How to grow vegetables

Before you plant any vegetables, prepare your garden beds by digging the soil and adding organic compost at least 1-2 weeks before you start planting. Most vegetables only need 15-20 centimetres of good soil for their roots to grow. If you're planning to grow crops with deeper roots, like potatoes or carrots, dig and compost deeper – up to 30 centimetres. Water in the compost and let it break down before you plant your vegetables. To get the most out of your vegetable garden, choose vegetables that you will use and plant them at the right time of year.

Peas are easy to grow and also help to improve the soil you're growing them in. Take each pea plant out of its container. Dig a hole deep enough for the peas, so the leaves are sitting just above the soil. Put the peas in the hole, and then fill it in. When planting your peas, remember that they will need some kind of support as they grow, so take that into account when working out the distance between them. Ideally they should be about 30 centimetres apart. 

Onions are a popular vegetable because they are easy to grow and don't take up a lot of space in your garden. After taking the onion seedlings out of their container, separate each plant by gently washing them in a bucket of water to get rid of the soil. Separate each plant and dig a shallow trench. Plant each onion plant in the trench and cover the roots with soil.

To give your seedlings a good head start, and to help with the shock of being transplanted, dilute a seaweed concentrate, approximately two capfuls in 10 litres of water in a watering can. Soak your vegetables in this mixture. 

Mulch helps your plants grow in a number of ways. As it breaks down it will provide nitrogen to the soil and your plants, keep the roots cool in summer and stop weeds from growing in your vegetable garden. Apply the mulch around your vegetable plants but not touching them.  If the mulch gets wet it can rot the plant.