FOR keen gardeners, Christmas doesn’t arrive in December—it comes with the first signs of spring.
Spring also has a habit of turning even the most experienced gardener into an excited child.
Seed catalogues are pored over, shopping baskets fill with packets of tomatoes, beans and pumpkins, and ambitious plans are made for a backyard harvest that always seems bigger than the available space.
The trick, however, is not to let enthusiasm get ahead of the season.
While the calendar may say spring has arrived, soil temperatures often tell a different story.Some crops are happy to get an early start, while others are best left until the ground has properly warmed.
Early spring is the ideal time to plant rhubarb crowns, asparagus and potato tubers, which are content to establish themselves before warmer weather arrives.
More cold-sensitive favourites such as tomatoes, chillies, capsicums and eggplants are better planted later, once the risk of cool nights has passed.
Starting seeds in a small greenhouse or protected area can give these heat-loving crops a valuable head start.
Perhaps the biggest mistake gardeners make each spring is trying to grow everything.
Instead, focus on growing what your family genuinely enjoys eating.
A productive vegetable patch is far more satisfying when every harvest finds its way onto the dinner table rather than into the compost bin.
Herbs, salad greens and speciality vegetables often provide some of the greatest value, producing fresh ingredients that can be expensive to buy while delivering flavours that supermarket produce simply can’t match.
Spring is also an opportunity to reflect on the previous season.
If watering became a struggle once life became busy, consider installing drip irrigation or self-watering beds before summer arrives.
Good soil remains the foundation of every successful vegetable garden.
Whether growing in raised beds, directly in the ground or in pots, replenishing the soil before planting will pay dividends throughout the season.
