Plan
Start easy. List what you buy at the supermarket, and plant those veggies first, keeping in mind what's in season and suited to your local weather conditions. Lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens can be ready to eat in as little as 30 days and can be continually picked from as they keep growing. Brassicas such as your classic broccoli and cauliflower, and root crops like beetroot, take much longer, around 3-4 months before they are ready to harvest.
Spacing is also important; if you are new to growing veggies, you may be surprised by how much space they can take up once they grow. Brassicas especially need to be planted 50cm to 70cm apart. Compact veggies like lettuce can be spaced 30cm to 40cm apart. Planting guides, such as the square foot gardening method, can give you more ideas on spacing while fitting in a wide range of veggies.
Soil & Planting Prep
Soil is an important consideration, and the trick to successful crops is to create quality soil for them to thrive in. Make sure the soil is loose and well-draining. One week before planting, turn the soil over with a spade or fork to ensure it is loose, aerated and free of weeds, then incorporate compost, blood & bone and/or sheep pellets. When planting brassicas, incorporating garden lime is essential: it can increase the yield by 50% and helps to avoid club root. Soil replenishment should happen each season when you are planting your next crop.
While it may be tempting to plant out the veggie patch as soon as you get home with your goodies, wait until it's cooled down and plant around 5pm. When ready, make your holes double the width and depth of the veggie plant's root ball and pop your plant in, covering the root ball in soil. Always water in well by hand and use a seaweed tonic to minimise transplant shock. Always give another water after using seaweed if it hits the plant's leaves, as seaweed can stain the leaves of your plants.
Also, never water mid-day. First thing in the morning is best as this avoids the risk of burning the leaves and helps with water retention. Always try to water the soil and minimise water contact with the foliage, to prevent fungus diseases.
Weeds
You've done all the hard work, so don't let those weeds pop up. A top tip in the garden is to make your rows twice as wide as your garden hoe. This way, you can run your garden hoe between the rows weekly and easily keep weeds at bay. Otherwise, using mulches such as pea straw or Besgrow Coir Mulch on the soil surface will keep weeds at bay and reduce how often you need to water, preventing up to 50% of normal water loss.
Upkeep
As you watch your veggies grow, they will be using nutrients from the
soil, so it is vital to replace these nutrients to ensure healthy and productive plants. Applying a liquid, vegetable-specific fertiliser such as Thrive Vegetable Food or liquid blood and bone once a month will keep your veggies flourishing.
Pests
Remember to check your plants for any pests and diseases. You may want to set up a crop cover for your veggie garden to protect against insects and birds. You can also use Debug for caterpillars and natural snail and slug protection.
Garden Expert Tip
When your plants are going to seed, you will know because the foliage growth will become very vigorous, and flowers will appear (depending on the veggie). When this happens, you can leave the plants to provide food for the bees, or remove them. Although they may still be producing new growth, the leaves will often taste bitter.
