vegetable plants

Kerikeri growers Irwin Lawson and Geraldine Davy may have answers for home gardeners struggling to keep their gardens going strong in the summer heat.

The couple transformed a bare paddock in Northland into a lush tropical garden that is a paradise for birds and biodiversity thanks to clever plantsmanship, shelterbelts and irrigation.

But it is in their vegetable garden and orchard where home gardeners will learn lessons about dealing with an expected warm, dry summer, the projected El Niño weather pattern and climate change.

They first began by creating an upper story canopy of tropical plants to provide shade and shelter, alongside an established border of redwoods and acmena. Using plants from a more tropical climate is something we all have to start thinking about.

They also took time to observe and interact with their environment (such as following the track of the sun) and existing irrigation system to find the best location for their vegetable garden and orchard.

“We’re on an older property and like a lot of the older properties in Kerikeri were on irrigation schemes, so we’re pretty lucky to be on one of those still left. So we have extra water plus our tank water that we use for drinking and so forth,” says Irwin.

“And we mulch – to help keep moisture in the ground – quite frequently anyway, because we’ve got big lawns and I have a catcher on my mower, so it collects the grass pretty well.

“That’s the easiest mulch to collect and most effective. Straw and hay are too expensive for us. I always try to use what’s available. I have a small mulcher as well, so we can mulch branches and things.”

Geraldine says they complement their natural shelters with windbreak cloth over the garden.

“You get a bit of a dip in the sunshine over the day, but it gives quite a bit of protection from the heat and also birds,” she says.”

They are also practising planting outside traditional growing times for vegetable plants – for example, transplanting things like tomato plants well before the traditional time of Labour weekend.

Being in the warm, dry north, the couple are used to their greens bolting and going to seed, says Irwin.

“The only solution is to harvest them quicker or come up with some inventive recipes. For instance, I’ve got a recipe where I found a bit of broccoli going to seed, so I chop it onto a bit of baking paper on a tray and grate some cheese over the top and add a little bit of onion and salt and pepper. It makes quite a bit of food.”

Geraldine says they will cut plants like broccoli when it’s going to seed. “It manages to come back again. The heads are smaller but at least you haven’t killed it off.”

They’re also practised at succession planting, so will have lettuce, broccoli and other salad greens constantly on the go.

The couple have problems with kikuyu weed, which loves the heat, and have almost given up trying to control it.

“We once sprayed the kikuyu around the fruit trees, but it killed one of the trees. The spray hadn’t gone near the leaves but soaked into the ground onto the tree’s roots.”

The couple try not to resort to sprays now, instead using a weedeater to keep the kikuyu off fruit trees, paths and garden borders. “I just stick a spade up against the tree, so I don’t damage it,” says Irwin.

Thai herb garden

It’s easy to find parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary, but why not try growing other herbs to make your international dishes taste truly authentic?

Thai cuisine relies on balancing the different elements of taste – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and spicy. Different ingredients fit into these categories: chillies for spice, say, or lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves for sour.

Chillies and the various basil (such as holy basil and Thai basil) like a warm, sunny spot, so grow these plants together in one container.

In summer, coriander needs shade, and since you’ll most likely be harvesting the roots – which are a quintessential ingredient in Thai food – give it its own container. You can harvest both the leaves and the roots. The roots are harvested 30-50 days after the seeds germinate, when the largest above-ground stem is about 5mm in diameter. Pull out the whole plant when gathering the roots.

Ginger and its relative galangal can be grown in a greenhouse or a warm room, and also outdoors. They grow from root sections, technically rhizomes. Give these plants their own container, at least 30cm deep. Slice the rhizome (available from organic grocers – choose a plump one free of wrinkles) into pieces, making sure there’s at least one bud on each piece. Plant in free-draining mix that’s had compost incorporated. Each piece of rhizome needs about 20cm of space. Plant the rhizome facing upward and position the container in partial shade. Keep the soil damp but not soggy.

Turmeric has a bitter flavour and can also be grown from rhizomes, and given its own container too.

