Vegetable gardening requires patience and cannot be rushed. Jaci’s vegetable garden in full bloom.
Photo by
Jaci Hicken
WHEN NOT WRITING, JOURNALIST JACI HICKEN CAN BE FOUND IN HER MASSIVE VEGETABLE GARDEN WEEDING, PLANTING AND HARVESTING FRESH HOME-GROWN PRODUCE. HERE IS HER SPRING PLANTING GUIDE.
One thing about vegetable gardening, and pretty much all gardening, is that you can’t rush things.
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Rushing planting before the seasons are ready can waste time and effort.
These are the things I consider before planting my spring vegetables.
Is the temperature warm enough?
The air and soil temperatures can be directly related to the length of the day.
Your soil needs to absorb the sun’s warmth during the day and store it so that the ground is warm enough to germinate seeds.
This only happens as the days get longer.
I don’t plant any seeds or seedlings outside in my patch until the days start getting longer than the nights, which is September 22, the spring equinox.
In spring, sow beans, carrots, corn, daikon radish, fennel, kale, leek, parsnip, radishes, spring onion, zucchini, and various herbs like basil (pictured) directly into the garden.
Photo by
Jaci Hicken
Is your soil ready to grow vegetables?
Up there with soil temperature is soil nutrients.
This is something that is worked on all-year-round, whether a vegetable bed is about to be planted or is resting.
It is essential to have well-aerated soil full of organic material to feed your plants over the long run.
Many people would have dug in some well-rotted manure a month or so ago.
But if you are in more of a hurry, chicken poo pellets can be sprinkled at about a handful per metre of vegetable garden before planting seeds or seedlings.
About a week after planting, you can top dress, if you like, with a few more chicken poo pellets to give everything a boost.
Nutrient-rich soil is crucial for feeding plants in the long run and for long-term plant health.
Photo by
Jaci Hicken
What to plant in spring
Directly into the vegetable garden, it is time to sow beans, carrots, corn, daikon radish, fennel, kale, leek, parsnip, radishes, spring onion, zucchini and herbs including basil, chervil, chives, coriander, parsley and sage.
Consider soil and air temperatures before planting spring vegetables and ensure the soil is ready and warm enough for planting.
Photo by
Jaci Hicken
Capsicum, chilli, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin, rockmelon, squash, tomato and watermelon can be sown into punnets to be raised as seedlings before planting out in late November.
Capsicum, chilli, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin, rockmelon, squash, tomato, and watermelon can be sown in punnets now for planting out in the early summer.
Photo by
Jaci Hicken
You won’t find this last piece of advice in many places, but if you want to grow Brussels sprouts, now is the time to start raising them from seed to be large enough to plant out in April and have Brussels sprouts next winter.
