Eat something from your garden every day

Depending on space, climate and the amount of sun you get, it probably isn't possible for you to produce enough veggies at home to completely avoid buying some veggies. However, with some careful planning, it is possible to eat something from your garden every day. These veggies will be packed with nutrients if you grow them well and harvest them just before you eat them. Having pots of herbs and leafy cut-and-come-again crops like lettuce, kale and silverbeet, as well as harvesting only the tops of spring onions so they can reshoot form the base, can ensure you have access to the basics. However, in late Spring even these veg will bolt to flower as the days lengthen and need to be replanted, along with rocket, and herbs like parsley and coriander. Some other veggies require a bit more planning for a continuous supply. 

Succession planting is easier than you think

Crops like carrots, onions, beetroot, pak choy, leeks, corn and radish, where you harvest the whole plant once, obviously need to be succession planted if you want a continuous supply. Figure out how many carrots you'd like to harvest each week, fortnight or month and plant that many each week, fortnight or month. It's as simple as that. Except that you have to be disciplined or you won't have a harvest. Develop a system that works. Don't give up. The more times you sow carrots, the better you will be at it. Sowing them just before a forecast week of rain can help them germinate evenly. 

Summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and beans will probably be prolific by Christmas, but die in the Summer heat of February as the exhausted plants have been in the ground since September. Try planting a second crop of these in November or December whilst the first ones are still flowering and fruiting so that you have young plants ready for harvest by mid-Summer. Then remove the old plants when they start to look ragged. This also makes space for sowing Autumn and Winter crops like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, peas and potatoes in March once the weather starts to cool. Pumpkin, turmeric, ginger and sweet potato that grow over a long period and are planted once, can go in the ground in October and be stored to eat over Autumn and Winter.

It really is possible to grow a lot of food at home if you put the time, and a little bit of money, towards a bountiful harvest. It tastes better and will be cheaper than going to the shops, as long as you commit to caring for your plants and do your research before you start. 

Still to come

Next time I will talk about how to have success with growing herbs at home. 

This week's recipe links

Zucchini Oat Bread from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. 

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Kale from Love & Lemons. 

Zucchini Cheese Muffin Slab from Recipe Tin Eats. 

Green Goddess Salad from Well Plated. 

More info

To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here.