 Early spring, as usual, has given us a roller-coaster ride with the weather. September gave us several balmy days with temperatures in the high teens and gentle breezes that had us thinking that summer is just around the corner but then it hit us with gale force winds and horizontal rain. That is why I resist the temptation to plant out tender summer vegetables until mid to late October but, in the meantime I like to grow on potted seedlings in a warm, sheltered spot so that I have advanced plants to go in the garden when conditions have settled down.
SEEDS TO SOW Into pots, punnets and trays under cover in a glasshouse, sun porch or sunny window sill : Tomatoes, capsicum, chillies, zucchini, cucumber, dwarf beans, climbing beans, butternut squash, basil, egg plant, melons and sweet corn. A trigger spray bottle is a good way to keep them watered without splashing and washing out the seeds. Carrots, peas, rocket, radishes, beetroot, onions and parsnips can be sown directly into the garden. Covering seeds with a layer of seed-raising potting mix helps to prevent soil from forming a hard crust that can hinder germination. I prefer to sow perpetual spinach, spring onions, and lettuce in pots to provide strong seedlings for planting later. POTATOES With a bit of luck, potatoes planted in early October will provide plenty of new potatoes for Christmas dinner. Earth-up potatoes as they grow by drawing soil up and around the plants until only the top of the foliage is showing. This provides protection from the weather and insect pests as well as preventing ‘greening’ of any exposed tubers. The same principal applies to potatoes in containers, just top up the growing mix as the plants grow. VEGETABLES TO PLANT Labour Weekend is the traditional time to plant out summer varieties such as tomato, capsicum, egg plant, beans, pumpkin, squash, cucumber, kumara, sweet corn and zucchini. Any time from mid-October should be fine but if the weather is unsettled delay planting. Warmth and shelter from strong winds are necessary for success with these crops. Winter standbys such as cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, lettuce, spring onions, snow peas and silver beet can still be planted though I choose not to grow cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower through the warmer months as, without protection, cabbage white caterpillars will ruin these crops and I prefer to fill the garden with seasonal summer vegetables. HERBS Most herbs can be planted this month. Thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary, lemon grass, chives and dill can be grown in pots or can be planted directly into the garden. Coriander likes cool conditions so it prefers somewhere with a bit of shade in summer. Mint is best grown in a pot as it can easily take over a garden bed with its underground runners. Tarragon is a perennial herb that dies down in winter and pops up again in spring. There are two varieties, Russian, which is almost tasteless or French which is delicious. Make sure you get the right one. Contributed by Chris Green, SuperGrans WBOP Volunteer Want to know more? SuperGrans WBOP have launched a Life Skills Mentoring Programme for individuals and families wanting to learn how to start or improve a vegetable garden. You'll be matched with a "gardening buddy" who will support and guide you as you learn to grow your own food. Email info@supergranswbop.org.nz for an application form or download a form from here.
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 Wendy comes from a strong background in operations, sales and customer experience. After two years running a Community House in Auckland, she took on a role overseeing the operations of a business coaching and development organisation. "Both these roles gave me the great satisfaction of seeing people connect, network, learn from each other and grow," says Wendy.
"My husband and I, and two boys, moved to Whakamarama over 5 years ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves in the community. I spend a lot of time supporting the football mad teens and running a small lifestyle block of chooks, sheep and a couple of unruly goats. Given the chance I like to garden, go camping and boogie boarding with family and friends, or simply just sit and enjoy the views from our always to be finished garden. "I am passionate about community, and really excited about what SuperGrans is achieving, and the possibilities for the future. "  Anita's grandparents moved to Katikati in the 1950s, her mother and her mother's siblings grew up here, as did Anita and her partner, and now they are raising their three daughters in Katikati. "This community is important to me," says Anita.
"As are the knowledge and practical skills shared with me by my grandparents and parents that allow me to manage our household efficiently and effectively. "I’m really excited to join the Board of Trustees for SuperGrans Western Bay of Plenty as prior to becoming a trustee I managed the SuperGrans office for 18 months and know first-hand that we are providing an important service - for the recipients of the service, for those who are sharing their skills and knowledge, and for the wider community. "  August ended with a beautiful spring-like day, let’s hope that September gives us many more just the same. Vegetable plants that were struggling to grow a month ago are now racing ahead as the days get longer and soil temperatures rise significantly. Now is the time to prepare for next month when we can safely start to plant many of our favourite summer plants directly into the garden.
