To start a vegetable patch this summer, choose a sunny spot with plenty of heat. Hot weather vegetables like tomato, eggplant, capsicum and zucchini love warm soil.
Eating the produce you grow tastes so much better and save on money too. If you have a small garden, plant your herbs and veggies in pots.
Here are some favourites for the next two months:
Carrot
Chilli pepper
Coriander
Cucumber
Eggplant
Lettuce
Okra
Potato
Pumpkin
Silverbeet
Spring onion
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Zucchini
Tips
To speed up germination, soak the seeds in water for few hours before planting.
You can plant herbs and veggies in one pot.
Cover the top soil with organic mulch to retain moisture.
Dark coloured pots absorb heat that can damage roots so place them in shade.
Plant Marigold around tomatoes to repel pests.
Make your own pest control.
Garlic Spray (http://www.annettemcfarlane.com)
3 large cloves of crushed garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp liquid soap
1 litre water
Mix garlic and vegetable oil and leave it overnight. Strain and add to the litre of water along with the liquid soap. Spray regularly. Garlic has antifungal and antibacterial properties and is best known for its insect repellent qualities.