There are huge benefits in Growing your own Vegetables and Herbs. Not only do you provide your family (and friends) with healthy, fresh, tasty and affordable greens, but you will also benefit from regularly exercising outdoors. Gardening is also a natural stress reliever which will improve your mental wellbeing. Whatever the reason for starting your veggie garden, growing your own can be an extremely rewarding activity.
Plan your garden with care and start small, unless you want to provide the whole neighbourhood with vegetables.
Where:
Vegetables and herbs need a sunny location of at least 6 hours direct sunlight per day. Ensure that there is accessible water source close to the vegetable patch.
Plant in well-drained soil, preferably in a raised bed, for improved drainage. Remember that different vegetables have different space requirements, eg. a tomato plant requires less space than a pumpkin which has a creeping growing habit. If you do not have a specific space to grow vegetables, try container gardening or plant amongst flowers.
What:
It is important to know which vegetables will grow in your area. Veggies to plant and sow in February include cauliflower, celery, cabbages, oriental vegetables, onions, spinach, lettuce, carrots, beetroot and swiss chard. Herbs to plant and sow are sweet basil, coriander and parsley. Remember to do crop rotation by planting different vegetables after every harvest. This is a great way to include a wide variety of vegetables in your garden.
How:
Vegetables must grow quickly for optimal flavour and quality, so prepare the beds well. Dig over the bed, adding lots of compost and Garden Phosphate or NutriGreen Gwano Pellets. Rake the bed level, water well and allow the bed to rest for at least 2 weeks before sowing seed. The perfect soil for growing vegetables is a loose, crumbly, well-drained soil that retains moisture and nutrients.
Prepare a herb garden as per the vegetable garden, but preferably as close to the kitchen as possible, or alternatively, plant them between the rows of the vegetable garden.
Some seeds can be sown directly into the soil eg carrots, beetroot, etc, but fine seeds should first be sown in seed trays to maximise success. When sowing fine seeds directly into the soil, mix the seed with a little sand before sprinkling it over the surface of the soil to distribute them evenly.
When:
Timing is critical when sowing herb or vegetable seeds. Make sure that you sow the seeds during the right season for your area. Follow the instructions on the reverse side of the seed packet before you start sowing.
Care:
Looking after your vegetable garden will require effort. To maximize your yield, you need to feed your garden on a regular basis with Protek Lawn & Foliage Fertiliser, 7:1:3 – for leafy vegetables and herbs. For fruit and vegetable bearing plants add Protek Rose & Flower Fertiliser, 8:1:5. For a natural option, choose NutriGreen Gro Green and NutriGreen Flower Power respectively.
To obtain the best quality produce, you should ensure that the vegetables are free of any insects or fungi.
Spray regularly with AviGard and Kemprin to control a wide range of garden insects like aphids, scale, thrips, etc. or Scatter Insectidust, a dusting powder insecticide with contact and stomach action.
Protect your seedlings against snails and slugs by putting out Scatterkill for Snails. It is made from a unique bran bait that is very palatable for snails. It also features a unique pet repellent.
Seedlings are also very vulnerable to cutworms. They feed mainly on roots and leaves of young plants and will even cut the plant under the ground. Protect seedlings with Cutworm Bait, a ready-to-use bait packed in a convenient shaker.
Mycoguard is a contact insecticide and kills the spores of fungi, preventing them from destroying your plants. Tenazole is a systemic fungicide which can be applied preventatively as well as curatively.
Whether a novice or seasoned gardener, there is little more satisfying than providing your own fresh fruit and vegetables, from the garden to the table – enjoy!
