Starting a garden

Spring is a good time to think about starting a garden so you can enjoy the harvest for Christmas. Here are some tips.

An oily rag garden need not be any larger than six or seven metres square (it actually can be a lot smaller). It would have four or five garden beds bordered with treated or hardwood timber, and the soil raised about 300mm above ground level. Raising a garden in this way makes it easier to work in (a major consideration for those who would otherwise find gardening a chore), and it allows the soil to drain freely. Having a number of beds allows crop rotation and the opportunity to “recondition” the soil in the bed(s) not being used.

The ideal garden should be sited to collect plenty of afternoon sun. The sun warms the soil, and the warm soil then acts as an incubator for growth. The site should also be sheltered from chilly winds – preferably fringed by protecting trees and shrubs, but not so close that they block out the sun or that their roots invade your garden and steal valuable nutrients.

Once the site is right, the next thing to attend to is the soil. If your soil is heavy clay or infertile then lots of ‘goodness’ will need to be introduced. You can of course buy various composts and fertilisers at your local nursery, but those living off the smell of an oily rag can avoid the cost by finding their own sources of goodness.

Animal manures make excellent fertiliser, but most will need about 6 weeks for the material to dry otherwise it may burn the roots of young plants. Other sources of goodness are blood and bone (dead carcasses), haystack bottoms, sawdust, straw, vegetable matter, seaweed, lake-weed, and leaves.

For free sawdust, try a local wood-turner, joiner or timber-mill. These guys have heaps of wood shavings and dust and they are normally glad to give it to you because it costs them money to remove it. Make sure the sawdust is from untreated wood.

Seaweed and lake-weed can be collected while on a family outing, a sack full of leaves can be gathered from your own yard or from a local park, and haystack bottoms from farmers – as can the various types of manures (piggeries and horse stables are a goldmine for the manure collector).

Getting the site and soil right is critical to a happy and productive garden. With the basics in place your garden will produce much more than your family alone can eat!