Get Growing this Summer
With the weather warming up and the days getting longer, gardeners up and down the length of the Coromandel are rubbing their hands with glee.
Labour Weekend is on its way and being the traditional planting time here for summer crops many gardeners will have been preparing their ground for weeks now but if you're new to gardening it can be a bewildering experience.
Some people seem to have an almost instinctive ability to grow food, they put plants in the ground and up springs a bounty worthy of any professional instagram page. For others it seems like a mystical process that they can't quite grab the concept of.
With the world being the crazy place it is right, now full of uncertainty, growing your own food seems like a tangible way to gain some control and do some good for you and your family or community.
Growing your own food can be as easy or as complicated as you would like to make it. Reading many gardening books or websites can give you so much information that it becomes overwhelming and it's easy to stop before you even start so let's break it down to some simple steps to get you on your journey.
If you are creating a garden from scratch there are a few things to consider, sun, water, food.
Your garden will need to be in a sunny place. Most summer crops need 8 hours of sun per day so don't go building it under a tree or up against the southern side of the house. I suggest starting off with a smaller garden while you gain confidence as you can always add to it later.
All gardens need to be watered so placing your garden at the very bottom of your garden far away from any hose or tap probably isn't the best idea, unless you're ok with lugging buckets of water down there each day.
And lastly food, we need food and so do your plants. Keeping things at a basic level, compost is your best friend. Buy some bags from the garden shop and mix in with your soil. Then make your own compost heap to keep you supplied throughout the year and cut down the waste you're putting in your rubbish bag each week.
Now that you've got the prep work done it's time to buy your seedlings. It can be easy to get so enthusiastic that you want to grow everything in sight. I've done it before and a word to the wise, if you don't like eating it, don't grow it. If eggplant doesn’t ‘tickle your tastebuds’, why waste the space when you could fit in another tomato plant. Or if you're part of the “I dislike coriander” club, save yourself space and money by not purchasing coriander plants. Personally I can never grow enough to keep our cravings satisfied.
When planting out your seedlings, it's completely up to you if you want your plants growing in straight lines, like something straight out of a design magazine or in a lovely jumble of riotous colour. Keep in mind those sun requirements so that your taller plants, tomatoes, sweetcorn etc aren't shading out your shorter plants. Check the plant tags if you're unsure of the height that your plants will grow to. Stake anything that needs support when you put your seedlings in the ground rather than later so you won't damage root systems further down the track.
Once in the ground give your fledgling crop a lovely long drink. Try to keep water at ground level, watering the soil around your plants rather than their leaves. And just as we enjoy a cup of tea in the morning or a beer in the late afternoon, this is the best time to water your garden. In fact, take your drink with you and share a peaceful moment together, each day. You will get to know your garden, observe the changes as things start to flourish and experience a sense of self achievement and joy that comes from growing your own.
