YAY for my new veggie patch

We've grown veggies at home for a while but we're re-vamping our patch at the moment to make it easier to manage and utilise. Big clap for DP who has taken the old one down and is almost finished building the new raised beds for me (5 of them) to go nuts in!

When DS was born our poor patch got very neglected but now I'm all geared up planning our summer crop for planting. I'm going to start raising seedlings this week as its still to cold in SA for planting into the ground. We get bad frosts at this time of the year.

And I can't wait until DS is moving around so he can get his hands dirty (and everything else dirty!) in the patch and start learning about where food comes from.

Can't wait! Feeling the veggie garden love :dance:

sounds like you know what your doing, i just planted my first veggie patch ever. Its not that big but i put some seeds/seedlings in today. Beetroot, lettuce, carrots, onions and tomatoes. Cant wait for them to start growing!! any tips ;)

Hey Beckoes

We have been growing veggies for a few years now, but we just sort of muddle our way through it all, try a few new things each year, and learn as we go. In previous years I've bought seedlings and planted straight into the patch but this season I've decided to raise my own seedlings from seed, primarily to save money, but also because we've had cold weather persist here in SA for longer than normal. Usually I have my summer crop in the ground by the October long weekend, but it was just too cold so I have my seeds germinating in seed raising trays at the moment. They'll go into the ground this week hopefully as most of them have popped up and are looking strong enough. Plus, DP has finished revamping the raised beds we have for planting. Instead of one big bed that became hard to manage, we've got 5 smaller ones that will allow me to move around them easily to maintain things, and also will help to stop plants growing into each other.

I will be planting 2 variety of tomatos, 2 variety of cucumber, baby carrots, spring onions, leeks, broccoli, zucchini & beans. I'm sure there are more but can't think right now.

We use seasol & powerfeed to feed & fertilise for for good healthy plants and to increase yields from the plants. We usually use pea-straw or compost for mulch to help retain moisture and add organic matter to the beds.

Trust me, wait until you harvest your first crop and eat it, it is so rewarding.

Good luck. I'll keep popping back in to see how you're going!

How is it going? I always love a veggie garden chat :lol:

Wow sounds fantastic. I would love to start a vegie patch one day. I am waiting as we hope to move to a big block of land a build a house next year so I think I will start my vegie patch then. Will have to come looking on here for some tips I think :D

I hope your veggie garden is taking off!

We started our first veggie patch this year :D. DH bought lots of seeds from the Diggers Club and we have had silver beet and broccoli in abundance, although they're all finished now. We now have an oversupply of zucchini, we had no idea it grows so quickly LOL! DH planted about five zucchini plants and we can't give them away quick enough! We are eating it absolutely everything atm :lol:. DH jokes and says everyone starting a veggie patch should grow zucchini, it's a great confidence booster!! We also have growing: cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries, beans, peas, lettuce and capsicum.

It is so great, I am making a chicken and veggie curry in the slow cooker today and I could put in our own beans, peas and zucchini!

He's right about the zucchini :lol:

We have zucchini, cucumber (another great green thumb ego booster) watermelon (starting to develop a watermelon!) rockmelon (started flowering today) tomatoes (7 plants), we've eaten all the lettuce now and planted more, a goji berry bush, we have HEAPS of stuff!!! I love my veggie garden :D

Trish we've had ample zucchini over the summer growing seasons too! They just go and go. Which is great if you like zucchini. I kept having to come up with new recipes LOL!

Since my original post, we've had mixed success due to the very changaeble weather here in SA. I had put some seeds in trays to germinate which all came up fine. Then we had a really cold, frosty spell followed by scorching temps (go figure) so the timing was really bad for planting. All the shoots got a bit leggy and when I finally transplated into the ground they didn't take. Bit too stressed I think.

So I've since gone and bought seedlings that will help us catch up on time. We've got lots of tomatos looking fabulous, cucumber (we always get heaps), broccoli, zucchini, lettuce, beets and chillis in right now. I've experimented with a lot over the years but now I tend to grow what I know we'll eat rather than having too much wastage.

Cool! :D Sounds great!

Your right about the cucumber being a confidence boost!! DD has already picked and eaten one! so good! and think we will have another tomorrow. Im growing mine up to save space and i have run out of trellis for them to grow up!!
We have pathetic looking beetroot and rocket, slow tomatoes, sunburnt corriander, huge bushes of mint and marrigolds, spring onions and carrots doing ok. and radish. Beans that i think will be ready for xmas! so a mixed bag.
Did most of mine from seed and actually sowed where they were to grow and it was hot already and they did ok. i dont think the lettuce is going to work to well up here!! Its just to hot at the moment!
Lolly, i think chilli would be good..they like the sun dont they!