Locally it's a time of plenty in the garden, especially for tomatoes, which means lots of sauces, paste and relish destined for the pantry and freezer.
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We're also enjoying fresh buk choy, basil, beans, capsicums, eggplant, lettuce, radish, rocket, squash, spinach, zucchini, raspberries, strawberries and nashi pears.
To encourage a continuous garden bounty, it's important to be planting a little often.
A simple approach is to let a plant or two flower and let the seeds fall where they may.
This works particularly well with lettuce varieties, parsley and spring onions.
Collecting seed from your most successful plants is also a great way to ensure healthy plants suited to our conditions.
While buying seedlings can be simple and convenient, growing direct from seed will yield great results, so here are some of my best tips.
Plant the right seeds, at the right time.
The correct soil temperature is critical for germination, followed by the right conditions for growing over the coming months.
While it's getting late for some, I'm currently sowing cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beetroot, brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, leeks, parsnip, turnip, radish, spinach, spring onions, peas, Asian greens, rocket and lettuce.
Plant at the right depth, usually around two to three times the size of the seed. Keep soil damp until seedlings emerge. It helps to cover the soil with a very fine layer of mulch or a strip of hessian, cloth or even cling wrap pinned with a twigs or toothpicks.
Before planting, most seeds can also be encouraged to germinate by soaking in tepid water overnight or between damp paper towel for a couple of days.
If you're sowing direct into the garden (essential for carrots and parsnips), sow thickly and thin later if you need to.
For pots and punnets, keep them in a warm, sheltered spot, morning sun is best. Protect from bugs and slugs, then watch, grow and enjoy!