If you haven’t done so already tomorrow (Monday) is the day to get those seedlings out into the garden. Here in the Western Cape everyone I speak to wishes the for the weather to finally start warming up. Tomorrow I am taking a leap of faith and putting tomatoes and basil out into the open. With the moon still waning until Saturday there isn’t really much else one can do besides some general maintenance. But don’t despair: next weekend is a good time to plant herbaceous annuals. Remember that perennial herbs, especially the more pungent ones, planted along the edges of your garden will form a barrier that will deter and confuse pests.
While at the nursery you may also want to get seeds for everything that produces above ground as next Tuesday and Wednesday are good for sowing. That is the time to get the first batch of beans and sweetcorn in. All cucurbits (pumpkin family) should also ideally go in then – if you leave them until too late in the season the fruit will get stung and you will have nothing of your crop. Cucurbits grow best from seed sowed directly into the bed.
Blogs coming up soon will deal with ‘ridges and ditches’, and how to deal with an excess of snails.