GROW YOUR OWN VEG
SPRING IS THE PERFECT TIME TO PLANT SOME NEW CROPS
There is nothing quite like growing your own produce, especially in summer when the heat really brings an extra rich flavour to your herbs and veggies. Creating the perfect veggie patch isn’t as simple as throwing some seedlings in the garden and hoping for the best – to get the most out of it, you need to follow a few easy steps.
Herbs and vegies love sun so try and find a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day – the more, the better. If you don’t get this much sun, you’ll be limited as to what you can grow so try leafy vegetables rather than fruit-producing plants and you should still get a bountiful harvest.
SOIL 101
Edible plants love good drainage, so if you have boggy soil, consider installing a raised garden bed, as these naturally drain better. If you can’t fit a raised bed in your garden, mound the soil up so the water can get away. Although edible plants like good drainage, they need rich soil to help support all the growth that is done. For sandy soil, add lots of compost, as this will hold onto nutrients. For heavy clay soil, add some gypsum to break it up and organic matter to bring in the worms to also aid in freeing up the soil profile.
THIRSTY WORK
When planting your vegetables, add blood-andbone fertiliser to boost the nutrient content of the soil and to help feed your plants. This natural feed is great for all-round growth! When you see flowers forming, fruit won’t be far behind, so switch to a liquid flowerand-fruit fertiliser high in potassium to maximise your crops. You can liquid feed every seven to 10 days for best results.
Watering should be done every couple of days and even every day when it’s really hot. You don’t want soggy wet soil and you don’t want the soil to completely dry out, but it should be kept moist.
KEEP OUT THE PESTS!
Pests can be a problem with vegies and herbs, so keep an eye out, especially on the underside of the leaves. Apply a natural insecticide by combining a litre of water with two onions chopped up, a few hot chillis and a bulb of garlic to knock the pests out. This combo will also keep possums from eating all the fresh new growth!
OR TRY A VEGIE ‘POT’…
Don’t have a garden? No worries! Vegies and herbs can easily be grown in pots or growbags, just give them the best quality potting mix you can afford and a little more water than a plant in the ground, as pots dry out quickly. I love tomatoes and basil in pots, as they complement each other in the kitchen, too!