Keep these classic tips in mind when it comes to growing your own this summer,
if you want to speed up your harvest plant seedlings of tomatoes, brinjals,peppers,swiss chard and chillis from a local garden centre rather than sowing seeds.
Vegetables like carrots, beet, lettuce, turnips, radish, swiss chard, baby marrow, spring onions, beans and sweet corn can be sown directly into the bed.
Certain vegetables do better if started in seed trays or seed beds and are transplanted to the veggie garden later: the whole cabbage family falls into this group. Leeks, onions, Swiss chard and lettuce can also be considered for this method.

Natural Gardening
Companion planting is very beneficial to vegetable gardening. Beans, peas and cabbage dislike being close together and never flourish when planted next to onions and garlic. Peas and tomatoes planted together with early potatoes also hamper each others growth. Marigolds planted amongst the vegetable ward off insects on account of their pungent smell.
Tomatoes flourish if watered with milk diluted 1:3 with water.
A spray made with milk diluted 1:6 with water is effective against fungal diseases.
Earthworms love coffee grounds and tea leaves. Dispose of coffee grounds and tea leaves around your vegetables.

TIPS:
Basil is a warm season herb popular in salasa, pizzas and tomato dishes.  You can grow them in pots.
Dig out apring annuals that past their best to make room for summer plantings.
Warmer weather rain and often brings an increase in pests and fungal diseases.

KAY MONTGOMERY