HOW TO PLANT A VEGETABLE GARDEN

Kick off the new year by cleaning up the veggie garden. Pull out the seedling trays to sow the first autumn crops – broccoli is the veggie of the moment.

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SOWING GUIDE

HIGHVELD AREAS
Artichokes (globe), bush beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips.

MIDDELVELD AREAS (around Pretoria)
Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard, squashes (bush and trailing), turnips.



EASTERN CAPE
Artichokes (globe), bush beans, broccoli, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard.

WESTERN CAPE
Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, squashes (bush and trailing).



LOWVELD AND KWAZULU-NATAL COAST
Artichokes (globe), brinjals, capsicums (sweet peppers and chillies), tomatoes.



DID YOU KNOW?
Researchers have found that growing cucumbers vertically dramatically increases yields, because the vines receive better air circulation and more sunlight than vines on the ground. Also, deep watering once a week is better than frequent shallow watering, which reduces overall yields.



HARVESTING SWEET PEPPERS
The more often you pick sweet peppers, the more fruit the plant produces. The problem is that the flavour doesn’t develop as much. Letting peppers ripen on the bush produces delicious sweet peppers, but the yield is less. To avoid this dilemma, plant at least two bushes and allow one plant to fully ripen to maturity, while harvesting the other throughout the season. Don’t tug the fruit off a plant when picking. It may break off a branch or even uproot the entire plant. Use sharp garden pruners to cut the tough stem.

5 MIN TO SPARE
Mulch veggies growing in pots just as you would in the garden. This keeps moisture from evaporating and prevents the soil from compacting, which can be caused by hand watering.



TOMATOES FOR HANGING BASKETS
In most areas it is too late to sow another crop of tomatoes, except if you plant out cherry tomato seedlings. They are a quicker crop and do very well in sunny patio containers and hanging baskets.

Be sure to give the plants plenty of light, and monitor moisture. Plants in containers dry out faster than those planted in the ground. Try to water early in the day so that plants will dry off before evening. This also helps to reduce disease problems. Cherry tomatoes prefer regular feeding once the fruit sets, but too much early in the season will grow a large plant, but with fewer tomatoes.

You can pick cherry tomatoes when they start to show colour, as they will continue to ripen. However, the closer you can get to vine-ripened the better the flavour will be. To ripen cherry tomatoes, place them in a paper bag, stem-end up. Punch several holes in the bag and fold over the top. The bag will help to keep some of the natural ethylene gas close to the fruit, which aids in the ripening process. Check progress daily.

10 MIN TO SPARE
Weed, weed, weed! Heat and rain provide ideal conditions for weeds. Weeds compete with veggies for nutrients, water and light. The best way to eradicate weeds is to pull them out, roots and all. Weeds that haven’t gone to seed and aren’t flowering can be put on the compost heap.

VEGGIE GARDEN TASK LIST

• Carrots, cress, bush beans, beetroot and even bush tomatoes that were planted in spring should be ready for replacing.
• Pull out and dispose of diseased plants.
• Thin out overcrowded beds so that there is better air circulation and plants have more access to sunlight.
• Fertilise long-season crops with a liquid feed like Nitrosol or Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger for leafy veggies, and Multifeed (fruit and flowers) for fruit-bearing crops.
• Use clippings from aromatic herbs like catmint, lavender and rosemary as an insect-repelling mulch or in an insect-repelling spray.
• Monitor the rainfall and supplement it with watering where necessary. Bear in mind that 15mm of rainfall represents only one thorough watering.

If you enjoyed this article read more about Square Foot gardening here. It’s a way of growing more in less space and a great stepping-stone to the world of growing your own food.

BY ALICE SPENSER-HIGGS