How do you plant summer vegetables in your raised bed?
At the end of May, summer vegetables raised indoors can move to their permanent places in your raised bed.
First let them get used to outdoor conditions. This is called hardening off, and you can read how to do it here.
First let them get used to outdoor conditions. This is called hardening off, and you can read how to do it here.
Once they are hardened off, you can plant them in your raised bed.
The app gives precise instructions for each variety. On this page, I will show you the main difference between planting tomatoes and planting courgettes, pumpkins and cucumbers.
The app gives precise instructions for each variety. On this page, I will show you the main difference between planting tomatoes and planting courgettes, pumpkins and cucumbers.
Soak the root ball first
It is important to soak each root ball thoroughly before planting. Stand all the plants in a container of water first.
Make planting holes, fill them with water and add plant food
Use a trowel to make holes by pushing the mix aside.
Fill each hole with water and add two tablespoons, or 30 ml, of extra plant food. All summer vegetables are hungry plants.
Fill each hole with water and add two tablespoons, or 30 ml, of extra plant food. All summer vegetables are hungry plants.
Planting courgettes, pumpkins and cucumbers
Once the water has soaked into the mix, place the plant in the hole.
Plant courgettes, cucumbers and pumpkins at the same depth as they grew in their pots:
Plant courgettes, cucumbers and pumpkins at the same depth as they grew in their pots:
Keep the mix moist over the next few weeks. If necessary, place a small cane beside the plant to guide it towards the trellis.
Plant tomatoes as deeply as possible
Tomatoes, on the other hand, should be planted as deeply as possible. When part of the stem is below the surface, it develops new roots. These extra roots help the plant grow larger and stronger.
Here is how we do this with the Bush tomato:
Here is how we do this with the Bush tomato:
By the time you plant out tall tomatoes such as the Yellow snack tomato and Cherry tomato, they often have a long stem. The more of that stem you can bury in the mix, the better.
Dig a wide hole right down to the bottom of the raised bed and sprinkle the plant food into it:
Dig a wide hole right down to the bottom of the raised bed and sprinkle the plant food into it:
Remove the tomato from its pot and lay the root ball flat on the bottom of the raised bed. Work very carefully so you do not break the stem.
Carefully bend the stem upwards and refill the square with mix.
Gently firm the mix, give the plant some more water and tie it loosely to the trellis:
Gently firm the mix, give the plant some more water and tie it loosely to the trellis:
Watch out for strong sunlight
If your raised bed is in full sun and the sun is bright on planting day, give the plants some shade. They also need time to get used to intense sunlight.
Look at my courgette. It had been hardened off properly in a sheltered spot with partial shade. But when I planted it in the raised bed, the sun shone brightly all day, with this result:
Look at my courgette. It had been hardened off properly in a sheltered spot with partial shade. But when I planted it in the raised bed, the sun shone brightly all day, with this result:
This is not a disaster, and the plant will probably grow through it. Still, the more healthy leaves it has, the better. I could have prevented the damage by giving it shade for the first few days.
After planting
The plants need a little time to settle after planting and will not grow very quickly at first. That will soon change, especially if the weather cooperates.
Good luck!
Good luck!
