Garden guide

Even the smallest vegetable garden can produce a fine harvest if you plan it right. In addition to the pleasure of daily gardening, you'll enjoy the satisfaction of tasting fresh vegetables that you've watched grow and mature. Here are a few tips for setting up a successful vegetable garden.

The size of your vegetable garden generally depends on the amount of land available, the time you devote to maintenance, your budget and the number of people you have to feed. A vegetable garden of about 8 m² may be sufficient for a family of four

Planning

It's a good idea to start by drawing up a plan of the vegetable garden on paper, to mark out the spaces required for the different vegetables. It's also necessary to plan crops so that the garden will produce throughout the summer. Fast-growing vegetables, such as radishes, are grown in succession to ensure continuous yields. Vegetables with different ripening periods, such as radishes and tomatoes, are also combined to save space and labor. Vegetables are planted in slightly raised rows running widthwise. Aisles wide enough for easy movement are provided. To ensure maximum sunlight, plant large vegetables in the northern and eastern parts of the garden.

Sowing and planting

Some vegetables, such as carrots, beans and radishes, can be sown directly in the ground; others, like peppers and tomatoes, need to be started in pots indoors.

Containerized vegetables are also available, ready for transplanting outdoors. Always choose plants with short, thick stems and green, healthy-looking foliage.

Planting in the vegetable garden is best done on cloudy days and when all danger of frost has passed. Create a small depression around each transplanted vegetable to collect water for watering.

Water the plants before and after planting in the garden.

Seed

We call organic seeds or organic seeds quality seeds produced using organic farming methods and guaranteed untreated after harvest.

The production and marketing of organic seeds and seedlings must comply with both organic production rules and rules specific to seed production.

We recommend seeds from Jardin de l'Écoumène, which specializes in the production of organic seeds or rare seeds

Maintenance

Pull weeds as soon as they appear, hoe and weed regularly to allow water to soak in, and water preferably in the morning, or abundantly and thoroughly in hot, dry spells. Installing mulch (plastic, straw, geotextile, etc.) between rows and around plants reduces weeding work and helps conserve soil moisture.

For better yields, to avoid deficiencies and to prevent disease, it's important to practice crop rotation. This means not growing the same vegetables in the same place for more than two consecutive years.

Some plants grow better when they are in close proximity to others. Companion planting is an increasingly popular practice in vegetable gardening.