Looking for a fun activity to do outside now the weather’s warmed up? Why not take to the garden and plant a veggie patch. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry you’re not alone. With so many veggies and herbs to choose from, it can be overwhelming, especially when just starting out.
That’s why we’ve done the digging to bring you the ultimate guide to growing a veggie patch this spring.
Carrots
These hardy vegetables are cheap to buy but there’s something deeply satisfying about pulling your own carrots from the ground. Carrots grow best when they are planted from seed sown into the veggie patch and kept damp until tiny seedlings appear. These guys also love free-draining, deep soil.
Tomatoes
The tomato is often the veggie that most first-time gardeners gravitate to. This isn’t a surprise when there’s so many yummy varieties available. Tomatoes can grow roots along their stems, so when planting tomato plants or seeds, plant deep; right up to the first set of leaves. Make sure you water them regularly, protect them from hot spells in summer and fertilise them when yellow flowers start to appear.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are prized for their golden flesh, delicious nutty flavour and are ideal roasted, souped or thrown into salads. Pumpkins grow best in sunny spots so make sure you choose a well-lit space in your garden with well-drained soil. Ensure you leave at least 1sqm to give the vines room to spread when sowing 4 seeds in each mound. Make sure you water well when the soil is dry, particularly in hot or windy weather and harvest your pumpkins when the vine dies off and the stalk turns brown. Pumpkins keep well so you can expect to enjoy these beauties all year round.
Basil
This deliciously fragrant, fast growing herb pairs perfectly with tomato, garlic and lemon. Basil enjoys full sun to part shade so make sure you choose an area of your garden that gets a few hours of sun a day. Sow the seeds or seedlings in well-drained soil that’s been enriched with fertiliser. Keep the soil moist and feed weekly with a liquid plant food to promote lots of healthy green leaves. Make sure you water the base of the plant rather than the leaves to help prevent leaf diseases. Basil should be ready to pick 6 weeks after sowing so you’ll be enjoying homemade pesto in no time!
Mint
This versatile herb adds a tangy punch to both sweet and savoury dishes. Once you plant mint it’ll become your garden’s constant companion however it can spread too well so unless you have the space, we recommend planting it in a pot. To plant, sow seeds, cover, firm down and water well. Make sure you keep the soil moist, so the seeds don’t dry out. Once the seeds start to sprout lay down some mulch and feed weekly with liquid plant food to ensure strong root development and good leafy growth. Water regularly as mint thrives in moist conditions. Snip leaves and stems as you need them, removing any flower heads to help prolong the harvest season. Water regularly as mint thrives in moist conditions.
If you can see a future for you or your family at Jindowie, feel free to get in touch with our team who would love to chat to you about available house and land packages.
Debra Hanlon
Phone: 0414 940 724
Email: [email protected]
Lee Johnstone
Phone: 0403 060 129
Email: [email protected]
