The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 2 Spring 2012 | Page 21

The veggie patch

In the veggie garden this spring
As the weather warms up, the veggie garden will start to come to life
again. Get into the garden and start growing all your favourite veggies!

What to do this spring
• In the hotter months, herbs such as
sage, basil, rosemary and lavender
start to flourish, so it is important to
pick them regularly or give them a
light pruning. Prune them by pinching
out the growing tips to encourage
herbs to bush out more.
• Continue transplanting seedlings
or sowing seeds directly into the
beds throughout spring. It is best
to transplant seedlings in the late
afternoon. Keep transplanted
seedlings moist during their first week
in the bed and in the extreme heat in
October, sprinkle with water during
the day to cool them down. There are
a lot of nurseries which sell a variety
of vegetable seedlings, but if you buy
seeds in a packet, check the directions
for spacing and germinating.
• The following vegetables are best
sown directly: carrots, cucumbers,
beans, squashes, pumpkin, sweet corn
and butternut. Remember that they
may need to be thinned out otherwise
they will compete for nutrients and
water.
• If you are preparing your beds for
summer, remember to dig in plenty of
compost, vegefert (one handful per
square metre) and super phosphates
(one handful per square metre) to a
depth of 30 cm. Mix them together
well with the soil. If you want to go
organic, add compost and an organic
soil builder rather than fertilisers.
An organic soil builder
is available at Nico
Orgo.

What to plant
• Before the rains, the hot weather in
October will dry the soil out quickly, so
it is important to water regularly in dry
weather. Keep ground well mulched
with compost, straw, dead leaves or
grass clippings to prevent evaporation.
• Feed your veggies every 6 weeks with
a fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate
(AN).
• When it starts to warm up in October,
pick your strawberries frequently to
encourage new growth. Keep them
well watered, fed and mulched with
compost or straw.
• As growth picks up, watch out for
weeds as they will thrive with the
increased moisture and heat. Get them
out early before they spread or set
seed.
• If your bed is empty, you’ll lose a lot of
water to evaporation so fill any gaps
with quick growing summer crops or
marigolds, which repel insects and
nematodes. Nematodes (eel worm)
often attack the roots of vegetables.
• In wet weather, watch out for snails
– put out snail bait amongst the
veggies. Snail bait is available at most
nurseries.

September
Beans, beetroot, butternut,
cabbage, carrots, leeks,
lettuce, radishes, squash,
spinach, sweet corn, cucumber,
pumpkin and tomatoes.

October
Basil, beetroot, cabbages,
carrots, coriander, beans,
lettuce, sweet corn, gems,
leeks, marrow, peppers,
potatoes, pumpkins, spinach
and tomatoes.

November
Beans, cabbage, carrots,
lettuce, green and red frilly
lettuce, gems, leeks, marrow,
peppers, potatoes, pumpkins,
spinach and tomatoes.

21