It's Grow Time for a Veggie Garden

Food, Drink & Recipes, Gardening & Related

It’s Grow Time for a Veggie Garden

October 13, 2021by HOMEMAKERS Editor0 comments

There is still time to get some summer planting done before we leap into the festive season. With a little bit of planning, you can have a veggie garden full of fresh, homegrown produce to kickstart your new year’s resolutions with. It is not to late to get started and your future self will love you for providing an easy, edible detox by January.

All you need is a vegetable patch, or three or four large containers, some basic vegetable seeds, and a little bit of patience.

What can I look forward to in 90 days?

Basically, don’t attempt to grow anything with above ground fruit like tomatoes, peppers or eggplants from seed in 90 days. Greens, spring onions, chives, herbs and radishes are perfect for quick harvests.

Green Means Go

Most leafy greens grown from seed can grow a good head of leaves in 90 days.
If you are growing from seed, go for something that you can eat as baby leaves and micro greens, as well as later in the season when the flavour becomes stronger.

Rocket is a good start and has other benefits as well. The rocket plant is hardy and happy in most soil, requiring minimal watering during a normal rainy season. Check leaves for wilting and keep soil moist in dry areas or during heatwaves.

Pinch off leaves from the lower part of the plant as soon as they are about finger length and use as a base for salads.

Add Some Colour

Radishes are notoriously easy to grow in a vegetable garden, giving you a good harvest in just over 70 days. Nothing is quite as tantalizing as seeing the pinkish red mounds swell up and start rising above ground level, just to have the satisfaction of pulling them up with a pop and seeing the full ripe round bulb for the first time.

Thinly slice the peppery radishes and add to your salad for a delicious crunch.

Spring onions and chives can also be eaten young, so sowing early means you’ll have them for the rest of the season. Chop them up and scatter over salads or use as garnish for any other savoury dishes.

What else can I do with my veggies?

Rocket can be made into a pesto with olive oil and freezes well. (Or just leave the plants to flower and go to seed – bees LOVE rocket flowers!)
Radishes can also be roasted like baby potatoes or used in a pickle like kimchi.

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