Barberton’s summer bounty: get your veggie garden ready now

The faint scent of jasmine in the air is the Lowveld’s way of saying summer is around the corner. With longer days and warmer mornings arriving fast, now is the perfect time to prepare your vegetable garden for a season of abundance.

Barberton’s rich soil and perfect climate make it easy to grow fresh produce often with very little effort. With a bit of planning, you can be harvesting crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, sweet carrots, tender baby marrows, and flavour-packed herbs before the end of the year.

Start by clearing out old plants and removing weeds that may have taken root during winter. Dig in generous amounts of organic compost or well-rotted manure to give your beds a nutrient boost. Ensure good drainage. Barberton’s summer rain can be heavy, and vegetable roots hate soggy soil. A loose, crumbly soil structure will help young roots grow freely.

Consider planting the following:

• Tomatoes: They thrive in heat and reward you with generous harvests. Choose varieties to suit your needs.  Roma for sauces, cherry for snacking, or large slicers for sandwiches. Stake them early and water regularly to prevent splitting.

• Lettuce: A refreshing crop that grows best in partial shade to avoid wilting in Barberton’s midsummer sun. Loose-leaf varieties allow you to pick as you go for continuous salads.

• Carrots: Sweet, crisp, and easy to grow as long as your soil is stone-free. Sow seeds directly in the bed and thin seedlings for straight roots. For a constant supply, sow small patches every three weeks.

• Baby marrows: These fast-growing small pumpkins produce more than most families can eat! Pick them young for tenderness and flavour. Check vines daily as they seem to double in size overnight.

• Spinach: A versatile leafy green that thrives in Barberton’s soil. Plant it in full sun for faster growth or partial shade to keep leaves tender. Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage continuous production.

• Herbs: Basil loves heat and grows quickly in Barberton’s climate. Parsley, rocket and coriander are excellent for containers near the kitchen door, where you can snip what you need. Remember, coriander prefers cooler spots to extend its life.

Water your garden early in the morning to prevent evaporation and reduce disease. A layer of mulch around plants keeps soil cool and moist, while also stopping weeds. Feed vegetables with a liquid fertiliser every two weeks to keep them strong and productive.

Barberton’s warm weather unfortunately also means pests can appear quickly. Aphids love tomato plants, while cutworms sometimes attack young seedlings. Use simple organic solutions like neem spray or crushed eggshell barriers to protect your crops without harmful chemicals.

If you feel a burst of energy with the days warming up, here is a check list to get you started in preparing your veggie patches.

• Clear and compost your beds
• Choose sun-loving summer crops
• Water early and mulch generously
• Keep an eye out for pests
• Plant in succession for steady harvests

Now’s the perfect moment to turn a patch of ground, or even a few containers if you don’t have a big garden, into a fresh food paradise. Get those green thumbs working!