Weekly Garden Diary: Spring Week 9

This post was most recently updated on November 20th, 2017

Week 9 of spring in NZ heralds the beginning of November, and the exciting countdown to the summer holiday season (and Christmas!).

With November usually, comes a little warmer weather and the end of the October rains. Seeds sown now germinate well outdoors and new plants grow with great gusto. You can sow beans in-situ or transplant seedlings to the base of a trellis/netting fence or grow-frame.

Zucchinis, pumpkins, squash and marrows can be sown into a pile of well-rotted manure/compost. Remember these things take over the place so allow plenty of space between plants.

Any areas that won’t be used right now for the garden will benefit from the sowing of a cover crop to keep weeds at bay. Choose a legume like lupins to increase nitrogen or something leafy like barley or mustard to dig in later to increase organic matter.

Now is a good time to sow beetroot main crops and corn can also go in. Plant corn in a grid pattern rather than rows as it relies on the wind and gravity and close neighbors for pollination.

Celery seedlings can be planted out into a trench full of well-rotted manure/compost.

Peas, lettuce, carrots, spring onions, turnips, and radishes can still be sown every week or two for crop succession.

It seems crazy to be thinking of winter when summer isn’t even here yet, but late autumn/ early winter cabbage, kale, broccoli, swedes, and cauliflower need to be sown now to give them plenty time to grow before the cold hits again.

Spring Week 10

Spring Week 8

Crop Rotation

Companion Planting

Seed Planting Timetable

Perennial Vegetables

For further reading, I really recommend all of these books. I own every one of them and they are amazing resources!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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