Gareth Carter: Grow your own groceries by planting vegetables

Grow your own groceries by planting a row or two of peas.

The increasing price of groceries and, in fact, everything is a hot topic.

Growing your own or some of your own vegetables is a practical and rewarding way to make your dollars stretch further.

The main planting of vegetables for harvesting in winter is generally done in late February and March to harvest in June and July. This autumn has been a particularly good growing season, with warmer-than-normal temperatures and ongoing rainfall bringing on crops at lightning speed.

The growth of vegetable seedlings in the garden will slow down when the temperatures drop. When growing vegetables we need to be thinking ahead to the next season. If you haven’t got vegetables for winter planted, some quick-maturing ones to grow include pak choi, spinach, silverbeet and radish. Broccoli planted now will likely be ready in August; cauliflowers and cabbage in September.

Cloches are like a greenhouse but cheaper. This month is a good time to bring out any cloches you have, look at buying some or making your own. They are useful in the vegetable garden for warming the soil before sowing peas, onions etc. The warmer the soil at this time of year, the better the seed germination. Cloches can be used to cover lettuces and keep off birds, and they help warm up the soil, speeding up growth for winter plantings.

Broad beans are a cool season crop and it is time to start sowings of them now, with a second sowing in June or July as a successive crop. They are normally ready for eating in 16 weeks. They are best grown in full sun in well-dug soil and sheltered from the wind. Protect from birds with netting – as the seeds germinate, the birds tend to pull them out.

Place seeds in double rows 10-25cm apart and set the double rows about 90cm apart. This will help ensure there is good pollination. Sow 5cm deep, cover with fine soil and keep moist. Water regularly as this is important during pod setting. Pods picked at a young stage can be eaten whole, although normally they are left to mature and only the beans are eaten. Broad beans like lime and sulphate of potash – apply to the ground before sowing. Check out the variety Mr Green Seed, part of a range of seeds called Chef’s Best, distributed by Ican.

The Ican brand has been developed by a group of independent garden centres with the aim of putting quality and value first, addressing the issue that we are in an age where price is often pushed lower at the compromise of quality. Garden experts have carried out extensive trials and sought advice from vegetable seed specialists in New Zealand and internationally to find the very best varieties for the New Zealand home gardener.

When growing vegetables we need to think ahead to the next season, writes Gareth Carter. Photo / Supplied

You can sow a row or two of peas if you wish to grow your own. Peas like lime added to the soil. Soak the seeds for four to six hours to hasten germination. If sown now you should be picking them by October. The top variety, part of the Chef’s Best Ican range, is Pea Magic; it has dark green pods on vigorous high-yielding plants. Good resistance to fusarium and powdery mildew means you keep on picking till the last pod is produced.

If you are keen to grow your own onions from seed, now is the time to be sowing sweet red, odourless and, of course, Pukekohe long keeper. The soil for all onions, shallots and garlic should be fertilised with potato food. When planting onions, make sure the ground is thoroughly firmed. Now, too, is the time for planting garlic, elephant garlic and shallots.

Insects

The unfortunate downside of the continuing warm weather this autumn is the proliferation of insect pests. After spraying my brassicas a few weeks ago and thinking that would be the last time for months, the population of whitefly and hungry caterpillars has increased – though I suspect by the number of holes I spotted they are now not so hungry. A spray with Yates Mavrik will keep these in check and ensure I, not the caterpillars, will get a harvest from my vegetable garden. The use of bug netting is a good way to stop these pests getting in and will reduce damage and the need for spraying.

Overwintering vacant beds with a green crop

If you do not intend to plant a winter vegetable garden, rather than letting the area become invaded with weeds, it is recommended you sow a green crop. Growing a green crop is also good for flower beds and new garden sections. The most popular two are blue lupin and mustard.

Blue lupin is useful for the maintenance of soil fertility. It assists in recycling lost nutrients from your subsoil and adds a good level of nitrogen which is available to your next crops.

Mustard aids in the control of wireworm nematodes etc, which are problems often associated with root crops such as carrots and parsnips. Mustard also reduces the chances of any soil-borne diseases within about 40 days of digging in. If clubroot is a problem, don’t plant brassica crops after mustard.

Strawberry runner planting season – late May

Now is a good time to prepare for strawberries. Bareroot bundles of plants should be ordered in the garden centre now to ensure you don’t miss out on getting plants at the best price (they generally come in bundles of 25 plants). Strawberries would have to be the most popular berry fruit and a small patch in the home garden can provide a good supply over a long season.

They tolerate a little shade but crop better and earlier in a sunny situation. A practical idea is to plant strawberry plants under the clothesline where the flapping clothes will act to scare away birds. Avoid planting in areas which have been growing potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines or raspberries within the past three years because strawberries can contract verticillium wilt and other root diseases from these crops.

Strawberry plants can be grown in a wide range of soils although medium to fairly heavy acid soils are best, within a pH range of 5.8 to 6.2. Soils can be improved with the addition of compost or other organic material. Good drainage is essential. Prepare the strawberry bed by digging in compost or manure several weeks before planting. Polythene or weed mat can be set down to suppress weeds, reduce disease risk and advance the crop.

For more gardening information visit www.springvalegardencentre.co.nz

* Gareth Carter is the general manager of Springvale Garden Centre.