Spring sees fresh plantings of vegetable seedlings and many fruit trees are ready to harvest or are on the tail end of their offerings.  There’s plenty of garden preparation to do ready for the heat of Summer.  In the Tropical and Subtropical regions, ensure your fruit and vegetables are protected from the harsh sun and have access to constant levels of moisture.  Mulching is essential and don’t overlook the convenience of installing an automated or semi automated irrigation system in your veggie patch or orchard to take the load off.

Whats happening in the Fruit Garden?

Your spring fruit staples, citrus are winding up now.  Citrus are ripe and ready for a sweet dose of vitamin C to ward off the change of season.  Navel Oranges, Lemons and Grapefruit are plentiful and juicy, and so are the perfect antidote to dry spring weather in your climate zone.  Juice oranges, bake grapefruit into cakes, make mandarins into marmalade, and squeeze lemons into hot honey tea. After citrus harvest, prune any dead wood, unwanted growth, check for pests and diseases & feed with an organic seaweed plant fertilizer.

Learn more in our Winter Newsletter.

 

Prepare trellises for plantings of passionfruit, sweet peas, snow peas, beans an other productive climbers.  Consider vertical growing of species like zucchini, cherry tomatoes & small melon varieties & kiwi fruit.

 

Vegetable Garden

In terms of garden design, utilize north facing unused lawn or garden beds to gain added space for growing.  However don’t overlook what can be grown in containers, easy care, low maintenance herb and leafy green picking gardens doesn’t need to take up a lot a space.

Summer midday heat can wilt your leafy green crops, because of this, consider erecting lightweight shade structures directly overhead.  Plant spinach, rocket, lettuce and kale now, harvest these leaves continuously.  In some regions plant broccoli, beans, beetroot now and prepare for delicious summer salads.

Dig in composted manure and blood and bone to prepare vegetable beds for planting.  Pumpkin vines ramble over a significant area, therefore, if you’ve got the space, plant it by November for Autumn crops.  This low maintenance crop will give you an abundance of fruit, enough to share with neighbours and friends.