Some vegetables are very fast growing. In fact, providing you give them the right conditions, you can be harvesting and eating vegies within 1–2 months after planting.
WHAT VEGIES CAN YOU GROW QUICKLY?
Radish is one of the fastest growing vegetables. It can be harvested and eat within 4 weeks of planting in spring or autumn.
Spring onions and carrots can be thinned out when young and the smaller ones eaten. Keep eating /harvesting over the following 2–3 months as the plants mature.
Lettuce – pick and use the outer leaves as the plant grows …eventually a heart forms and you can harvest the whole plant.
Parsley can be picked within a few weeks of planting.
Silver beet, Spinach and Chinese greens – pick the outer leaves as the plants grow.
Buy advanced plants – tomatoes in larger pots with flowers (even fruit) can be harvested within a few weeks of planting.
DON’T be too drastic…if you take too many leaves off the growth will be slowed.
TIP:
As a general guide, you can safely remove up to 20% of foliage from a healthy, fast-growing leafy vegetable such as lettuce, silver beet or parsley.
MAXIMISE GROWTH
A fast-grown vegie will not only mature faster, it often tastes better and is more tender.
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Feed properly – overfeeding burns roots; under feeding slows growth.
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Water properly – keep soil moist NOT waterlogged; NEVER dry! Cover the soil with mulch to conserve moisture.
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Ensure drainage is good – if not, plant the vegies in raised beds, hydroponics, pots or no-dig beds.
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Use good quality soil – thisi is imperative for healthy, fast growth. All soils can be improved with lots of well rotted organic matter (such as compost, animal manure).
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Grow in full sun – all vegies like lots of sunlight.
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Control pests and diseases – particularly snails and slugs. Try to use safe chemical-free products to control your pests and diseases.
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Control weeds – they compete for space and nutrients. Pull them out by hand or with a hoe before they flower and set seed.
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If the weather is cold, give the plant a headstart in a greenhouse or with some other type of cover (eg. a cloche).
HOW TO FEED VEGIES PROPERLY
Prepare the soil before applying the fertiliser by digging in compost, manure or some other organic material and make sure it is thoroughly mixed into the soil.
Follow the instructions on the fertiliser packet.
Be careful that concentrated fertilisers (even organic fertilisers) never come directly in contact with the plant foliage or roots – they can burn and kill plant tissues.
Liquid fertilisers applied often but in a weak solution (organic or inorganic) are generally more effective at maintaining consistent fast growth than longer-acting fertilisers.
Crop Rotation – a natural, healthy way to control pests and diseases
This involves growing different groups of vegetables each season in different beds. By rotating your crops in different beds, you can discourage some pests and diseases and reduce the need for using chemical controls.
Look at the list of 'groups' of vegetables below. Don't grow a vegetable in a particular area if another vegetable out of the same group was grown in that spot recently. Keep alternating the type of vegetable in a particular spot!
A/ Brassicas – Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sea kale, Kohl Rabi, Turnip, Swede, Radish, Horseradish
B/ Cucurbits – Cucumber, Marrow, Pumpkin, Squash, Cantaloupe (ie. Rock Melon), Zucchini
C/ Onion, Leeks, Garlic, Asparagus, Chives
D/ Legumes – Peas and Beans
E/ Corn
F/ Celery, Carrot, Parsnip, Fennel
G/ Chicory, Lettuce, Endive, Globe Artichoke
H/ Silver beet, Red beet (ie. Beetroot) and Spinach
I/ Tomato, Capsicum, Potato, Egg Plant
SOME USEFUL SUGGESTIONS ON PLANTING
1. Grow perennial vegies together in one section of the vegetable patch or in a separate bed where they won't be disturbed by the preparations for the planting and cultivation of shorter-lived crops.
2. Plant tall crops, where possible, on the southern side of the vegetable patch where they won't shade out other crops.
3. Plant crops in long rows rather than in clumps or short rows. This makes cultivation easier, particularly if you are going to use rotary hoes, etc.
4. Crops that mature around the same time should be planted together so that an entire section of a bed becomes available for preparation for the next crop rather than patches here and there.
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