With the creation of a kitchen garden, vegetables, herbs and fruit can be grown in the home garden right outside the front door. The garden area does not have to be particularly large for this, a lot of useful vegetables and fruits can be grown even in a relatively small area. In contrast to the over-fertilized and irradiated food in the supermarket, there is always a continuous control of the quality of the own products and those intended for consumption.
Table of Contents
Small-scale self-sufficiency
The gardener becomes self-sufficient, who can make himself independent of the often inferior range of shops. The area available should be well supplied with sunlight, cultivation under trees is more difficult than in an open area. Furthermore, the nature of the soil plays a major role in the selection of plants and the amount of crop yields. The plants selected for the kitchen garden must go well together, with a balanced mixed culture, pests cannot multiply well and diseases are also kept in check.
location, plant substrate
If the kitchen garden is to bring in high yields, a suitable location is crucial. Dark, shady places with drafts are unsuitable for most crops and prevent lush growth. Equally important are the quality of the soil and the nature of the soil, these factors must be clarified before the selection of the plants and the actual planting. The soil must be prepared beforehand and unwanted plants, weeds and root residues removed so that the crops can develop freely.
- A sun-drenched and wind-protected location is ideal
- Analyze soil conditions
- There are sandy, silty, clayey, loamy and humus soils
- A mixture of all types is ideal
- Enrich nutrient-poor soils in advance
- Before planting, clear the area of plants and weeds
- Remove 10 to 20 cm of soil so that all roots are permanently removed
management
Even a relatively small garden can be used for a kitchen garden, so that not only a lot, but above all good crops can be grown. However, this project can only succeed if the soil is sufficiently cultivated and appropriately fertilized. In addition, the sowing and planting must be carried out properly and at the right time. The land used is to be used rationally by a pre-culture, a post-culture and an intermediate culture. This also includes an appropriate mixed culture in which the plants protect each other against predators, pests and diseases. In the kitchen garden, it is of great advantage to till it with a four-field system in order to minimize possible soil fatigue.
- Choose a manageable size
- The dimensions of the kitchen garden should correspond to your own needs
- Extensive garden culture takes a lot of time, investment, effort and care
- Relatively small kitchen gardens are easier to maintain, fertilize more profitably and weeds can be removed
- Balanced mixed culture makes management easier
- Monoculture attracts pests and diseases
- Cleverly used four-field economy protects the soil
four-field economy
Crop rotation plays a very important role in a kitchen garden. With the correct observance of the crop rotation, all the nutrients in the soil can be optimally utilized by the crops. Growing only one type of crop at a time depletes certain nutrients in the soil. In addition, the regeneration phase of the soil then increases significantly. It is therefore advisable to cultivate the plant varieties in different cycles. For the self-sufficient, a four-field economy is recommended to enable optimal use of the garden. Creating a compost heap is an essential part of the whole project.
- Always stick to the schedule for a four-year crop rotation model
- first year: green manure and the creation of compost heaps
- second year: grow heavy-feeding plants
- third year: medium-consuming plants follow
- fourth year: use only weakly consuming plants
- In the kitchen garden area, always leave out part of the year with the planting
- Fertilize this part well with compost
- There are exceptions to the whole annual sequence for perennial plants
Instructions on how to put it on
When creating a kitchen garden, small units should be selected for the crops. The orchard, herb and vegetable garden can be clearly separated from each other so that the respective areas can develop undisturbed. Under a canopy of trees and near lush fruit bushes, vegetables grow poorly and eventually fail to reveal their true glory.
