The Summer Planting Guide

Summer opens up new opportunities in the veggie patch that didn't exist while the erratic spring weather was doing its thing. Here are some of our favourite heat loving varieties that are primed to plant now;

1. Chillies: Heat is key for growing chilies and they require a hot, sun drenched space, preferably up against a heat reflecting wall that helps to collect extra rays of warmth. Those in cooler climates often produce the best chillies in hoop houses or any other insulated environment. However, do not let its infatuation with heat throw the basic demands of the plant. Even the toughest dudes need food and water to survive and the chilli is no exception. Chilli is known to be an aphrodisiac but to arrive there you have to be persistent. For a long time you may just burn your mouth and ruin your meals, but there will be a turning point when you begin to understand just how sexy a chilli can be.

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Everyone wants to know about pests and the best way to take them out. But rather than preoccupying yourself with warfare, sometimes the best approach is a peaceful one, simply letting them know that your patch is off-limits. In this top five, we show you how to walk the line of conflict and peace in modern pest warfare.

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Snails and slugs are both from the mollusc family that once belonged in an aquatic environment. Although they have evolved into the annoying land-crawling creatures they are today, it gives us some clues as to which conditions they prefer. 

For a snail or slug or snail to move, it needs to produce a slime that it can then drag its disgusting slimy self over. This leaves behind a silky slime trail, which many moons ago we'd wake up to in our sharehouse living room. Other than sharehouse rugs, snail and slugs prefer the young, tender growth of your seedlings and are most active when conditions are damp. These night feeders tend to be gregarious and return to the same resting place. While snail shave a protective shell, meaning they feel a little safer out in the open (as opposed to under my lowering boot), slugs don't enjoy the same protection and will burrow into the soil for shelter.

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We’ve been keeping chooks at our nursery for 7 years now. They are not only our pets, but also our composters, veggie patch fertilisers and a regular source of the most local, organic eggs. If you’re looking for a pet to tick all the boxes, a chicken is about the only one that can do that. It’s a symbiotic relationship that reduces waste, creates food and perhaps most importantly, provides companionship. 

Chooks typically live for between 5-8 years (yes ours are getting quite old…), and begin laying after about 6 to 12 months, typically when conditions are warmer in spring or summer. Like most things in a garden, laying is most prolific in the warmer months and will subside a little during autumn and winter. Once a chook begins to lay, most of the egg production is achieved in the first 3 years of its life, however if a bird is healthy there is the potential for it to lay an egg a day until it dies. 

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The typical approach to insects in the garden - that is, mass destruction - is perhaps borne out of our ignorance. Most of us know nothing about the creatures that roam our veggie patches - what are they? how long do they live? what do they want?! why don’t they leave us alone!?? - and so we are often scared of them all. For as long as we’ve been gardening there has always been an unnerving feeling in the air when discussing the topic. So much so, that most see all insects - of course, the bee being the one exception - as our enemy.

But every animal and insect has its place in a finely balanced eco-system. For example, what would our oceans (and the majestic whale) be without algae to provide oxygen and food? Yes, did you know that algae’s are primarily good for the ocean? It’s only a few bad types, that are exacerbated by us humans and our ways, that project an overarching impression that they are not good for us. Taking it back to our gardens, and the veggie patches, bugs are primarily
good too. They are only misunderstood.

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