Sow these easy-to grow-veggies in early January for fresh pickings through to autumn.
As the spring sown veggies reach their peak, renew the veggie garden with a second sowing of quick growing veggies.
Cherry tomatoes, bush beans, beetroot, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and radishes are all quick crops. They will supplement long fruiting crops like brinjals, peppers, capsicums, vine tomatoes and runner beans that have a long harvest period.
Here are a few things to consider
- Make space for new crops by removing vegetables that are past their best. Don’t hang onto a tomato plant that is barely productive, or squash suffering from the heat or fungus diseases as a result of rain.
- Mix it up by not planting the same veggies in the same place. This avoids any soil borne diseases left behind by the previous planting.
- Leafy crops, especially lettuce, that needed sun in spring, will now do better in semi shade.
- Top up the nutrition in beds by adding fresh compost and organic fertiliser.
Keep it cool.
December through to February is usually the hottest time of the year which means more regular watering. This is especially during germination when the soil needs to be consistently moist even if it means lightly watering twice a day. If the soil dries out at a certain stage during germination the crop can fail.
A 60% shade cloth erected over garden beds at a height that allows air to move through can give some respite from the heat. It reduces evaporation and the soil stays moist for longer.
A diluted liquid fertiliser like Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger is less likely to burn plants if they need supplementary feeding during hot weather.
February’s midday heat can be particularly punishing. Place veggies in containers where they receive morning sun and afternoon shade.
Thinning and transplanting
Strengthen newly germinated seedlings with liquid fertiliser like Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger. Thin out seedlings when they develop their first true leaves. When transplanting from seed trays do so in the late afternoon when it is cooler or during cloudy weather. After planting, water with a liquid fertiliser to help the seedlings overcome root shock.
6 Quick growers
Cherry tomatoes are quicker to mature than medium to large tomatoes. ‘Bumble Bee Mix’ consists of cherry tomatoes in striped, pink, purple and sunrise colours. Plants grow 1-1.5m high and some support is advisable.
Water regularly during the growing season and feed pot grown tomatoes with a liquid fertiliser like Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger once a month. The fruits are juicy, full of flavour and pickable, or for snacking off the vine, within 80 to 110 days from transplanting.
Bean ‘Mardi Gras’ consists of purple, cream and green beans that turn light green when cooked. Grow in full sun, in well composted soil, space plants 20c apart in rows 60cm apart. Harvest within 70 to 75 days and pick regularly to encourage more fruit.
‘Red and Gold’ Beetroot is a mix of Detroit Dark Red and Golden Detroit, which has a slightly honeyed taste and keeps it colour when cooked. Detroit Dark Red is sweet and best harvested young. Space plants 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Ready for harvest within 50 to 60 days.
Carrot ‘Parisian’ is a small round carrot that has a shallow root system which makes it possible to grow them in containers or in poor soil. The taste is sweet (ideal for kid’s lunch boxes) and they freeze well and store easily. They grow faster than elongated varieties, being ready for harvest within 50 to 70 days. Space plants 5cm apart in rows 30cm apart.
Lettuce ‘Gourmet Salad Blend’ is a colourful mix of five loose leaf varieties. It is fast growing, with tender leaves and has been selected for a long harvest. Sow into seedling trays because the seed is very fine and easy to waste if sown in situ. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle (about 10cm high) they can be transplanted, spaced 30cm apart.For this time of year grow your lettuce in cool partial shade. Lettuce has shallow roots, so plants need consistent watering. Check at least twice a week and water if the soil is dry down to 5cm deep.
Spinach Beet ‘Swiss Chard Mix’ has brilliantly coloured stems (pink, yellow, orange, red and white), and a long curly leaf. This is chard that is pretty enough to plant in the flower garden. It grows in full sun to semi-shade, in well composted soil and needs regular watering in summer. Harvest the outer leaves and boost with a liquid fertiliser after picking to encourage new leaves.
Seed is available from hardware outlets and large garden centres. For more information visit www.rawliving.co.za and www.kirchhoffs.co.za
Article and images by Alice Coetzee.
