This is a really exciting time of year - the compost bin has been emptied onto the veggie patch and dug in (as per previous post) and the summer veggies are under way! The climbing beans are starting to climb, the zucchinis are growing their adult leaves, tomato plants are keeping stems crossed that there won't be any more frosts... the list is endless! The snails and slugs are getting active too so what ever your method, whether organic or chemical it is time to start implementing! I would be interested to hear back from anyone your favourite methods for deterring or removing the monopod!
It is a good idea to get organised with staking at this early stage so your veggies such as tomatoes can be tied up as they grow. Where I live in the Highlands of NSW I think my favourite tomato is a vine tomato called Tommy Toe. It has medium sized fruit (about 3 - 4 cm across) which are very sweet and prolific. They also seem to mature earlier than the larger tomatoes which run out of summer before they are fully ripened. I'm also trying a tomato called Tumbler this year in a pot as well as a couple of hanging baskets. It'll be interesting to see how well they do!
This year I broke my rule and planted climbing bean seedlings rather than seeds. I'm not sure why I did this, but they are doing ok, though the seeds I put down for a client at the same time are jumping out of the ground and have already overtaken the seedlings. Planting seeds also ensures you know the variety of the bean, where as seedlings can just be a generic "climbing bean". Your choice of course but I would suggest going the seed option.
Remember the important rule as well... plant in intervals so you are not overcome with one type of veggie at any particular time. For example, sow one row of dwarf beans one week, and then in three weeks sow another row. If you do this throughout summer you will have veggies to pick all the time, rather than all at once. Also plant what you and yours like to eat so you are not using up valuable space with plants that may go to waste!
Popular veggies to grow now are: beans, beetroot, capsicum, carrot, celery, chinese greens, cucumber, eggplant,leek, lettuce, melons, parsnip, potato sets, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweetcorn, tomato, zucchini.
Fertilising your veggies is also very important - next post will cover the options for fertilising!
In the meantime... Happy Gardening!
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| healthy zucchini plant grown as a filler in the garden rather than in the veggie patch |
It is a good idea to get organised with staking at this early stage so your veggies such as tomatoes can be tied up as they grow. Where I live in the Highlands of NSW I think my favourite tomato is a vine tomato called Tommy Toe. It has medium sized fruit (about 3 - 4 cm across) which are very sweet and prolific. They also seem to mature earlier than the larger tomatoes which run out of summer before they are fully ripened. I'm also trying a tomato called Tumbler this year in a pot as well as a couple of hanging baskets. It'll be interesting to see how well they do!
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| young climbing bean seedlings just starting to grow up chains |
Remember the important rule as well... plant in intervals so you are not overcome with one type of veggie at any particular time. For example, sow one row of dwarf beans one week, and then in three weeks sow another row. If you do this throughout summer you will have veggies to pick all the time, rather than all at once. Also plant what you and yours like to eat so you are not using up valuable space with plants that may go to waste!
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| Watercress and rocket kept close to the kitchen to add a bit of spice to salads |
Popular veggies to grow now are: beans, beetroot, capsicum, carrot, celery, chinese greens, cucumber, eggplant,leek, lettuce, melons, parsnip, potato sets, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweetcorn, tomato, zucchini.
Fertilising your veggies is also very important - next post will cover the options for fertilising!
In the meantime... Happy Gardening!
