Easy tips to grow your own produce
Here is our handy guide to start you growing your own produce:
1. What to plant
Try Vege "combo packs" which are specially designed to avoid
wastage in your garden -no more ten cabbages, lettuces or whatever
are ready at once. A cabbage combo contains two plants
of three different varieties maturing over a period of several
weeks. A cuisine lettuce combo contains two plants of three
different lettuce varieties. A combo stir fry mix - three veges
suitable for stir-frying.
Spring and Summer are fine for planting summer salad veges such as lettuce buttercrunch, lollo rosso, webbs wonderful, broccoli, cabbage coleslaw Charlie, Derby day, mini (these are a small hearting variety) cauliflower all year round, celery slowbolt, corn honey and pearl, sweet yellow. And don't forget to plant tomatoes such as moneymaker or potentate.
2. Soil Preparation
Soil preparation is very important for a successful vegetable garden. It is better to dig your garden over when it is moist, not soggy, If the soil is dry then it might pay to give it a good sustained water a day or two before digging. This is an ideal time to add a complete fertilizer, organic or otherwise, to your garden bed. It can be simply sprinkled evenly over the soil, making sure it is mixed in well while digging over, two spade depths is ideal.
3. Fertilising
The average garden is used time and time again and for this reason plant nourishment must be replaced. Fertilisers are the easiest way to maintain fertility, they should however be applied carefully as too much could burn the plant - read the label! However don't forget the well-rotted compost as well.
A general or complete fertiliser is all that is needed for an average garden in order for it to contain the correct proportions of food for your plants to ensure continued healthy growth. You can also look at organic options like worm tea or watered down tonics made from animal manure.
4. Planting
This is ideally done in cooler weather, if this isn't possible then in the evening would be best. It is important to water the plants well before planting out, lift the plants carefully out of the pack separating them from one another, planting them in the ground at the same depth they grew in the pack and gently firm the soil around the roots. It is important to have the soil firm otherwise on a hot day the roots will burn off resulting in a dead plant, and the wind will blow them over.
5. Watering
Your garden will require much less water if the ground has been
properly dug over, thus allowing plant roots to find water at a
lower level. One good soaking once a week is far more effective and
beneficial to the plants needs.
