Rotate crops to avoid the nasties
November is the month for our climate here in Taupo¯ Tu¯ rangi to plant our summer crops. Some mornings can still be a little cool, but our soil is now warm enough to sow seeds.
Remember, rotation of crops is important. Try not to plant tomatoes in the same place as last year. This helps prevent any chance of disease spreading. As our winter has been quite mild, all sorts of nasties are lingering in our soils. If you don’t all have room to move everything around, try moving major crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and brassicas.
Sweet corn can be sown now. Put it in blocks, not rows as this helps with pollination. Putting sweet corn in rows can develop blank spots. Pollination is done by the wind so blocks of plants work better.
Zucchini can be sown in pots or garden. Do remember to water well first thing in the morning if possible. This will help keep powdery mildew away. Pick when small finger size, this is when they are at their best, sweet and firm.
Sow basil in pots. Use rich soil and water well and regularly as basil likes moist soil. Sow seeds two weeks apart to give a regular supply not a glut.
Chillies and peppers need a long hot summer and garden centres have good stocks so I prefer to not sow seeds but buy plants or we can run out of time and summer can be over before they’re ready. Our soil is now warm enough for plants, no time to lose.
Cucumbers can also go in. These like to climb so plant close to a trellis and as they grow plant your lettuces in the shade of the trellis as they enjoy the cool shade of summer.
The climbing type of beans should be putting on plenty of growth now. Be sure the beans have at least 2 metres of structures to grow up and when it has reached the top, train them back down again or they will end up forming a tangled mess and developing beans also hide pests.
It’s a busy time but worth the time and effort to put on your gumboots and get planting. “If your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.” Enjoy your garden.