It’s not news that food gardening is the hottest trend in home gardening right now, for several reasons. Obviously, the economy has a lot of us looking for ways to reduce our grocery bills, and growing your own can save big money compared to grocery store prices.
September is planting season in South Africa and the climate and soil in the northern parts of our country, especially Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Tshwane, are perfect for growing crops. If you are wondering how you can go about planting your own vegetables this spring season, Premier FMCG, together with Food & Trees for Africa, share below their top tips on how you can get started.
“What better way to enjoy the warmer and longer spring days than by planting your very own vegetable garden? You will have lots of fresh vegetables to add to your meals, giving you the nutrients you need for a healthy diet.
“This is both affordable and worthwhile for the South African family. Not only will you be saving money, but there is also something really rewarding about eating fresh food that you’ve grown yourself,” says marketing executive at Premier FMCG Sibongile Mooko.
Here are their five tips to get you started.
Size matters
It’s important to plan how much space you need. Ask yourself how many vegetables you would like to grow. A few square metres is usually enough to grow the basics at home. However, if you’re thinking big and want enough to feed your family completely, working together with other members of your community to plant more vegetables together is a great idea.
Soil quality
Good, fertile soil is rich in nutrients and dark in colour. If your soil is dry, sandy, or very tight, consider buying some topsoil and fertiliser. You could even start your very own compost heap.
Location
Sunshine is important. Too much or too little, and your veggies won’t grow. It’s important to find the correct balance for what you plant. Or perhaps make two smaller patches, one in the shade and one in the sun. Be sure to plant where your vegetables will be protected and safe from strong winds.
Choose your veggies
Choose a mix of your favourite vegetables and herbs and follow the instructions to space them out correctly. Consider planting the most nutrient-dense vegetables and herbs that are good to plant in spring. These include spinach, garlic, green peas, asparagus, beetroot, eggplant, tomatoes, red cabbage, and cauliflower.
Crop rotation
Different plants soak up different nutrients from your soil. So to avoid using all its nutrients, rotate or change your crops around by planting a different vegetable in each section after every harvest.