Fava beans require staking to prevent them being damaged by wind.
When setting up a vegetable garden, there are many factors to consider, from the practicalities to design, from aesthetics to underlying principles, and from big-picture ideals to working practices.
Working out where to site your vegetable garden will actually determine its success or failure, so make sure you take some time and think it through fully. Here are some technical factors to consider:
Vegetables require some sun to grow well. Not enough sun will reduce crop quantity and quality, increase the likelihood of insect pests, and in the case of herbs, reduce their flavor. The angle of the sun can vary significantly at different times of the year. As a result some vegetable gardens grow great summer vegetables, but in winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, there is not enough light to grow good winter vegetables. The solution is to find a position for your vegetable patch where you get sun all year round. Alternatively, have two different areas, one for summer vegetable growing, one for winter.
In hot, dry climates some vegetables are best grown with a little protection from fierce summer sun. Do this by locating them where they will get gentle morning sun and afternoon shade, or by using shade cloth, either permanently or pulled across only on really hot days.
Radiant heat from walls, fences, and concreted or paved areas significantly increases air temperature, and this can cause vegetables to burn, be more prone to insect pests and diseases, or at least have higher water requirements in hot weather. In cool climates, however, this radiant heat can be used to great advantage for the late ripening of summer vegetables such as tomatoes.
Climbing peas are a great crop to grow against a fence to make use of vertical space—a good tactic in small gardens. There is the added benefit of hiding the fence.
The main ways in which wind causes problems in the vegetable patch is that it blows over tender plants, breaks stems, and dries out plants in hot weather. You can provide protective windbreaks, which slow wind speeds while still allowing good air circulation and helping to prevent fungal diseases.
A vegetable garden should be as close to your house as possible so you can gather vegetables and herbs readily. It should be located near a tap and even, ideally, have its own rainwater tanks as its water source. Having a shed or storage area close by for tools and equipment is also handy, with an adjacent compost heap or worm farm so you can manage garden waste and access the compost easily. Finally, garden beds should be designed so that all produce is within arm’s reach and you can harvest produce easily without having to stand on the garden beds.
Follow these planning principles to get your vegetable plot off to a good start and to ensure a rich harvest.
This neatly boxed garden is divided into plots, which makes it easy to keep track of what you’ve planted where.
Grass or lawn paths between vegetable beds are comfortable and soft to walk on and reduce radiant heat from hard or paved paths.
POSITION
Choosing the right position makes the difference between success and failure when it comes to growing vegetables.
