Guide to growing Garden Deco Collection
Cultivation guide – How to succeed with your decorative kitchen garden
Growing a potager, or decorative kitchen garden, is about creating conditions for enjoyment with all the senses. In a decorative kitchen garden, edible crops are combined with flowers, and the result is therefore extra enjoyable.
Below is our comprehensive guide to what to consider when growing the Garden Deco Collection based on our own experiences, successes and failures. We hope it provides inspiration and help along the way!
1. Plant position
Place your vegetable garden in a location with plenty of sun and preferably protected from wind. You can provide wind protection by placing the vegetable garden next to a board, trellis or shrubbery.
Sunny location : 6–7 hours or more per day. Most optimal and gives the fastest growth
Partial shade : 3–5 hours of sun per day. Works, but growth will be slower
Shady location : less than 3 hours of sun per day. Not recommended
2. Prepare the growing site
Towards May, the time for final planting/direct sowing of the crops in this collection begins to draw closer. Before then, you should prepare the growing site. These crops can be grown both in pallet collars and in beds/open ground.
Cultivate in pallet collar
A standard pallet collar (80×120 cm) holds about 200 liters of soil. You get the best results with a double pallet collar, i.e. you load two pallet collars on top of each other. This will increase the soil depth and give the plants more room to grow.
Soil recipe for a double pallet collar:
· 5 bags of potting soil
· 2 bags of cow manure
· 1 bag of biochar
Grow in existing flowerbed (open field)
If you are going to plant the crops in an existing growing area, it is important to prepare the soil before planting/direct sowing the crops. You do this by:
1. Clear away all weeds.
2. Loosen the soil 20–30 cm deep – this will make it easier for the crops to establish themselves.
3. Fertilize the soil to give the crops the best start. You can use:
1. Pelleted chicken manure or vegetable fertilizer (follow dosage on the package)
2. Well-drained manure from horse or cow. Use approximately 1–3 liters/m².
4. Improve soil for better soil structure by adding compost, bark mulch or biochar.
3. Watering
A good supply of water is essential for successful cultivation. In general, it is better to water abundantly every now and then rather than a little every day, this will give the plants stronger roots.
Tip!
Cover your crops with straw or grass clippings to help the moisture stay in the soil longer.
Water early in the morning or late in the evening. If you water in the middle of the day, the water will evaporate.
4. Nutrition
Feed your crops with liquid plant food every two weeks. Alternatively, you can make your own nutrient water using pelleted manure or nettles – for recipes and other tips click here Fertilizer – New Botanic
5. Care
Tending your crops during the season is important to maximize your harvest. Small efforts often are better than large efforts less often. Keep in mind that:
· Keep weeds at bay and loosen the soil lightly if necessary.
· Make sure the plants have space and light. Different crops have different growth rates – watch out for fast-growing crops so they don’t completely take over.
Quick Guides: How to Succeed with the Crops in the Garden Deco Collection
Corn – decorative and tall growing
Cultivation
Corn kernels have a hard shell and are therefore best grown in pots filled with potting soil that is completely moistened. We do not recommend using the growing briquettes for corn as they have too porous a structure which can make it difficult for corn to germinate. Place the seeds in a warm place, above a radiator or in a sunny spot, for faster germination.
Transplantation
Location : Corn thrives best in a sunny, sheltered location – preferably at least 6–7 hours of sun/day. A semi-shady location can also work, but growth will be slower.
Growing location : The corn plants will grow large, so plant them together in their own pallet collar where they can form their own little corn field. Growing them together also facilitates pollination.
Watering : Keep the soil evenly moist. Water abundantly during hot periods.
Nutrition : Corn requires a lot of nutrition. Feed with liquid fertilizer every two weeks or add pelleted fertilizer.
Swiss chard – colorful and nutritious
Direct sowing
Swiss chard is sown directly in the growing area when the soil has warmed up (May-June).
Location: Swiss chard thrives in Sunny-partially shaded location, preferably at least 5–6 hours of sun per day.
Nutrition: Fertilize regularly for large, succulent leaves.
Tip: Harvest outer leaves first, then the plant will continue to produce new leaves.
Kale – robust and decorative
Pre-cultivation/direct sowing
Kale can be pre-grown indoors for an early harvest. It can also be direct sown when the soil has warmed up (May). Pre-grow the kale in the growing briquettes according to instructions.
Location: Sunny to semi-shady, preferably at least 5–6 hours of sun/day.
Watering: Regular watering produces juicy and strong leaves.
Nutrition: Cabbage is a nutrient glutton! Fertilize throughout the growing season for a rich harvest.
Protect against pests: Cover with insect netting and pick off caterpillars as soon as you see them!
Tip: Harvest leaves from the outside in, this will stimulate continued growth.
Cress – colorful and fast-growing
Pre-cultivation/direct sowing
Cress can be grown indoors for early flowering. Cress seeds have a hard shell and are therefore best grown in pots filled with potting soil that is completely moistened. We do not recommend using growing briquettes for cress as they have too porous a structure which can make germination difficult. Cress can also be sown directly when the soil has warmed up (May).
Location: Cress is unpretentious and can handle both sunny and semi-shady locations.
Watering: Water regularly, especially on hot days.
Nutrition: A little nutrition is enough → too much fertilizer produces more leaves than flowers.
Tip: Garnish food and drinks with both leaves and flowers – they have a wonderfully peppery flavor and are very decorative.
Sweet pea – climbing and sweet
Direct sowing
Sweet peas are sown directly in the growing area when the soil has warmed up (May-June). The pea has a hard shell so it is important that the soil is kept evenly moist for it to germinate.
Location: Sunny, preferably protected from strong winds. Can tolerate some shade.
Support: Sweet peas require support: trellis, twine or small sticks to climb on.
Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet.
Nutrition: Feed with liquid fertilizer once a week during the flowering period.
Tip: Pick pods often, it stimulates growth and more flowers which in turn gives a larger harvest.