Spring Garden: What to Plant and Grow During These Months

Learning to farm is a challenge: it requires work, perseverance, attention and empathy with the land. A garden offers the possibility not only to save something on your consumption of herbs and vegetables, but also to relieve stress, to become more aware of what we eat and also to surprise yourself with what can come out of the ground under your care. . It will surely be very nutritious, given that it will be absolutely fresh and free from pesticides and other chemicals.

“There is something that always needs to be learned,” says Camila Pinto, co-founder of From the garden to the roots a project until recently located in Calera de Tango — but which has now moved to Paine — where they produce completely organic vegetables, which they then ship throughout the metropolitan area.

“Connecting with nature and how food is produced – how a tomato emerges or a pepper grows – always has something to teach us, especially for the boys or girls in the house,” he explains.

But the hardest part of growing a garden is daring and getting started. “So we start to limit ourselves before starting, but we have to get out of inertia and persist. Giving us the opportunity to produce our own food, learn how it works and be surprised by nature and how it gives us food is priceless,” he explains.

Óscar Contreras, also co-founder of From the Garden to the Root, emphasizes that this particular date (mid-September and early October) is wonderful. “Everything grows very quickly and we can produce a wide variety of things. »

In the case of herbs it is mentioned that these weeks are ideal to start breeding mint, oregano, chives, rosemary and almost everything in general. The advantage of these species is that once they grow, you can take what you need – a twig or a few leaves – without having to remove everything from the ground.

This is also a good time, Contreras says, to make seed beds (or plant shoots that will then be transferred to their final pot or soil) of a bunch of vegetables that will mature later in summer. Plants of tomatoes, chili peppers, basil and even Italian squash are waiting to be born these days.

“With seedbeds,” he says, “we optimize the time and also strengthen the growth of the plant,” explains Contreras. They do this with tools specially designed for this purpose, but for a vegetable garden, the ideal is to “reuse objects that are within reach, such as egg cartons, yogurt pots or ice cream cassettes . Any container that we can use to put some substrate with the seeds will be wonderful.

When the plants have germinated and given a few leaves, which happens after a few weeks, it will be time to transplant them into deeper and larger pots. There they will grow freely, although care must be taken, as different species have different needs for water, light and space.

“The most important thing when growing in small spaces is to see the orientation of the sun and the shade we have on the terrace,” explains Anita Vega, founder of Organic garden a project in which he carries out workshops, consultations and also sells inputs for domestic cultivation.

Depending on the intensity of the sunlight that arrives, we will know what type of vegetables or aromatic herbs we can plant. For example, “if you have a lot of sun, the balcony or terrace is ideal for planting tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers, while where there is less light, leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, can still working very well.”

“Many people think that when you don’t have direct sun, but only shade, you can’t grow anything there. But that’s not the case,” he says. Concretely, he says that in these darker conditions, lettuce, watercress, beets, carrots – if you have deep soil -, mustards, basil , parsley, cilantro, chives, oregano, thyme, arugula or spinach can grow well. “Anything that is leafy and doesn’t have fruit grows very well in these low-light areas,” he emphasizes.

Even if you have a more relaxed approach and don’t want to complicate your life, it is necessary to clearly identify the cultures you have and the requirements they require.

“You can plant in plastic, clay or ceramic pots or have a growing table.” The latter is much more functional, he says, because you can grow everything there,” analyzes Vega. If you have space, this is a great alternative, since you can mix large vegetables with small ones.

If you prefer pots, this suggests paying attention to depth. “A large tomato, for example, needs a pot of at least 20 liters and 40 cm deep,” he quickly calculates.

According to Camila and Óscar, the preparation of the ground depends on the desired result. In their garden, they need to do this because they have a commercial vocation and must produce a large quantity of vegetables. “We have to make sure that everything has a good yield and that all the harvests go well,” they say.

However, they do not see this step as something that could be a limitation for a vegetable garden. “There is no need to buy a lot of compost or natural fertilizers. Now with the substrate you have, you can use it and try.

Now, if you are looking for more intensive results or plan to grow many species, you will need to invest resources and time in soil quality.

“A very good substrate is suitable for small spaces,” explains Vega, because the garden will have more nutrients and will be more efficient. “The important thing is that it is moist, hopefully has some coconut coir, perlite (to retain moisture better) and is fertilized once a month with a handful bokashi (an organic fertilizer containing manure), compost or humus,” he says. .

“Some crops require a lot of nutrients, including summer vegetables like tomatoes, chili peppers, paprika and pumpkins. For these species you have to fertilize very well,” explains Pinto.

“There are several organic fertilizers that are perfect for these purposes and will provide us with all the nutrients we need to keep the soil alive, which is also very important for avoiding pests,” he says.

Now, for leafy crops like lettuce, periodic fertilization isn’t so essential, “because they’re fast-paced crops,” he says. “About 30 to 40 days after planting, you can already harvest it,” he says. “You just need to fertilize it well at the start of the season. »

This is essential information to avoid making mistakes. “Herbs, such as mint, oregano, thyme or chives, should be preserved, using only what you need at the time. This way they will continue to grow and their cultivation will continue,” explains Pinto. Vegetables, on the other hand, only last one season. Once finished, the plant will die.

As advice, he suggests carefully observing their behavior during the previous harvest. In other words, “if they had pests, if they were growing well, or if they lacked space.” “This way, things can be corrected for better results in the next cycle. »

“You have to take into account all the information that the previous harvest gave you and make decisions,” he adds. Perhaps this species was not the best for your home conditions, perhaps it is better to try other varieties.

Once you have removed your small crop, you need to clean up any remaining roots, leaves or stems. “It’s always good to add some nutrients if we want to continue the process with this soil. You can put a little compost or something else to feed it and use it to plant or grow autumn and winter species,” he advises.

“The key is to be creative,” explains the founder in From the Garden to the Roots. “As a result, we tend to be conservative, or to do what we have seen elsewhere, but we can also become innovative in a garden. Consider taking advantage of heights with vertical gardens, such as plastic bottles placed on the walls and small plants installed in them. It’s good to be creative to take advantage of spaces, even if they are small,” he comments.

Everything will depend on the context and the natural resources you have available. “You can start to prioritize, see what you would like to have or what works best for you. Even your houseplants can be edible,” he analyzes.

“I think growing, whether it’s a small bush of mint or a bunch of tomatoes, is an extremely rich experience for everyone,” says Contreras. “We all grow a little taller if we know where our food comes from.”

Being responsible for what you eat and witnessing its evolution – food autonomy, as we call it – provides a satisfaction that can blow your mind. If this seems like an exaggeration, it’s because you’ve never had salad from your garden.

“It’s possible, even more so in these times when everything is increasing in price. The garden is a good way to save money and eat well,” says Vega. Another addition is the social factor that cultures bring, as they can create new and rich dynamics between family, neighbors or friends. “Besides giving us food, it helps us as therapy. It brings a lot of tranquility and peace to the communities, in addition to a lot of learning,” he says.

But if you think you don’t have the skills or knowledge to get started, you can take courses or workshops. There is a wide range online, especially on social media, where many gardeners share their experiences, both in person and online.

*Product prices in this article are current as of September 12, 2023. Values ​​and availability are subject to change.