With the Rugby World Cup having dominated spring so far, many green-fingered people have taken a leave of absence from their gardens. With so much action on and off the field, it's only natural we have been sidetracked from our vege spots, plots and/or pots.
Remember vital ingredients for a successful vege garden are sun, water, time (minutes, not hours) and fertiliser. The most common reason for crop failure is too much or too little water and crops being planted in the shade. Veges need moist, not dry or water-logged, soils and full sun.
Stressed plants, particularly because of too much or too little water, are susceptible to insects.
The common offenders are whitefly and aphids. Aphids appear on the stems or growing tips of crops such as tomatoes, chillies and beans.
Whitefly usually hides underneath the leaves of those crops, and flies off when disturbed. Both of these unwanted "sap suckers" can kill or wreck a plant, or even an entire crop.