Vegetable Gardening

Spring

As Spring daytime, and more important night time temperatures slowly increase, it will be safe to plant some seeds direct into prepared garden beds. However, it is probably best to wait until late in September to gain good germination. These include Sweetcorn, Beans, Capsicum, Chillies and Cucumber. So for early crops it is best to raise seedlings in the greenhouse or purchase them from your nursery.One useful trick is to split up the punnet and plant the seedlings into individual pots and then drop them into the garden in Mid-October.

Spring is the time to plant Peas, Snow Peas, Beans, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes Capsicum, Chilli, Bush Cucumber, Lettuce, Zucchinis, Squash carrots,Beetroot and Pumpkin.. Work cow manure or well rotted compost into the soil with a good dressing of an organic-based general fertiliser such as ‘Giganic’ at planting time and then more applications as indicated on the bag.Apply a suitable mulch to retain moisture during our predicted hot summer. Where possible set up irrigation sprinklers. If using overhead watering early morning application is best so that foliage is not left wet overnight, encouraging fungal disease. .

Watch for snails and slugs. Use snail bait where necessary but select the product that is safe for cats and dogs if you have pets. Take action if caterpillars of the White Butterfly are encountered..