i am new to gardening and i want to grow my own vegetables but don't know how to start ie preparing the ground after overgrowth with weeds

gazzy wrote:
i am new to gardening and i want to grow my own vegetables but
don't
know how to start ie preparing the ground after overgrowth with
weeds

You'll need to do some digging! Take it slowly while you're learning
the technique. Maybe it would be a good idea to get a basic book to
start you off, as pictures say a lot of it much better than my words.
There are plenty to choose from, and they all say much the same
things, but you could go to Smith's and have a look at _The Vegetable
Expert_. I've got the house plant book in that series, and it's
pretty good, and well illustrated.

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
gazzy wrote:
i am new to gardening and i want to grow my own vegetables but
don't
know how to start ie preparing the ground after overgrowth with
weeds

You'll need to do some digging! Take it slowly while you're learning
the technique. Maybe it would be a good idea to get a basic book to
start you off, as pictures say a lot of it much better than my words.
There are plenty to choose from, and they all say much the same
things, but you could go to Smith's and have a look at _The Vegetable
Expert_. I've got the house plant book in that series, and it's
pretty good, and well illustrated.

You need to improve your soil f you want really good veg. What kind of soil
do you have?
The book 'The Garden Expert' by Dr. Hessayon has a good set of easy tests
you can
perform to determine whether it's sandy, loam, chalky or clay etc. A ph test
kit might be
in order. Then there's the digging! Double digging if you're really serious,
though I've never
bothered.

You need to get a good soil structure, remove stones if it's a stony soil,
add as much organic
matter as you can ( start a compost heap, but you'll need more than that
really ) compost and
well-rotted horse manure are a good start. You can add lime, or ( better )
gypsum to clay soil
to break up the lumps and improve the 'crumb' structure.

Some of the actions to take depend on the sort of soil you have, and also
what type of veg
you grow. For instance I believe brassicas like limey soil.

Andy.

gazzy wrote:
:: i am new to gardening and i want to grow my own vegetables but don't
:: know how to start ie preparing the ground after overgrowth with weeds

All I did was pull out the weed tops (mostly nettle, but also horsetail,
bindweed and ground elder) and then dig, with a fork, not a spade and remove
any roots you see (dont bother with the very fine roots, just the thicker
ones) break up the soil as you go along removing any stones or other lumps
of stuff that will hinder growth (plastic, metal, glass etc)

Rake level and plant stuff! - lettuce and beetroot can be sown directly
into prepared soil as can many other fast growing plants, (radishes,
carrots, turnips etc) for caulis, cabbages etc, it's probably best to start
them in spring in small pots and plant out once they have reached 3 or 4
inches high, same goes for onions.

If you are planting seeds now, you will have to keep it well watered for
germination to take place, as I have just discovered with my beetroot
(singular, as in a beetroot)

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

In article , Phil L
writes

If you are planting seeds now, you will have to keep it well watered for
germination to take place, as I have just discovered with my beetroot
(singular, as in a beetroot)

When I lived down south with dry soil, I used to make the drill, then
water it, using a watering can to soak the bottom of the drill, sow the
seeds, then covered with dry soil - this seemed to stop evaporation, so
the initial watering was enough for germination.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:
:: In article , Phil L
:: writes
:::
::: If you are planting seeds now, you will have to keep it well watered for
::: germination to take place, as I have just discovered with my beetroot
::: (singular, as in a beetroot)
:::
:: When I lived down south with dry soil, I used to make the drill, then
:: water it, using a watering can to soak the bottom of the drill, sow the
:: seeds, then covered with dry soil - this seemed to stop evaporation, so
:: the initial watering was enough for germination.

I forgot to add that these were sown in a greenhouse, prior to me going away
for a long weekend...I havent got a spare inch of garden outside but have
space left over in the GH, methinks I'm going to have to make more garden
space next year by removing some paving slabs, the garlic don't like it in
there neither.

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.