With summer already here, it’s time to plant, harvest and maintain your vegetable garden so it continues to provide a bountiful crop for your family. So if you are new to growing vegetables in your garden, here are a few top tips for getting everything straightened out for summer.
Planting during summer
The easiest and most popular vegetables to plant during summer are chillies, eggplants, potatoes, radishes, silver beets, spring onions, capsicums, leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce and even berries. There’s also lots of herbs you can plant during summer, including coriander, basil, chives, fennel, mint, parsley and tarragon. You can even grow some of these in container pots, if you don’t have enough space in your garden.
Harvesting during summer
As soon as summer arrives, you should start to harvest your potatoes, tomatoes, berries, melons, strawberries, green beans, beetroot, capsicum, cabbage, celery, chillies, radishes and sweetcorn. There are many more vegetables and fruits that ripen during summer, it just depends on what you prefer to plant in your garden.
Maintenance during summer
To keep your plants healthy and your soil in good condition it needs water. Lots of water! So don’t skimp on watering your garden, unless restrictions apply (installing a rainwater tank is ideal for vegetable gardens). You can also spread good quality mulch on your veggie patch to reduce the day time temperature of the soil and prevent water evaporation.
Managing your vegetable garden
Compost is also good to dig into your soil during summer as it encourages healthy microbial activity and improves the structure and drainage of the soil. You might also need to net some of your plants, particularly if your area is prone to summer pests that eat away at your veggies.