A Master Class in Growing Your Own

When it comes to growing your own fruit and vegetables we all know how good it is for you, that it saves you money but most importantly it simply tastes better. It seems growing your own can be a little contagious, once your neighbours, friends or family start putting in a plot, pot or two, others quickly follow. Dinner party conversations often head towards, is this salad from your own garden? Did you really grow these tomatoes? Wow these new potatoes are so sweet and taste delicious!

Traditionally every kiwi home had a veggie garden, a handful of fruit trees and a sand pit. Nowadays, with smaller sections and busier lifestyles this has changed. Society has adapted by growing crops in raised beds or containers, hanging baskets, window boxes and even recycling bins. There is no excuse not to give something ‘a grow’ this season.

The 5 Ps to success. Plan, Prepare, Plant, Pick, Preserve

Plan – Find a position in full sun for your veggie garden, raised beds, pots or baskets. Very few crops except a few leafy greens will grow in the shade. Ask yourself what do you like to eat? There is no point growing crops none of the household enjoy. Find inspiration in the Tui NZ Vegetable Garden book, in garden centers or search online plant catalogues.

Prepare – Save money on your gym membership by digging in a new garden. It takes a bit of effort but you certainly feel good after the job is done. In cases where you have an existing area the soil needs to be cultivated, next blend in layers of compost, sheep pellets and vegetable food. When preparing and filling raised beds or growing in containers simply fill with Tui Vegetable Mix, this has all the goodies in it already to produce delicious crops, no other products are required.

Plant. Let the fun begin! Garden stores are full to brimming with vegetable plants and seeds. The young veggies are ready for planting now and sure to thrive if you have prepared the soil or pots correctly. Simply dig a hole bigger than the root zone, plant and water in. Sprinkle Quash pellets round young plants to keep slugs and snails away. Water regularly to keep soil moist, not boggy or dry.
Seeds are fun and easy to grow too, some crops such as carrots, radish and parsnip can only be grown from seeds. Kids enjoy growing larger seeds like pumpkins, beans and peas. A packet of lettuce seed can produce hundreds of plants, so is the most economical option.

Pick. Enjoy the fruits of your labour, pick crops as soon as they begin to reach an edible size. Many salad crops can be harvested as soon as the leaves are finger size, simply snip the small leaves. Baby carrots are delicious when they are young, this is a good way to extend the harvest season, simply pull a selection of carrots earlier in the season leaving some of the crop to mature for later in the season. Young pea pods and shoots are highly sought after by foodies as are courgette flowers and bean sprouts.
For the sneaky gardener who cant wait to enjoy fresh new season spuds, simply wriggle your hands down under the soil to pluck a few larger potatoes leaving the plant in the ground to continue maturing. It won’t harm the plant if carefully done.

Preserve. Pickling, preserving and bottling was a dying art, now jars are being kept out of the recycling bins ready for harvest time. Crops that lend themselves well to this are tomatoes, onions, beetroot and beans. Nothing quite matches the smug feeling of being able to prepare a platter that features home grown produce, pickles and preserves!

Be a master in your garden this spring, grow your own and reap the rewards by enjoying the taste of fresh, tasty and exceptionally healthy veggies.

Written by Rachel Vogan