Spring brings fresh energy to the veggie patch

Spring, my friends, has finally sprung! The garden elves and fairies have all burst into song, and all the humans with veggie patches are whistling cheerfully along. September in the garden is full of magical potential, as we feel the sun getting brighter and warmer, and start seeing our summer seeds pop their heads above the soil. It’s hard not to catch spring gardening fever at this time of year. But in between all the seed packets and potting mix, there’s a few other things to work on too. Things that can make sure that this season is abundant and successful in your veggie garden. Let’s have a quick look at some of those.

The first, and most important ingredient of a good harvest, is always the soil in which you are growing. Healthy, living soil is the secret sauce of your garden paradise, so do what you can now to nurture the life in your soil. Healthy soil comprises a thriving community of all sorts of microorganisms, which break down organic matter and team up with plants’ roots to feed and protect the entire ecosystem. Spring wakes up these organisms, and they will need consistent food and moisture to work their soil magic. You can feed our soil friends by adding organic matter (compost, grass clippings, worm castings, kitchen scraps) now, which will in turn feed your plants throughout the season as nutrients are released slowly through decomposition. Covering exposed soil with mulch, even if there’s nothing planted there yet, will provide a consistent temperature and moisture level for the soil life to thrive, giving your veggies and herbs a head start when they do go in. I could chat for hours about living soil, but I won’t today. It’s truly one of the most incredible elements of gardening. Someone should write an opera about it. 

Pest control is another part of Spring gardening which can make a big difference later in the season. As an organic gardener, and a lazy one at that, I’m always keen for small actions that can head off bigger problems down the track. To this end, my pest control efforts are concentrated in September. Flowers such as calendula, French marigolds, sweet alyssum, dill and chamomile are seeded now, and put in every spare corner of the garden. They attract all sorts of beneficial insects to the garden all growing season. Some of those insects gobble up aphids and grubs, keeping pest pressure low, and others provide pollination services for the fruiting crops like tomatoes and pumpkins. As with the soil, a diversity of life in and around your vegetable plants is the goal here. 

And finally, as we’re waiting for those seedlings to get big enough to plant out, or waiting for the weather to warm up enough to bring home our seedling orders, we can check we’re set up well to be able keep up with the watering when the time comes. Watering can be time consuming when you’re growing food in your backyard, but it doesn’t have to be if we act now. September is a good time to plan and install your irrigation system, so that you can spend less time worrying about keeping everything alive in the heat of the summer, and more time whipping up something delicious and freshly-harvested. It could be as simple as checking that your favourite hose trigger spray is in working order, or planning sprinkler placement. Or it could be finding a length of drip tape and running it up and down your largest bed. Anything that reduces your time lugging a heavy watering can around is time well spent in my opinion!

Wishing all of you a delightful September’s worth of gardening romps.