Timeline for kumaras
WHEN ARE KUMARA READY?
It can be hard to tell when to dig for kumara as the tops don’t die down when the tubers are ripe. As a rule, kumara take five months from planting to harvest, but last spring and early summer were so cold that tubers may not have reached maturity yet.
Before committing yourself to digging up the whole bed, do some careful bandicooting in a couple of places to see what’s happening underground. Size isn’t the only thing to look for. Only mature kumara will store well, so check the skin is firm and cut one into a couple of pieces. The cut sides will dry quickly if the kumara is ready to store. They’ll last for five months or so in a cool, dark place.
If you’ve got a lot of tiddlers, peel or scrub them well and cut into pieces roughly the same size. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes, then free-flow freeze. They’ll come in handy for winter soups and stews.
RESCUE BURNT BEGONIAS
Tuberous begonias have a lot of flower power, blooming on and on throughout summer and bringing colour to shady corners.
They prefer a well-drained spot out of the wind that’s shaded during the hottest part of the day. Now that the sun is lower in the sky, check that your plants that were in shade all summer aren’t being burnt. The leaves (pictured) were covered with droplets of water which magnified the sun’s rays with dire results.
When the flowers have finished, leave the foliage in place and keep watering as needed. Food made by photosynthesis in the leaves now will build up the tuber for next season.
Over the next month or so, the stems and leaves will start to die back and can be removed. Stop watering potted begonias about mid-April. Store pots on their sides or where they won’t get waterlogged.
If you need the pots for something else, or you live in a frosty spot, take the tubers out of the pots, leave them to dry for a couple of days, then store. Wrap them in newspaper to stop them touching and put in a paper bag, or put them in a cardboard box with dry potting mix or sphagnum moss to stop them rolling around. Store in a cool place. Begonias grown in the ground can be left in warm areas. Otherwise lift the tubers before the first frost and store as above. In late August put the tubers (concave side up) in a bright spot out of direct sunlight to sprout. Barely cover the sprouted tubers with fresh potting mix and begin the cycle all over again.
KEEP PLANTING
TThe soil is still warm, even though the days are getting shorter, so keep planting. Beetroot, carrots, coriander, leeks, spring onions, lettuce, radishes, spinach and silverbeet can be grown from seed but transplant broccoli, cabbages and cauli seedlings. It’s worth making an extra effort when planting seedlings into dry soil. Stand the punnet in a weak solution of fertiliser or worm wee until no air bubbles appear. Fill the planting hole with water and allow to drain. Firm the soil around the roots of the seedlings and water again. Mulch well. Water deeply so that the roots grow downwards from the start, safe from hot weather and drying winds.