JHB West - July 2020

GET GROWING...
GARDEN
your own veggies
Growing your own veggies has always been
a great idea, and now more than ever.
Covid-19 has given new impetus to growing our own food. Eating fresh
greens naturally strengthens the immune system and means fewer visits to
the supermarket (reducing the risk of exposure). Plus, it puts food on the
table for minimal cost ... you can satisfy a family’s need for vegetables with
a veggie garden the size of a door (1m wide by 3m long). Starting small
makes veggie growing more manageable. Grow veggies in pots or plant
boxes on the balcony, patio or kitchen courtyard. Plant them among flowers
in the garden or make your own veggie patch in a sunny space.
What veggies want ...
• At least six hours of sunshine,
especially in winter. In summer,
morning sun and afternoon
shade are best.
• Fertile, well-composted
soil that drains well, or good
quality potting mix with
added compost and controlled
release organic fertilizer for
pot-grown veggies.
• Shelter from draughts or
wind, which dry out or chill
plants.
• A level site, although a slight
slope helps with drainage.
What you need ...
• Buy-in from the family. Ask them what
they’d like to eat. That’s what you need
to grow!
• Enough time … to give daily attention
to the food garden, preferably five
minutes a day rather than 15 minutes
once a week. There’s a saying: ‘In order
to live off a garden you practically have
to live in it’.
• Money to buy seed or seedlings,
compost, (if you don’t make your
own), fertilizer, pesticides (organic or
chemical), and tools.
• Basic tools: a spade, fork, rake,
watering can and hose.
Text: ALICE COETZEE
[MONTH] [YEAR] July Get 2020 It Joburg Get It Joburg West [PAGENO] West 37