SOW & GROW

Jo McCarroll suggests jobs to do in the edible garden.

Spring is here and it’s time to get growing!

What do you grow to bridge the hungry gap? Early spring is a tricky time, as there is so much to sow and plant but actually not much that is ready to eat! I was talking to Golden Bay gardener Sol Morgan (page 24) who says he finds broad beans an invaluable edible at this time of year – remember, you can stirfry the tender leafy edible tops, as well as toss the beans through salads and pasta or mash them on toast. You can also plant up a pot with cut-and-comeagain crops such as spinach and loose leaf lettuces for speedy fresh edibles to tide you over until your summer crops start producing, or mix up any expired packs of vegetable seeds and sow as microgreens (try silverbeet, radish, lettuce, rocket, kale, endive, mustard, beetroot or any mix of the same). You can also direct sow carrots, beetroot, coriander, silverbeet, spring onions, parsnips, Asian greens, radishes, rocket and celeriac, sow or plant lettuces, and sow more tomatoes, peppers and chillies inside in trays. You can plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery and asparagus seedlings this month too.