As the heat descends and the tomatoes take over many a garden plot, there’s still plenty to do (besides watering on dry days).
It’s not too late to try seedlings of:
- beans
- beetroot
- carrots
- chilli
- corn
- cucumber
- eggplant
- leeks
- lettuce
- pumpkin
- silverbeet
- zucchini.
Most vegetables appreciate a nice thick mulch to help manage moisture over the summer (others, like onions, not so keen on it). Community gardeners use pea straw or sugar cane – something light that will also break down easily when you dig it into the dirt next season. Pea straw or something similar helps add nutrients to the soil, too.
On very hot days, you might even like to cover vulnerable seedlings with shade cloth or hessian, so your veggies don’t get fried before they get into the pan.
Warrandyte Community Garden 