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Guest contribution from Compost Direct

Considered creating a vegetable patch in summer but think you’ve left it too late? We have good news — it’s not! Vegetables like peas, garlic, spinach and broad beans are great for planting in autumn, as they’re hardy enough to survive the winter chill.
If we’ve talked you into establishing a vegetable patch this autumn, follow these top tips from Compost Direct to ensure the best chances of achieving bumper crops:

Where?

The position of your vegetable patch in your garden is crucial to how successful your efforts will be. Avoid spots in the shade and opt for sunny patches that receive a minimum of five hours of sunlight per day. Selecting a space that’s well-protected from the wind and away from other plants and pests will help to safeguard your plants too.

Size?

Depending on the amount of enthusiasm you have, it can be tempting to dedicate a large proportion of your garden to your vegetable patch. While a larger space will provide more room for your veg, it will be more time-consuming and difficult to maintain. Instead of thinking ‘bigger is better’, choose a patch that’s both manageable to maintain and proportionate to the size of your garden.

How?

Now that you’ve ironed out the logistics, it’s time to get your hands dirty and start establishing your patch. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Loosen the soil — dig over your soil to make it easier to plant seeds and plants, making sure to remove weeds, stones and rocks as you go.
2. Improve your soil with specially formulated vegetable compost or well-rotted manure, keeping in mind the veg you will be planting.
3. Work out where to plant — try not to overfill your patch and consider growing requirements. For example, green beans wrap around objects as they grow, so they’re best placed next to a wall for support.
4. Start planting — to make harvesting your crops easier, plant your veg in groups so you know exactly where each type is.

If you want to know more about any stage of the process, you can view Compost Direct’s blog post in full here. Check it out for more tips and tricks on how to make your veggie patch a success.