Lemongrass and makrut lime have a bouquet of complex flavours, and are also best in separate pots. Both like a warm, sunny spot away from frost, so grow in containers so you can move them into shelter over winter.

Put out water for birds

Not only does your garden suffer from arid conditions, so to do birds. Provide them with a water-filled birdbath or some thoughtfully placed vessel in which they can safely dip out of view of predators such as cats. The sight of birds happily bathing, flicking water here and there, drinking and generally revelling in the cool water is a heartening one, and you can be sure the birds will be enjoying the experience as much as you. Change the water as often as you can – no one likes to drink their bathwater – and fill whatever container you’ve provided with rainwater if you can.

Gardening by the moon

December 1: Turn the compost heap. December 2-3: Sow root crops. Keep beds moist until seeds germinate. December 4-8: Harvest everything that is ready. Fertilise and cultivate the soil.

Gardening by the maramataka

Here the summer wife Hineraumati commands Rehua (the star Antares) and he becomes apparent through the midsummer haze and mist which itself pre-empts the drying up of soil and vegetation. This is the crucial period for understanding plant needs to survive drought and persistent drying winds such as the Canterbury nor-easters. Moving towards the end of the month, early red berries such as porokaiwhiti (pidgeonwood) or taupata (Cosprosma) are ready, and birds will find them for food. The red and black currants in the garden will also be ready at the same time. Whiro (new moon) is due on the night of the 12th and Te Rākaunui (full moon) on the night of the 26th. Accordingly, the period following Whiro (13th to 15th) and the period following Christmas from midday on the 26th to the 28th are suited to garden activities of all sorts. Perhaps ensure the last of your new plants are planted during this period. You can now put your feet up for the upcoming start to 2024. Dr Nick Roskruge

Source: stuff.co.nz

About Starting A Vegetable Garden

Grow vegetables in containers on the porch, deck, or balcony. Rather than filling the containers with soil from the ground, use potting soil that contains sand and silt to retain moisture.

Choose a location that gets at least six hours of sunlight daily and drains well. Fence the garden to keep out critters.

Source: fbherald.com

Starting A Vegetable Garden

A good vegetable garden requires regular maintenance. Vegetables will not wait until it’s convenient to water them or pull weeds.

When choosing vegetables, peruse seed catalogs and retailer websites to learn about the varieties that grow best in your zone. You may decide to plant seeds or buy plug plants that can be planted directly. Identify your site and soil type, as the ideal soil is loamy with the right mix of clay, sand and silt.

While farmers plant millions acres of plants like rye and clover to boost soil health and crowd out weeds, a cover crop does the same thing in the smallest home garden.

With cover crops, a vegetable garden doesn’t have to end with the first hard frost — no greenhouse required.

Devin Barto plants cover crops on five acres at Fifth Month Farm in Mount Joy. He shared tips for easy cover crops for home gardeners at Penn State Master Gardener state conference in September 2022. (September is prime cover crop time.)

Barto’s mantra was simple: just try it and see what happens.

What to plant

Cover crops add carbon and biomass, feed microbes and pollinators, keep weeds away and prevent erosion.

– One category, legumes such as peas and clovers, also pull nitrogen from the atmosphere and send it into soil.

– Clovers, including crimson and red, are versatile and easy to remove. Crimson clover’s particularly beautiful when it blooms in mid-April, Barto says. While many cover crops are planted as summer fades to fall, clovers can be planted under taller vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes. After the vegetable plants are removed, the clover will have a head start for the cool season. This also works with kale and cabbage plants.

– Grasses like rye and wheat will increase soil’s organic matter and control weeds. When cut, the tall grass also can be used as mulch. However, grass plants can be more difficult to remove so they should be pulled in April when still small, Barto says. Also, young winter rye has allelopathic properties so check the timing of planting later crops to prevent any issues.

– Oats die after freezing temperature, so they’re not as hard to remove as other grasses. The roots left behind also boost soil structure.

