Southern View: September 26, 2017

30
Tuesday [Edition datE]
14 September 26 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
PHOTO RACHEL VOGAN
SOUTHERN WESTERN NEWS VIEW
time to get started
with spring planting
By RACHEL VOGAN
As the days get longer and the soil slowly
begins to warm up and dry out, the time is
right to set about growing your own greens to
feed the troops.
POTATOES
The first sprouted potatoes can go in the
ground now in the warmer climates. If your
soil isn’t ready, grow an early-crop in large
tubs or potato planters. This option will yield
just as well as growing in the ground, and enable
you to tuck the pots up against the house
to protect them from cold snaps. Early-crop
varieties to plant now include ‘Jersey Benne’,
‘Rocket’, Swift’, ‘Cliff Kidney’, or ‘Liseta’. Remember
to enrich the soil with potato food!
PEAS
Peas are a super quick and easy crop to grow,
and have the advantage of being remarkably
hardy to cold temperatures. They prefer a
fertile soil in full sun, and would benefit from
a supporting frame or series of stakes to keep
the crop off the ground.
Sow seed directly in the garden where you
wish it to grow, allowing 10-15cm between
each plant. I put two seeds in each hole.
Cover the area with mesh or netting as birds
just love to peck at fresh pea shoots as they
emerge through the soil.
Once the plants reach 15-20cm, the leaves
don’t seem to have as much appeal, so the
nets can be removed. They are a great crop
for tubs and planters, and dwarf varieties
are wonderful in hanging baskets or window
boxes. Plant plenty, as once they come ready,
you never seem to have enough.
RADISH
Crisp and zingy, everyone has room to grow
these nuggets of goodness. All you need is a
kitchen bucket, some vegetable mix and seeds,
and you’ll be in business. Why not grow them
at work if you have a sunny outdoor space?
It could make for a fun inter-office challenge,
with prizes on offer for the biggest, smallest,
ugliest, tastiest and funniest-shaped radish!
Personally, I prefer the round marble to
golf-ball-sized types, although the cylindrical
varieties do get a lot bigger and therefore give
you more bang for your buck.
Sow from seed now in rows, or try sowing
them in a circle or a pattern – kids love doing
this. Note that you won’t find radishes in
punnets, as they are very difficult to transplant
without damaging the roots, so planting in a
seed line is definitely the best way forward.
ROCKET
Rocket, or arugula, is one of the fastest-growing
and tastiest salad greens around. It is the
epitome of a low-maintenance crop; you can
scatter seed directly onto the ground and walk
away, and will be greeted with seedlings within
a few weeks, and harvestable leaves only a
fortnight to a month later. Plants are widely
available all year round. If the soil dries out in
summer, the plant will bolt and go to seed, so
perk up old, tired soil with sheep manure or
compost before planting in order to avoid this.
It’s an ideal resident for the patio and window
boxes near the kitchen, and if you keep picking
it without allowing it to flower, it will crop for
up to six months or more, as long as the soil
remains fertile and regularly watered.
Article reproduced from Kiwi Gardener
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