SEEDS TO SOW Into pots, punnets and trays under cover in a glasshouse, sun porch or sunny window-sill sow: Tomatoes, capsicum, chillies, zucchini, cucumber, dwarf beans, butternut squash, basil, plus towards the end of the month, egg plant, melons and sweet corn. A trigger spray bottle is a good way to keep them watered without splashing and washing out the seeds. Carrots, peas, radishes, beetroot, onions and parsnips can be sown directly into the garden. Covering seeds with a layer of seed-raising potting mix helps to prevent a hard crust that can hinder germination. I still prefer to sow cabbage, broccoli, perpetual spinach, cauliflower, and lettuce in pots to provide strong seedlings for planting later. POTATOES I planted my first early potatoes in July and they are already 20cm high and have received their first ‘earthing-up’. This involves drawing soil up and around the plants until only the top of the foliage is showing. This provides protection from the weather and insect pests as well as preventing ‘greening’ of any exposed tubers. The same principal applies to potatoes in containers, just top up the growing mix as the plants grow. Time to plant a few more! VEGETABLES TO PLANT Garden centres will soon be full of tender vegetable plants and it can be a huge temptation to buy up large and plant your summer garden in early September. Unless you have very warm, sheltered garden, a glasshouse, tunnel house or some other kind of protection it really pays to wait until October before planting. Even if early plantings survive they are usually overtaken by crops that are planted into more favourable conditions. Winter standbys such as cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, lettuce, spring onions, snow peas and silver beet can still be planted but be prepared to provide white butterfly protection as your cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower mature in a couple of months time. HERBS It’s probably still a little too early for basil but everyday varieties such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, chives and coriander will grow away quickly if planted this month. Contributed by Chris Green, SuperGrans WBOP Volunteer Want to know more? SuperGrans WBOP have launched a Life Skills Mentoring Programme for individuals and families wanting to learn how to start or improve a vegetable garden. You'll be matched with a "gardening buddy" who will support and guide you as you learn to grow your own food. Email info@supergranswbop.org.nz for an application form or download a form from here.  Cold winds, driving rain and a couple of light frosts are just what we expect in July but we also experienced several days of calm, sunny weather that were great for both gardens and gardeners. Already the days are lengthening and through August we will begin to think that spring has sprung but we’ll be mistaken. Unless you have a glasshouse or tunnel house it pays to be patient for at least the next six weeks or so before planting out any tender, heat-loving summer vegetables.
SEEDS TO SOW. Continue sowing onions, lettuce, silver beet, beetroot, perpetual spinach and spring onions. I usually make this my last sowing of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli because later sow crops will need to be protected from Cabbage White butterflies. Peas, broad beans and snow peas can be sown in pots or straight into the garden. Florence, or Globe fennel prefers cooler temperatures so there is still time to raise some seedlings. Carrots and parsnip are best sown direct into the garden late in the month when soil temperatures start to increase. Always use fresh parsnip seed for best results. Mid-August is the time to start sowing early zucchini, tomato, capsicum, chilli, egg plant, dwarf bean and cucumber in trays and pots but only in a warm, sunny spot under cover. POTATOES Early potatoes can be planted now. The seed potatoes you purchase may have already formed shoots and mini root systems and can be planted straight from the bag. Otherwise, prepare seed potatoes before planting by chitting. Chitting involves pre-sprouting the tubers by putting them in trays (I use egg cartons) and placing them in a warm, light, dry spot to allow the young shoots to develop. Good early varieties include Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Illam Hardy and Arran Banner. VEGETABLES TO PLANT Unless you have a glasshouse, August really is the month to exercise patience. Winter standbys such as cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, lettuce, spring onions and silver beet can still be planted. Asparagus ‘crowns’ are usually available from garden shops for planting in July/August. Planting an asparagus bed is a long term project as it takes several years to produce significant crops but it can then go on cropping for twenty years or more. HERBS Herbs are generally easy to grow and most can be planted this month. Thyme, parsley, coriander, sage, rosemary, lemon grass, chives and dill can be grown in pots or can be planted directly into the garden. Mint is best grown in a pot as it can easily take over a garden bed with its underground runners. Contributed by Chris Green, SuperGrans WBOP Volunteer Want to know more? SuperGrans WBOP have launched a Life Skills Mentoring Programme for individuals and families wanting to learn how to start or improve a vegetable garden. You'll be matched with a "gardening buddy" who will support and guide you as you learn to grow your own food. Email info@supergranswbop.org.nz for an application form or download a form from here.  June continued our run of great gardening weather with relatively warm temperatures and finally some good soaking rain. No doubt we will have cold, wet conditions ahead so July is a good time to clean up old crops, check out the seed catalogues and get ready for Spring. There are, however still plenty of vegetables that can be grown right now.