– Austrian winter peas don’t die over winter. The pea greens are tasty, perfect for a winter salad, Barto says. Field peas will die in the winter but still fix nitrogen levels.

– Hairy vetch is a great seed to sow later in the fall. It’s popular with pollinators, especially in April and May when flowers are scare. However, vetch will spread more than other cover crops. After cutting vetch, plant vegetables directly into the same space with the vetch fertilizing and mulching new plants.

– Most of these can be planted alone or in a mix. A good mix combines hairy vetch, crimson clover, oats and Austrian winter peas. Planted in mid-September through October, these will suppress winter weeds. The plants still look good by mid-May when they’re mowed and then replaced by vegetable plants. Barto says.

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When to plant

– If you want to hold on to summer vegetables like tomatoes and peppers for as long as possible, sow cover crops by seed in growing trays to transplant. This works better with crimson clover and hairy vetch than grasses, Barto says.

– Planting cover crops mid-September through late October leaves time for the most growth and benefit to the soil. King’s AgriSeeds, Ronks, has an in-depth guide that includes when to plant.

– Later planted crops, like hairy vetch in late October, will still germinate in the fall and then grow in the spring.

– If you miss that window, rye and hairy vetch are good late options, Barto says.

– Planting in February or March is also a possibility.

– Barto spoke in late September, on the edge of when oats should be planted in Scranton. “Just do it, anyway,” Barto says. “See what happens.”

How to plant cover crops

– Start with a firm seed bed. Use a small lawn roller or walk over the space.

– The space doesn’t need to be bare but the remaining plants should at least be mowed down. Tender plants such as cucumber and beans should die when temperatures drop, making space for the cool-season cover crop.1

How to remove cover crops

– By mid-April, put down a silage tarp for a low-effort way to keep weeds away and prep soil before planting. General purpose blue tarps work as well. Cardboard is an option but plastic heats the cover crop, helping it break down quickly.

– Otherwise, close to vegetable planting time, rototill, mow or weed whack the cover crop. If you have a small area or a raised bed, pull the plants by hand.

– Then it’s time to plant vegetables and see what happens.

From the writer: Lessons learned from my first cover crop

I planted my first cover crop last fall.

I’ve wanted to for years but didn’t know where or when to start. Devin Barto’s advice to plant something and see what happens was the push I needed.

Rohrer Seeds in Smoketown had the crimson clover, hairy vetch, rye and Austrian winter peas on my list. I measured one of my raised beds and did the math to come up with the right amount of seeds, by weight. Planting was easy enough to do before waking up my daughter on a rainy weekday morning in the middle of October. (First lesson: it is late but just do it.)

About a week later, I did the same thing in another raised bed. It was only a few days difference but the first bed sprouted quickly while the second bed barely had any sprouts. (Second lesson: don’t wait too late to plant.)

The plants in the raised bed kept the weeds away and were hopefully doing great things in the soil. Throughout the winter, they were a nice pop of green. (Third lesson: stop and appreciate what can survive the bitter cold.)

When spring sprung, the clover, pea and vetch bloomed pink, red and purple. The bees loved the flowers too.

Yet when it was time to pull the cover crop and plant vegetables in the healthy soil in mid-May, my husband was on a month-long work trip overseas. Planting that raised bed was not a priority. The cover crops still hung on while I kept the rest of my garden alive. Even through the drought, they stood tall and at least kept the weeds at bay. (Fourth lesson: cover crops help with weeds and are at least pretty placeholders if life gets extra-busy.)

By the time I was out of survival mode, the cover crop died back in summer’s heat. The fall crop of kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and beets were easy to plant in the weed-free bed. Lettuce, carrot and herb seeds went in next. (Fifth lesson: despite the drought and zero soil amendments, the cover crop soil was not compacted.)

Time will tell if the cover crop will turn the raised bed into the best fall harvest yet. In the first growing season, these plants easily became green mulch that lent a much-needed helping hand during weed season. I’m going to plant this mix elsewhere in a few weeks and see what happens underground.

– Erin Negley

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