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Q. My family has recently acquired a space for growing some of our own vegetables. We are looking for practical tips on choosing what to grow in the limited space we have, with a view to becoming as self-sufficient as possible in producing fresh, nutritious food.
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A. It’s not possible for most of us to grow all the vegetables we need for optimum nutrition, but here are some ideas to consider.
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First, grow vegetables that you know you and the family will be keen to eat. For novice gardeners, choose things that are easy to grow, like peas, carrots, lettuce, green beans, kale, chard and garlic.
For vegetables that produce over a long season, consider summer squash, kale, tomatoes, chard, carrots and beets. Lettuce and other leafy greens, and bush green beans, can be kept in production with successive seedings timed a few weeks apart.
Broccoli, spinach and green (shelling) peas lose nutritional value rapidly once they are harvested. In home gardens, they can be picked and consumed quickly for maximum health benefits.
Sprouting broccoli plants yield harvests of small florets over several weeks. I make spring and summer seedings for long-term supplies.
To make the best use of the space you have, consider growing as many plants as possible vertically. I use lengths of sturdy wire for shelling and snow pea vines, staking tomatoes, cucumbers, pole and runner beans, and small squashes. The space these vining plants take is only their “rootprint.” I tuck lettuce and endive transplants along the bases of the vines.
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Another space-saving measure is to plant the smaller-growing vegetables in blocks rather than in widely separated rows. In blocks, the rows are closely spaced. Root and salad vegetables suit this planting method. For ease of access into the centre of these plantings, I make them no more than 120 cm wide.
Whatever planting method you choose, soil preparation will be the key to your success. Take time to incorporate a nutritious compost and a balanced, low-release fertilizer into the plot.
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