Kitchen Garden Plants - Herbs
Kitchen Garden Plants - Herbs Guide
Kitchen Garden Plants - Fruit
Kitchen Garden Plants - Fruit Guide
Kitchen Garden Plants - Vegetables
Kitchen Garden Plants - Vegetables Guide
Kitchen Garden Plants - Organic Farming

However much available space you have for a vegetable garden, home-grown crops can be produced successfully, if you provide the correct conditions. The size should depend on the family needs and the water consumption, time and effort one is willing to dedicate.


For planting veggies in containers

The most suitable soil mixture will be: 2 parts garden soil, 1 part coarse sand, 1 part compost and an added 60g of superphosphate to every 10L of this soil mixture. Keep beds 1 - 1,5m wide and whatever length is appropriate.
It is advisable to have individual beds for root crops, stem crops, leaf crops and seed crops for rotation purposes. This process of rotating crop-types until they are where they started helps control pests and diseases.Ensure good lighting conditions and wind-protection.

Keep in mind the requirements of summer- and winter crops, and group together those of the same maturity period.
Prepare the site for a level surface and the soil to be a well-draining, humus-rich loam. Incorporate a generous mulching layer of animal manure and repeat each season. Water less regularly, but rather thoroughly. Settling the end of a running hose in a wide-mouthed, glass bottle on the floor of the bed, will enable you to flood irrigate, without damaging plants or washing away topsoil.
Keep a tight weed control by hoeing regularly.

Use the following list to sow at correct times:

Sow Broad beans (Vicia faba)

French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus)

in July to March (warm winter areas), or August to February (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)

in March to December (warm winter areas), or July to April (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Broccoli (Brassica oleracea‘italica’)

in March to April (warm winter areas), or December to March (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Cabbages (Brassica oleracea ‘capitata’)

any time (warm winter areas), or July to April (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Carrots (Daucus carota)

in any time (warm winter areas), or July to April (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea ‘botrytis’)

in February to May (warm winter areas), or January to April (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

in August to October (warm winter areas), or September to November (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Egg plant (Solanum melongena)

in July to September (warm winter areas), or August to November (cold winter areas) to mature in 20 weeks.

Sow Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

January to October (warm winter areas), or July to April (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Marrows (Cucurbita pepo)

in August to October (warm winter areas), or September to November (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Peas (Pisum sativum)

in March to June (warm winter areas), or January to May (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Peppers (Capsicum annuum ‘grossum’)

in July to December (warm winter areas), or August to November (cold winter areas) to mature in 14 weeks.

Sow Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

in any time (warm winter areas), or October to December (cold winter areas) to mature in 13 weeks.

Sow Pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima)

in August to October (warm winter areas), or September to December (cold winter areas) to mature in 17 weeks.

Sow Radishes (Raphanus sativus)

in any time (warm winter areas), or July to May (cold winter areas) to mature in 5 weeks.

Sow Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

in any time (warm winter areas), or August to May (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Sweetcorn (Zea mays ‘saccharata’)

in August to November (warm winter areas), or July to November (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Sow Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum)
in any time (warm winter areas), or September to December (cold winter areas) to mature in 10 weeks.

Articles

Kitchen garden with Di-Di Hoffman - All systems go! / Februaury in the Kitchen Garden / Start a Kitchen Garden