Lifestyle
Five tips to get your spring vegetable garden off the ground
Dreaming of growing your own veggies, but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered.
Who doesn’t love the idea of going into the garden to harvest fresh-from-the-ground veggies? Forget going to the shops to stock up on overpriced sweet potatoes and tomatoes…simply grow your own, while stretching your monthly groceries budget (which is much needed in these tough economic times).
Follow these growing tips from Premier FMCG, together with Food & Trees for Africa to help you set up a flourishing veggie garden this spring.
- Size matters: Plan your space before you start planting. How many veggies would you like to grow? Allocating just a few square meters is usually enough to grow the basics at home. However, if you’re thinking big and want enough to feed your vegetarian family, you might want to consider teaming up with a couple of neighbours to create a communal garden.
- Get the soil right: The first step to success is choosing good, fertile soil that is rich in nutrients and dark in colour. If your soil is dry, sandy, or very hard, consider buying some topsoil and fertiliser. You could even start your very own compost heap.
- Location is crucial: Sunshine is important. Too much or too little, and your veggies won’t grow. It’s all about finding the right balance. If finding the right spot for one big veggie patch is not possible, consider two smaller patches – one in the shade and one in the sun. Be sure to plant where your vegetables will be protected and safe from strong winds.
- Group similar veggies: Choose a mix of your favourite vegetables and herbs and read the instructions to see how far apart you need to space them and how much sunlight and water they need. Plant veggies with similar needs together. Some of the most nutrient-dense vegetables and herbs that are good to plant in spring include: spinach; garlic; green peas; asparagus; beetroot; eggplant; tomatoes; red cabbage; and cauliflower.
- Keep things moving: Different plants soak up different nutrients from your soil. To avoid using all the soil’s nutrients, keep rotating your crops by planting a different vegetable in each section after every harvest.
