Growing high-quality vegetables in an organic vegetable garden

Perhaps you’ve been finding the vegetables sold in your local supermarket totally “bland” for a while now? And maybe, coincidentally, you’ve recently decided to reorganise your garden... Why not create your very own vegetable plot? A practical way to make sure you only eat seasonal vegetables. But it's important not to rush into the project unprepared. A vegetable garden needs to be carefully planned if it is to be a success.

An organic vegetable garden doesn’t take up much room and can provide fresh vegetables daily. But to bring it to life, it’s not enough to simply sow your seeds then sit back and wait. To grow vegetables you need to ask the right questions and find appropriate strategies to answer them. Otherwise, the project will be doomed to failure... primarily due to pests and other diseases.

Which vegetables should you choose?

Select commonly used vegetables. First of all plant those you eat routinely. A whole range of organic vegetables exist that you could grow:

• Leafy vegetables include: lettuces, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, leaks, spinach, chard, etc.
• Legume vegetables primarily include peas, beans (mangetout or to be shelled) and field beans.
• Fruit-vegetables are generally eaten in savoury dishes: tomatoes, zucchinis (courgettes), peppers, eggplants, aubergines etc.
• Root and bulb vegetables can also be grown: carrots, turnips, radishes, potatoes, beetroot, onions, garlic, etc.

Which soil types are suitable for an organic vegetable garden?

Organic vegetables need to be planted following a precise calendar: summer vegetables are sown from March to June, while winter vegetables are planted in July and August. Some vegetables, such as radishes and carrots, are quick and easy to grow. Others take longer to reach maturity and require lots of care (artichokes, asparagus).

• Vegetables generally require rich, well-drained soil. Fertilise soil if necessary, with green fertilisers, wood chippings, manure or compost. Watering should be adjusted on the basis of the requirements of each vegetable. It is important to incorporate enough organic matter to make sure that the soil is neither too sandy nor too compact.
• Use crop rotation. The method consists in not planting the same vegetable in the same place each year. This prevents the soil from becoming depleted and prevents the establishment of vegetable-specific pests in the soil.
• Add straw or mulching around your plants. Mulching will protect the soil, keeping it cool in the summer and warmer in the winter.

What garden “pests” are encountered?

Organic vegetable gardens potentially have to cope with numerous attacks. Molluscs are, undoubtedly, the most dangerous pests: they tend to attack young plants, at night or during rainy periods. Snails use their serrated tongue to make holes in lettuce leaves, stems, peas and potatoes.

And the dangers of wireworms - a recurrent enemy of vegetables - mustn’t be overlooked: the larvae of this insect feed on the roots and tubers of vegetables. Result: the plants are visibly weakened (wilting lettuce, for example) or not very productive. Prevention, protection and combinations of the two are the measures that can be used to limit the damage caused to vegetables by these insects or diseases:

• crop rotation is a way of preventing the proliferation of parasites,
• monitoring the general health of each plant and regular, daily examination are necessary to detect any problems,

a combination of potent aromatic plants will serve as a repellent against a number of pests,
finally, chemical products should only be used as a last resort.

The use of organic gardening products is recommended; these guarantee high-quality harvests and flower-filled gardens, respecting both people and the environment. Their composition meets the requirements of fertilising products and growing media that can be used in organic farming. To purchase these, visit your nearest approved distributor: self-service farm supply stores, specialised stores and gardening stores.