| Vegetable Categories | | | | This group includes vegetables such as cabbages, |
| If you want an abundant, productive organic vege | | | | lettuce, brussel sprouts, rhubarb, chard (silverbeet), |
| garden then it's important to first understand a little | | | | spinach and celery. Broccoli and cauliflower are also |
| about the different vegetable types, and the | | | | often included in this group, although strictly we eat |
| conditions in which they thrive. Vegetables tend to be | | | | the flower buds, not the leaves or stems. |
| grouped into 3 main categories: fruit and seed | | | | This group includes a range of cool and temperate |
| vegetables; leaf and stem vegetables, and root and | | | | weather crops which are sown in the cooler winter |
| bulb vegetables, depending on the part of the plant | | | | months or early spring. |
| that is most commonly eaten. | | | | Root and bulb vegetables. |
| | | | This group includes most of the kitchen staples such |
| This article is not designed to act as a comprehensive | | | | as onions, shallots, carrots, potatoes, turnips and |
| guide to growing individual vegetables - there are | | | | beets. Again, this group tends to include mainly cool |
| many good books available that will cover these | | | | and temperate crops, which may run to seed if |
| basics and that may be well tailored to your own | | | | planted too late in the season. |
| particular climate. Instead, you will find an overview | | | | Crop rotation |
| of each of these groups, and their requirements, in | | | | The key to successful crop rotation is to keep it |
| turn. If you do not have a vegetable gardening book | | | | simple. Unless you are a commercial gardener very |
| then most seed packets give detailed maps or | | | | few people have the time or inclination to prepare |
| descriptions on the back, explaining the best time to | | | | complex crop rotation plans year on year. |
| plant in your area. | | | | As I have far too many things on my 'to do' list as it |
| Fruit and seed vegetables. | | | | is, I keep my planting schedule as simple as possible. |
| This group include beans, peas, eggplants | | | | My approach is to divide my beds up into blocks, and |
| (aubergines), capsicums (bell peppers), tomatoes, | | | | then plant only one vegetable category, such as bulb |
| sweetcorn and cucurbits (vine crops such as | | | | vegetables, or leaf vegetables, in each block. Then |
| cucumber, zucchini (courgettes), pumpkins and | | | | the next season I move all the plantings one block to |
| squash). | | | | the right, so I am now planting a different vegetable |
| As a general rule, these are warm or temperate | | | | category in each block. This seems to have worked |
| season plants which hate frost. In colder areas they | | | | well so far! |
| should not be planted out until early summer, but will | | | | If you follow this simple guide to vegetables you |
| grow quickly. Do not be tempted to plant them out | | | | should have no trouble planning a successful, |
| too soon - you will only be frustrated at their lack of | | | | disease-resistant garden to feed you and your family |
| inclination to thrive. | | | | year round! |
| Leaf and stem vegetables. | | | | |