Otago Daily Times

Vegetables

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As winter comes closer, the opportunit­ies for growing vegetables are reduced, but garlic and shallots should go in from now until early spring. Plant small sections of bulbs, pushing them down to half their depth in rich, wellcultiv­ated soil. Keep an eye on them as growth starts, checking bulbs to make sure they have not been pushed out of the ground by developing roots. If they have, push them back in.

Winter is also the time for planting rhubarb and asparagus crowns, so prepare the ground now. Rhubarb needs very rich soil with lots of compost and manure, while asparagus, being of seaside origin, does well if a layer of seaweed is put under wellfertil­ised soil. Keep the beds free of weeds to reduce weeding once these perennials are in.

Compost bins and heaps need protection from winter rains, as cold heaps stop decomposin­g. Cover heaps with plastic stretched tightly over a frame, or with corrugated iron.

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