Spring is well and truly here and it is the perfect time to get those vegetables in before the summer heat strikes. Some great vegetables to plant at this time of year for the Queensland heat are lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn and beetroot just to name a few.
With the heat ramping up so do the pests, so now is the time to start thinking about your pest control strategies before it’s too late. Instead of using chemical sprays why not try insect proof nets. They help keep the pests out but still let the sunlight through. You can also get a netting designed to keep the birds out if they are liking the look of your veggie patch.
So with this in mind our family decided to take on the task of trying to grow our own vegetables. The first decision to be made is where you new veggie patch will be positioned. For us the best choice was pots. We then needed to work out what vegetables we were going to be able to grow using pots. We came to the decision of trying lettuce, capsicum, sweet corn and carrots. With the addition of strawberries as the kids just couldn’t stand to grow their own food without strawberries.
So off we went looking for pots or containers in the perfect size and shape we would need. It was a great family activity to do together, and the kids just loved getting all the gear we would need especially the watering cans. With this warm weather I am sure most afternoon watering will end up in a water fight.
So we filled up our pots, planted our seedlings and started our routine of looking after our edible garden. To protect our veggie patch form pests and birds we constructed a net cover over the top using Insect/Fruit Fly Mesh which is perfect as it only provides approximately 15% shade which means our little veggies are still able to soak up that all important sunlight.
If you have fruity trees that need protecting when in fruit Birdnet is also available which you can just drape over the top or put onto a constructed frame. Another great product is the Hailnet which can help minimise the damage caused to crops form hail and strong winds.
So go on get your the kids a few large pots or containers and start growing your own veggies or fruit. It is so important for kids to learn where their food comes from, and how much work it takes to grow the fruit and vegetables that they see in the groceries store.
Happy Gardening!!!
