Tips for keen gardeners

Our Garden of Hope at Missiondale is a 'blooming lot' at the moment.

We managed to plant out all beds in springtime and have now the harvest in full swing. Zucchinis, snap peas, broad beans and silverbeet are coming out of our ears, we're enjoying juicy carrots, beetroot, flavoursome herbs, spring onions and indulging in the sweetest strawberries and raspberries ever tasted! 

Our tomatoes have just started too and are a delight with a fresh picked leaf of basil.

The watering, weeding, mulching and harvesting are ongoing daily jobs. Here are some tips from our keen gardeners: 

• Keep cool and wear a hat, long sleeve or sunscreen when you are out in the garden.
• Check the watering needs of your soil/plants by poking a finger into the soil and not just observing the surface. You might be surprised how moist or dry it is!
• Mulch wherever you can to preserve water. When you are weeding, leave the weeds (if they are not too seedy) laying on top of the bed to be part of your mulch and feed the ground.
• Protect young seedlings (especially lettuce) or upcoming seeds (carrots) with shade-cloth.
• Harvest regularly to encourage more fruit or vegetables.
• Fertilise your plants fortnightly with Seasol. Also use soluble Potash for every flowering plant to encourage more flowers and therefor more vegies.
• Spend time in your garden, talk or sing to your plants, touch them gently -  plants love company and love to be loved!
• Pick your tomatoes when they are just ripe and leave them in the warmth of your kitchen for another day or two to develop their full flavour. If you can, don’t store them in the fridge.

That’s it. Happy gardening and enjoy being out there with all the beautiful smells, sights, sounds and tastes of summer!