Get to Work in the Garden this Spring

How to get your garden ready for spring?

Spring is the best time of year to plant a vegetable garden, according to The Hills News. Home-grown vegetables taste great and give the grower a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Even with limited space, growers can produce an abundant crop using a few pots. Herbs, carrots and lettuces offer a generous yield when grown with quality potting fix and nutrient solutions, explained Judy Horton, an advisor for Yates.

The pots should be placed in a sunny, well drained area of the garden, she said. Compost and manure should be added before planting begins.

In addition, pest control products should be used to protect the crop. You’ll most likely need two different products – one to take care of caterpillars and one to eliminate sap-sucking pests.

Horton said that good pest control products will allow you to simply wash and eat your vegetables without a problem – even straight after application.

It’s important to grow a variety of different coloured vegetables as they have different nutrients in them.

Orange

Hoerton explained that orange vegetables such as carrot and pumpkin are full of beta-carotene which converts into Vitamin A.

Red

Red vegetables such as tomato provide lycopene, which helps reduce the risk of cancer. The darker the red colour, the more lycopene, so make sure your tomatoes get nice and ripe!

Green

Green vegetables such as cabbage, spinach and lettuce offer plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Crucifers are the star of the leafy vegetable family, delivering high doses of an anti-oxidant that eliminates pre-cancerous cells.