Nothing beats the freshness of home grown vegetables

I have fond memories of picking and eating peas straight from the pod as a child and then trying to do the same with broad beans! No wonder I detested broad beans. I find it really satisfying to grow my own vegetables because, combined with the sense of achievement, there are savings that can be made and more importantly, you control the use of pesticides.

Smaller Garden?

Gardens are getting smaller. Quarter acre sections are nearly a thing of the past. New modern hybrid varieties of vegetables are good for smaller gardens because they are higher yielding, better tasting, and more disease resistant. If space is limited, avoid planting sweet corn or pumpkin because these vegetables need space. Instead grow fast maturing vegetables that require minimal space. Carrots produce an amazing crop for a small space, as do radishes. Another great idea is to incorporate vegetables into the flower border. Artichokes or fancy leaf lettuce for example, will not look out of place in a small plot but will add texture, colour and contrast to the flower border.

Planting your vegetables

When choosing a site for vegetables, pick a spot that is in full, all day sun, sheltered from prevailing winds. Preferably, plant your vege patch in an area clear of large trees and shrubs otherwise the roots have to compete for space, water and nutrients. A well-drained soil is essential. In clay soils, raise beds to improve drainage. Poor stony soils can be improved by importing a load of top soil or adding compost. Raised beds should be built up (about 15cm high) above the soil.

Before planting dig in plenty of compost, mulch or well rotted organic material to the vegetable plot. Incorporate Butlers General Garden fertiliser or Blood and Bone at the recommended rate. Apply a light dressing of lime in spring and work into the soil. Leave for one week before planting your vegetables.

Watering

It is important to keep vegetables well watered when they are actively growing. Deep watering is more beneficial than a light sprinkling which brings the roots to the soil surface. If plants become stressed due to a lack of water, they "bolt" or go to seed very quickly. Fresh, juicy, succulent vegetables are the result of good watering. Mulching the soil surface with compost, peat, lawn clippings or straw helps retain soil moisture. Apply mulch in early spring and mid summer.

'Tis the season

Most failures in the vegetable garden are due to growing out of season. All garden centres will stock seasonally appropriate vegetable seedlings. Vegetables need to be planted according to their seasonal requirements.

Cool season vegetables are sown from February to September and harvested from May to December. These include broad beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, onions, shallots, peas, spinach, turnips and swedes.

Warm season vegetables are sown from October to February and harvested from December to May. These include beans, capsicums, courgettes, cucumbers, egg plants, marrows, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, sweet corn, kumara and tomatoes. These vegetables are frost tender.

Intermediate vegetables are less affected by temperature. Beetroot, cabbage, carrots, celery, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, radish and silver beet will grow year round in mild climates like Auckland and Northland.

A steady continuous supply of vegetables can be achieved with planning and careful planting. To avoid planting everything at the same time, use Supa Veg cell packs. These contain six even plants each grown in its own ball of soil to reduce transplant shock when replanted. Cell packs make planting in succession easy and are used by commercial vegetable growers.

Vegetables can also be grown in containers which is a great idea for apartment dwellers or where garden space is limited. Salad vegetables are especially easy. Use a quality potting mix and a balanced controlled release fertiliser such as Osmocote. Keep them watered regularly and situate in a sunny, sheltered position.

Pests

With good management - seasonal planting, crop rotation, weed control, regular watering and feeding - the vegetable plot should remain relatively pest and disease free. I like to keep spraying chemicals as a last resort. Digital control is effective - the thumb and forefinger! I was once told to plant enough for the bugs to eat as well!

The major pests affecting vegetables are slugs and snails. Protect seedling plants with Butlers Slug and Snail Pellets, Baysol or Blitzem. Other insect pests need to be controlled as they appear. Use an organic spray with a pyrethrum base or one with a short withholding period. This means vegetables can be harvested one to three days after spraying. Protection from some fungus diseases can be achieved with regular sprays of Copper Oxychloride or Champ DP.

Gardening is fun. Nothing beats the satisfaction of picking your own vegetables.