SEEDS TO SOW. Seeds sown directly into garden beds will be very slow to germinate this month but cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, silver beet, beetroot, perpetual spinach and spring onion can all be sown under cover in containers. A sunny windowsill can be used to germinate seeds but the seedlings can quickly become spindly and weak if left indoors for too long. Move them to a sheltered spot outside a couple of days after germination to ensure hardy, sturdy seedlings. Peas, broad beans and snow peas can be sown in pots or straight into the garden but again they will do much better in containers filled with seed-raising potting mix. Florence, or Globe, fennel prefers cooler temperatures so now is a good time to raise some seedlings to plant out next month. Carrots are best sown direct into the garden in late August when soil temperatures start to increase . POTATOES First early potatoes can be planted in a warm, sheltered spot from mid July onwards so, if you haven’t already done so, purchase and prepare seed potatoes by chitting. Chitting involves pre-sprouting the tubers by putting them in trays (I use egg cartons) and placing them in a warm, light, dry spot to allow the young shoots to develop. Good early varieties include Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Illam Hardy and Arran Banner. VEGETABLES TO PLANT Garlic and shallots can still be planted this month along with our winter standbys cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, lettuce, spring onions and silver beet. Asparagus ‘crowns’ are usually available from garden shops for planting in July/August. Planting an asparagus bed is a long-term project as it takes several years to produce significant crops but it can then go on cropping for twenty years or more. STRAWBERRIES Planting now allows the maximum time to produce a strong plant with a well developed root system that will support a large crop of succulent fruit. It also encourages early and prolonged cropping. If using bare-rooted strawberry plants that are dug straight out of the ground just be careful that the roots are never allowed to become dry before planting. Contributed by Chris Green, SuperGrans WBOP Volunteer Want to know more? SuperGrans WBOP have launched a Life Skills Mentoring Programme for individuals and families wanting to learn how to start or improve a vegetable garden. You'll be matched with a "gardening buddy" who will support and guide you as you learn to grow your own food. Email info@supergranswbop.org.nz for an application form or download a form from here.  June, the official start of winter, is when keen gardeners start to think about growing edible treats such as strawberries, garlic and shallots to be enjoyed next spring and summer. Our ‘Green Drought’ continues with enough rain to wash off the dust, make the lawns grow and the weed seeds germinate but nowhere near enough to really soak down into the subsoil so occasional watering may still be needed in the vegetable garden.
SEEDS TO SOW. Only hardy varieties can be sown in June and I find I get the best result by sowing the seeds in containers and producing sturdy plants to plant out later. This gets them away to a good start as they deal with wintery conditions. Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, silver beet, beetroot, kohlrabi, perpetual spinach and spring onion all benefit from this method. Peas, broad beans and snow peas can be sown in pots or straight into the garden but I favour growing them in small pots before planting out. POTATOES First early potatoes can be planted in mid July so this is the time to prepare seed potatoes by chitting. Chitting involves pre-sprouting the tubers by putting them in trays (I use egg cartons) and placing them in a warm, light, dry spot to allow the young shoots to develop. Good early varieties include Cliffs Kidney, Jersey Bennes, Illam Hardy and Arran Banner. VEGETABLES TO PLANT Garlic, shallots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, lettuce, rocket, spring onions, silver beet, kohlrabi and Florence fennel can all be planted this month. GARLIC & SHALLOTS Individual garlic cloves are usually planted point upwards approx 10cm apart with 15cm to 30cm between rows and covered with 2cm to 3cm of soil. Shallots are spaced 10cm apart with 20cm between rows with the base of the bulb pressed firmly into the soil but leaving the top half exposed. HERBS Plant hardy herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley and coriander. Mint is best in pots to prevent invasive roots and shoots from overpowering less vigorous plants. STRAWBERRIES Commercial strawberry growers like to get their beds planted as soon as possible in late autumn/early winter. Planting now allows the maximum time to produce a strong plant with a well developed root system that will support a large crop of succulent fruit. It also encourages early and prolonged cropping. If using bare-rooted strawberry plants that are dug straight out of the ground just be careful that the roots are never allowed to become dry before planting. Next summer, here we come. Contributed by Chris Green, SuperGrans WBOP Volunteer Want to know more? SuperGrans WBOP will be launching a Life Skills Mentoring Programme in Level 2 and will be welcoming applications from families wanting to learn how to start or improve a vegetable garden. You'll be matched with a "gardening buddy" who will support and guide you as you learn to grow your own food. Follow us on Facebook (supergranswesternbop for updates) or email info@supergranswbop.org.nz for an application form. |
