With the arrival of Spring it’s time to get busy in the vegetable edible garden to ensure a good harvest of tasty crops in Summer and October is the best month to sow your chosen seeds in containers, raised beds or in the ground.
Vegetable edible garden preparations
Before sowing any seeds it’s important the soil is well prepared and situated in a sunny position for healthy growth, ideally near an accessible water source.
Fork the soil over lightly, removing all weeds, then add some fresh compost. If possible, leave the soil to rest after the preparation for a day or so to allow the soil to absorb the nutrients from the fresh compost, which will encourage strong healthy growth.
Once seedlings are big enough to handle, carefully thin them out, leaving enough room for the remaining seedlings to develop into good sized plants.
Vegetable edible garden choices
Beetroot seeds are easy to sow in rows as the seeds are quite large. They will germinate well and can be used all Summer as baby beets, or mature plants. Any seedlings that have been thinned out can be used as a tasty addition to salads.
Carrot seeds can be repeatedly planted over a period of time to supply a continuous crop.
Bush beans, Eggplant and Summer cabbage are all compact veggies and perfect for containers or raised beds.
Other suitable edibles to grow in smaller areas are Spinach, Chillies, and Peppers. Peas and Runner beans can be trained onto supports, and, as an extra bonus, the attractive flowers are a bee and butterfly magnet.
It is best to grow Lettuce in dappled shade as full sun can cause the plant to quickly run to seed. Varieties like Lollo Rossi and Lollo Biorido are so versatile as cut-and-come-again plants as you can pick individual leaves as you need them so no waste!
Cucumbers, Radishes and upright or trailing Tomatoes can be sown now. Squash and Baby Marrows can be sown in larger areas and left to ramble around the veggie bed or supported by canes.
