Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and to the world of kitchen gardening. I'm looking forward to learning from you all and sharing my experiences. I have a small backyard where I grow some herbs, salads, and tomatoes. I also have a few pots of flowers and succulents. I enjoy gardening as a hobby and a way to relax and connect with nature.

What are some of the best practices for growing organic vegetables in a small space? I want to avoid using any chemicals or pesticides, but I also want to protect my plants from pests and diseases. How do you deal with common problems like aphids, slugs, blight, etc.?

Good afternoon, Guy, and a very warm welcome to the forum.

I would say one of the best practices of Organic gardening is, to keep the soil fed and in good condition. The best thing is, if you can make your own homemade compost, then you can just add chicken manure pellets or, fish, blood and bone, for an extra top up of feed. If you can’t make your own compost, you can always add well rotted manure, either buy it in or, look for a local source….
Fleece and netting is a good way to keep the pests off your crops!
Regarding slugs and snails, you can put a tile, slate, or even a small wooden board, down, and the slugs and snails tend to go under them….you can then collect them up and dispose of them, as you want to…they do need checking every couple of days in the growing season, though!
Where about’s are you based, as it helps when folk are trying to give advice?

Hi Guy!

It is easy to be organic, so no problems there as just like OH says just make your own compost. Keep a little space in a corner or biggish wooden box & throw in your crop roots; soil attached, any gone over plants, OK to use any bought ones as well. Cover it to warm it up as it breaks down quicker & give it a turn over with a fork as well. Protection is vital for things like leek moth & cabbage white caterpillars. The smallest size hole you can find in mesh & just some hoops to throw it over with it securely pinned down. This mesh lasts for decades so you will be recycling. Blight is more tricky as it comes down with the rain so if concerned for your tomatoes in particular build them a little DIY cover, some old perspex sheeting or bubble wrap & a roll up blind of bubble wrap to roll down at the front when conditions veered toward blight, worked for me when I grew outdoors. There are sites online that will give you warnings of blight if the weather conditions look to change. Can't recall the correct name but there is one for commercial potato growers that anyone can access.

Look up square foot gardening for ideas to get as many crops as possible in a small space. Welcome to the forum Guy, & just ask anything that pops into your mind. I started out with limited knowledge, but the forum members have years of experience they were more than willing to share their knowledge & that includes flowers & fruit as well!

Welcome Guy.

For growing more produce in small spaces check out "Veg in One Bed, Huh Richards"book.

For composting check Charles Dowding on the web.

My local library has books from both the authors above.

Welcome. ! As others have said, I think the answer lies mainly in the soil.
Your own compost heap w the secret here. You can't get enough of it .

Get into a habit of doing a nightly slug/snail patrol, especially after the ground has been soaked by rain and dispose of as many as possible. They will keep coming but you have to keep up the patrols.

Hey Guy, welcome! To maximize produce in small spaces, I recommend checking out "Veg in One Bed" by Huw Richards. For composting tips, you should look up Charles Dowding online. It's great to hear that your local library carries books from both of these authors.

If you really don't have space anywhere for a compost heap you might try experimenting with composting down small quantities of kitchen waste (banana skins, peelings etc) in pots while the vgs are actually growing i them. I,ve tried this successfully with tomatoes whilst they,ve been growing although normally I do winter composting of this nature when pots are free of plants. You do have to be extra vigilant for slugs though.