Growing vegetables in your own garden is a rewarding experience – it takes a bit more work but going outside to pick your own salads, veggies or herbs for meals makes it all worth it.
It may seem a little daunting if you’ve never done this before, but you don’t always need a green thumb to build a vegetable garden that will thrive in Perth.
In this blog, we’ve included the best practices that will make your process of starting and caring for a veggie garden easier.
What are we waiting for? Let’s dive right in!
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Things To Consider When Growing A Veggie Garden In Perth
Plan your Garden
The first decision you need to make is whether you wish to build your veggie garden directly on the ground or on a raised garden bed.
While many choose to dig your garden directly into the ground, there are definite advantages to raised garden beds that we think you should consider.
Raised garden beds make it easier to grow and care for your veggies – much easier on the back and knees! – while keeping your pets from wrecking your garden.
They also allow you to have full control over the soil quality from the beginning, so if your garden soil has sand and gravel or is mostly clay, we recommend you choose raised garden beds so you can create a nutritious, quality soil to grow your food in.
Climate
The month of February is the hottest in Perth, while June to August is the coldest period. Keep this in mind when planning your garden bed installation so you can then plant suitable vegetables at the right time.
Most vegetables, fruits, and herbs will grow best in full sunshine, i.e. somewhere around 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day.
You can then choose to grow cool-season crops like cabbage, spinach, and radishes in the part shade region of your veggie garden.
When you plan your veggie garden, decide what you want to grow before you plan the location to make sure it ticks the right boxes. Plant your tall plants (like corn and vine plants like
Watering
Install a water barrel, tap extension, sprinkler system or other means of ensuring regular water supply to your vegetable garden.
Most plants need 2 to 5 cm of water every week, but that does depend on the warmth and rainfall.
It is preferable if you heavily water your veggie garden once a week rather than a little bit every day. Watering heavily forces the roots to reach further down into the soil, improving self-reliance. A quality mulch will also help to maintain the level of moisture retention while improving the soil – a win win!
Nourishing your soil
The soil here in Perth is often mostly sandy which is not ideal for growing a veggie garden. Sandy soil has poor moisture and nutrient retention; however, you can easily improve and nourish it with organic matter; including garden compost, mulch and animal manure.
It’s best to allow your manure to age for at least six months before using it to avoid potential problems.
Fresh manure may contain weed seeds and harbour diseases. It may also have a high level of nitrogen content which is harmful to plants.
Mulch your garden soil to enhance water retention and prevent weed seeds from growing.
While you can use organic fertilizers, they’re more of a short-term solution. Organic matter helps your soil become a healthier environment for your plants over time.
Equipment
You don’t need to invest too much money in equipment to get started with your vegetable garden.
However, there are four essential pieces of equipment that you will require.
- Hoe
- Backyard spade
- Wheelbarrow
- Fork
Once you have these, plus some good gardening gloves, you should be all set.
Choosing the Right Vegetables
It is essential to plan your planting since some plants mature quickly, whereas others take a while.
Crop rotation is also an excellent practice where you don’t grow a crop in the same area for a while to avoid crop diseases.
You can grow your vegetable garden by direct seed sowing or by planting seedlings.
If you purchase seedlings for your garden, get them from reputable nurseries or garden centres and ensure that they were grown in a weed-free environment and are free from diseases.
Here is a list of veggies that you can grow each month in Perth to get you started
Seed packets often come with instructions on the package about the best time to sow and harvest them.
Maintain a journal from the very first week. Keep note of where and when you’ve planted which crop and how well it grows. This will help you recognize any patterns of potential issues and the best practices that will ensure a thriving vegetable garden.
Note of Caution: Avoid accepting seeds and seedlings from your neighbours unless they are experienced gardeners, since one bad plant can create havoc in your vegetable garden.
Companion Planting
Some plants complement each other’s growth when grown together. You can group plants that have the same type of soil, water, and sunlight requirements.
There are also plants that deter insects from your vegetable garden.
Chamomile keeps away flies and strengthens the plants around it. Rosemary and Lemongrass have a pungent smell that works as natural pest control.
Onion is said to repel incest from vegetables like broccoli and beetroot. You can grow tomatoes near Basil since it deters flies and mosquitoes and enhances the growth of tomatoes.
On the flip side, some plants make bad companions. For example, asparagus shouldn’t be grown near garlic and onions.
The bottom line is that you need to do your homework and plan your garden before any other step.
Growing a vegetable garden is a rewarding way to get the most from your outdoors – and encourage you to spend more time outside.
If you would like help with planting or maintaining your ideal veggie garden, we’re just a phone call away!