount of plants you want to plant and the total space you have planned to create for the kitchen garden. The fruit trees must not be too close to the beds.
The fruit trees
And since we have already mentioned the fruit trees, here are a few words about them: A distance of at least 6 meters is necessary between the individual trees, which should not be forgotten when you create the kitchen garden. The trees need this in order to develop well without having to compete for sun, nutrients or water for soil.
The berry bushes
Of course, the bushes also need enough space to be able to spread well. In this case, before you plant the kitchen garden, simply plan a distance of 1.5 meters and you will be able to enjoy lots of fruit.
Herb garden and compost
It is best to plant the herb garden near the house. This means you can quickly have the spices you need at hand. When it comes to compost, the exact opposite applies. Choose a place for them that is as far away from the house as possible, but also as close as possible to the kitchen garden. You can, for example, create the remaining kitchen garden between these two areas.
Collect rainwater
It is best to use rainwater for irrigation. This can be collected using gutters and containers such as rain barrels. This means you always have it to hand at the right time and you also save a lot of money because you don't have to use tap water. Useful elements should not be forgotten or even underestimated when creating a kitchen garden.
Create a kitchen garden
Once the garden has been well planned, implementation can begin straight away. You can now create a kitchen garden in just a few steps. First of all, the soil must of course be dug up and loosened. The loose soil makes it easier for the roots to grow and provides them with sufficient oxygen. Compost is then mixed into the soil - an extremely important part of gardening! You can now let the compost work for a few days before you start planting the young plants. All that remains to be considered is the appropriate care depending on the type of vegetable and fruit. We wish you much success and a rich harvest!
