Ready set grow!
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING SUMMER VEGETABLES
At some point during October or November, and depending where in New Zealand you live, the soil warms to a steady 16 degree minimum. This is the time to plant those warm season crops that will reward us with bountiful harvests over summer and autumn.
Sowing seeds in situ, straight into the garden bed or planting box is the best way to go for the likes of beans, sweetcorn and root vegetables. These vegetables will germinate fast in warm soil and quickly romp into strong active growth when their young roots are left undisturbed.
Temperature and timing is important for summer crops. Each seed has its optimum soil temperature at which germination will occur in the shortest number of days. For example, at 25°C a certain seed may sprout in less than a week, at 15°C you might have to wait two weeks, and at 10°C germination of that same seed may take a month or more, or not at all.
Similarly for seedlings; a young cucumber or zucchini plant in too cold soil will sit and sulk, while the same sized seedling planted into warmer soil a week or two later will soon catch up and overtake it. So there is no point in sowing or planting outdoors too early. However, we can start our seedlings in a greenhouse, in little pots for transplanting later. Or simply let the experts do it for us. Tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers and zucchini transplant very easily, especially when grown in individual pots. Another option is to sow into little biodegradable pots so the seedlings can be planted out pot and all.
Beans
Beans grow best when seed is sown straight into warm garden soil. There are all kinds of interesting beans to grow, both dwarf and climbing forms. Climbing beans take a few months to mature, but they produce about three times the yield per square metre as dwarf beans and will keep on bearing until the first frost. Dwarf beans mature very quickly to produce the bulk of their crop over a two-week period. To achieve a non-stop summer-autumn supply sow dwarf bean seeds every three weeks from October to January. Pick beans frequently and eat them while they are young and tender.
Sweet corn
Like beans, sweet corn establishes strong roots when sown directly into warm garden soil. For best pollination, sow corn seed in a block rather than a single row. Read more about this on page 26. Growing your own from seeds offers a wide choice of varieties.
Root vegetables
Sow carrots, parsnips, beetroot and radishes straight into a sunny patch of loose crumbly soil. Water gently and keep the soil evenly moist as you watch for seeds to germinate. Remove the weakest seedlings to make space for the crop to mature. Eat the thinnings as baby veges or microgreens. Beetroot is ready for harvest within about two months of sowing. Globe shaped varieties are ready to eat in the shortest time, especially the baby varieties which are lovely for cooking and serving whole.