- Clear separation between orchard, herb bed and vegetable garden
- Determine your own needs and select appropriate crops accordingly
- Paths created between the individual beds
- Set up a rain barrel near the beds
- Previous soil analysis, not every crop grows on every soil
- Prepare beds sufficiently, mark out their size and pile up soil
- If necessary, mix in soil from the garden center
- Most plants prefer sunny locations
- Shady places under trees are ideal for sun-sensitive plants and herbs
Plant selection, planting and sowing
If you are in a hurry and want to start cultivating your kitchen garden straight away, you can buy already cultivated vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and fruit bushes from a nursery. The good then only has to be placed in the ground and cast on. For patient gardeners, the cheaper sowing is recommended, after all, cultivating the seedlings beforehand increases the plants’ chances of growth. When it comes to self-sufficiency with vegetables, beans, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, garlic, cabbage, corn, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and onions play a particularly important role. When it comes to fruit, there are apples, pears, cherries and apricots, but here the large-scale development of the fruit trees must be taken into account, which take up more and more space over the years. The berries popular in the local latitudes include strawberries,
- Planting pre-grown plants from the garden center for quick harvest success
- Sowing takes time, but is cheaper
- Grow seedlings in a sheltered environment
- Chives, parsley and basil should be planted in outdoor beds
- Plant strawberries on straw so the moisture in the soil doesn’t spoil the delicate berries
- Reserve a corner for the rhubarb
- Carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, etc. belong in a separate vegetable garden
- Grow fruit trees and fruit bushes only in larger kitchen gardens
watering and fertilizing
A large water butt in the immediate vicinity of the beds makes a lot of sense, the larger the area, the more water butts you should set up. Conventional tap water is heavily interspersed with lime and chlorine, and many plants do not tolerate these ingredients particularly well. If the beds are fertilized regularly, the productivity of the kitchen garden is increased enormously. You can use leftovers from your kitchen at home and store them in a suitable compost heap.
- Use stagnant rainwater that has been warmed by the sun for watering
- The more bins that are set up to collect rainwater, the better
- Automatic casting system with timer saves a lot of time and guarantees independence
- Create one or more compost heaps for organic waste
- Fertilize depending on the plant species, at least once a month during the growth phase
- Adapt ready-made fertilizer to the crop
greenhouse as a supplement
If many useful plants are to thrive in a small space and in bad weather conditions, then a small greenhouse and a bed in front of it are advisable. Lettuce, kohlrabi and radishes can already grow in the greenhouse at the beginning of spring. Tomatoes are always available in summer and spinach and winter lettuce can be grown in autumn and winter. The area around the greenhouse is suitable as a shelter for beans, cucumbers, squash and zucchini. In this way, the gardener can save a lot of money when shopping for groceries with a kitchen garden and a greenhouse that goes with it.
- Adjust the greenhouse and its size to individual needs
- Prefabricated greenhouses are available as plug-in systems from specialist garden retailers
- Skilled craftsmen can also build a greenhouse themselves
- Planting independent of the season possible
- Selection of exotic and cold-sensitive vegetables and fruits possible
Hibernation and pruning
Since many different plants are used in the kitchen garden, there are no uniform rules for winter protection. As a rule, annual varieties are also used, which no longer sprout after harvesting and have to be sown again in spring. The fruit trees and fruit bushes need warming protection against intense cold in order to be able to survive the winter months unscathed. A tapered cut fuels new growth and keeps a rampant urge to spread at bay.
- Only perennial plants need winter protection
- Prune fruit trees and fruit bushes after harvest and before winter
- Cover with fleece and brushwood to protect against low temperatures and snow
diseases and pests
Due to the tempting fruits and vegetables, the kitchen garden attracts a lot of vermin and pests. However, an infestation can be successfully avoided with the targeted planting of certain herbs and plants. With the conscious decision for a mixed culture, and against a monoculture, you can effectively prevent diseases and pests.
- Basil helps against powdery mildew and whiteflies
- Savory helps against the black bean aphid, the fragrances also promote growth and improve the aroma of beans
- Nettle helps against aphids and promotes the general recovery of fruit trees and shrubs
- Buckwheat makes the potash from the soil available for the celery
- Dill promotes the germination of carrots, and the scents also keep pests away
- Southernwood helps with its repellent scents against the cabbage white butterfly
- Oats protect broad beans against the black bean aphid
- Nasturtium helps against lice and also promotes the general recovery of young trees
- Chervil helps against lice in salads
- Garlic has bactericidal and fungicidal effects and protects strawberries and roses
- Lavender helps against ants and to a certain extent also against lice
- Peppermint helps against mildew and protects the wine
- Radish protects the leeks and helps against leek moths
- Calendula protects potatoes and cabbage, helps against rootlets and wireworms
- Marigold also increases crop yield and promotes soil health
- Sage protects the cabbage and helps against cabbage white moths
- Tagetes protects strawberries, potatoes, cabbage and tomatoes, helps against rootlets, viruses and whiteflies
- Wormwood, onions and shallots protect strawberries, currants and carrots from rust and help against fungal diseases and spider mites
Conclusion
In today’s times, self-sufficiency with your own kitchen garden is an adequate alternative. The home-grown products taste much better and there is also constant quality control during the growth and thriving of the useful plants.
