It's time to plant seedling leeks for winter as they take a long time to grow. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age
It's time to plant seedling leeks for winter as they take a long time to grow. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age
Leeks, carrots and dwarf beans should be going in the garden, says Janice Marriott.
There's just time to plant a late crop of beans. The dwarf butter beans are very speedy, as are Kings Seeds Top Crop Dwarf. If you have room, dig over another potato plot. You want varieties that will keep well, such as Agria and Moonlight.
Sow seeds of autumn vegetables,too: beetroot, lettuce, mesclun and spinach. Plant seedling leeks for winter. They take a long time to grow, but look stately. I let some flower this summer and the perfect balls of mauve flowers look like fireworks exploding and attract many bees.
If you plant winter sprouts and cauliflower and cabbage remember to cover them with netting because white butterfly caterpillars just love them and there are lots of white butterflies around at the moment.
Now that school has started, think ahead to all those packed lunches. Plant some mini sweet carrots. They won't grow longer than 10 cm, and children love them.
Or try yellow carrots, such as Lubyana, or red or purple ones called Purple Dragon. And here's a history lesson to take to school: purple carrots were recorded in Afghanistan in AD900, making them at least 1000 years old.
