Tomatoes (good varieties are ‘Heinz 1370’, ‘Moneymaker’, ’Oxheart’,
‘Floridade’), cucumber (if you have space because it’s a ground
creeper), lettuce (especially those that don’t form a head, like Lollo
Rosso, Lollo Biondo because the individual leaves can be harvested for
up to three months) sprouts and radishes (‘Sparkler’ and ‘Cherry
Belle’).
NB: For lettuce chose a spot that gets afternoon shade or dappled
sunshine because full sun in summer is too hot and the lettuce will
quickly go to seed.
Vegetables for small gardens
Spinach (especially ‘Bright Lights) beetroot, lettuce, bush beans,
eggplant, chillies, summer cabbage (‘Cape Spits) and leeks. All these
are compact growing vegetables and veggies like lettuce, beetroot and
spinach can be used as borders. Chillies also make beautiful pot plants.
Vegetables in pots
Tomatoes can be a bit overwhelming for a garden bed but you can
plant a tomato bush in a large pot (about 20 litre) and train it up a
trellis or pyramid. To contain its growth pinch off the growing tips
when it reaches the desired size otherwise you could have a monster. The
small cherry tomato ‘Sweety’ is particularly good in pots. Other runner
plants like peas and beans can also be planted in pots and supported on
a frame. Try chillies and eggplant in pots as well.
Vegetables for large gardens
If you are lucky enough to have plenty of space you can also grow
the more rambling types of vegetables like squash, patty pans, cucumber,
and watermelon.
Like herbs, vegetables do best if grown in a sunny position. Prepare
the beds by digging them over well and mixing in compost. Growing
veggies from seed is much cheaper than buying seedlings and most veggies
can be sown in situ. Just store the left over seeds in the seed packet
in the fridge or in a dark drawer and they will remain viable for
longer.
There’s a saying that " a good gardener always plants three seeds –
one for the grubs, one for the weather and one for himself." It seems to
work. Keep the soil moist during germination and thin out the seedlings
when they are big enough to handle. For a good crop fertilise with
Margaret Roberts Supercharger two weeks after germination and at monthly
intervals after that. All the planting instructions are on the seed
packet (planting depth, final spacing etc) so don’t forget to read the
instructions! To control insects spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray or
Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide. Both are ECOCERT approved for use
by organic gardeners.
And a last word from Prince Charles – "To get the best results you
must talk to your vegetables".
