July 2020 Highway DBN

Healthy soil grows healthy veggies
Most garden soils lack the balance of nutrients
required for good growth. For a productive
veggie garden, make healthy soil a priority.
Regularly enrich it by digging in compost
and organic fertilizer, grow green manures
and practice companion planting by pairing
beneficial herbs and veggies, like basil and
tomatoes, thyme and cabbage, oregano and
carrots.
Seed or seedlings?
Sowing from seed is the most affordable way
to garden. A single packet can yield two or
three successive crops, possibly even for the
following year. Most seeds germinate within
seven to 14 days and are ready for thinning
out and transplanting within another three to
four weeks. Root veggies are best sown direct
into the soil, leafy and fruiting veggies into
seed trays.
Seedling packs are for gardeners in a hurry
(like most of us). They’re more expensive but if
you miss the sowing window, seedlings allow
you to play catch-up. With seedlings there isn’t
the hassle of germination failure, thinning out
or wondering when to transplant. There’s also
less chance of overplanting. However, there’s
less variety than you’ll find in seed packets,
although many heirloom varieties are now
available as seedlings.
Patio veggies ... these are compact varieties
bred for growing in pots, or small spaces,
allowing more plants to fit into less space. The
winter range includes Simply Salad mixes of
leaf lettuce and Asian greens, as well as Kale
Storm, a compact curly-leaved variety and
Wonder Wok, a mix of Asian greens.
For summer there’s a wide range of tomatoes,
zucchini Easy Pick, butternut Honeynut,
jalapeno chilli La Bomba, hot and sweet pot
peppers, eggplant Patio Baby and cucumber
Patio Snacker, as well as Simply Herbs
rosemary, oregano and thyme.
Plants are available in pots from garden
centres or seed can be ordered online.
Details: gropak.co.za
44 Get It Highway • Berea • Durban North July 2020