Pumpkin is a great vegetable for winter time in New Zealand. Interestingly in Britain pumpkin is not considered a vegetable desirable for the table as it is fed to cattle as a winter feed. It may also be regarded as a vegetable for the lower class.
However in New Zealand it is very popular and provides an excellent vegetable with a variety of uses in cooking. It can be used as plain boiled pumpkin, roast pumpkin and pumpkin soup.
Whether you grow your own pumpkin or take advantage of cheaper prices to bulk buy pumpkins we need to be able to store them for a long period. Generally well harvested mature pumpkin need little preparation to keep them over winter.
The pumpkins should be matured fully on the vines before harvesting just before the colder and wetter winter conditions arrive. Cut the stem with secateurs about 3cm from the pumpkin. Clean the fruit by taking all the soil and debris off them. Place the fruit in a dry place to dry off by putting the down the same way as they were growing.
Once dry they can be inspected for damage and stored in a cool dry place with a minimum temperature of about 5C. Do not pile the fruit on top of each other because the pressure can damage the skin and let in disease. Pumpkin can be stacked by placing a small handful of straw between them to prevent this damage.
Use the pumpkin throughout the winter and continue to check on them to see if any are deteriorating. Use those first if necessary.
The great thing about growing radish is that they are simple and easy to grow, mature early and taste good. It is an ideal vegetable to encourage children and adults to try vegetable gardening.
Radishes grow in any good, well cultivated soil. Sow the seed in rows at a depth approximately 7 times the diameter of the seed. It is normal to grow radish as an early crop but it is best to wait until the soil temperature is over 8 degrees centigrade for rapid growth.
Sow seed thinly in the rows. This will save time consuming thinning out of the seedlings as they grow. Once growing they need to grow unchecked for about 40 days until maturity for the best flavours. Sow a short row every three weeks to ensure a continuous supply to pick and eat.
The European radishes we normally grow are small and tasty round or oblong root crop in a range of colours from dark red to white and all variations in between.
Some people suggest growing radish with a row of carrots as the radish grow first and show gardeners where the row is. However if left too long in the carrots they will smother the carrots and slow their growth down. A better option is to sow separate rows of radish or sow a row between rows of carrots so that the carrots can grow unchecked.
European radishes are best eaten straight from the garden when they are fresh and plump. Keep cool in a fridge and remove the green tops, clean and eat raw in salads.
There are two groups of radish, European red radish and the Asian radish with their long, usually white, mild roots. The Asian radish are more versatile as a vegetable and can be grated in salads or pickled, and stir fried or used in soups, casseroles and sauces.
In Japan 25% of their total vegetable crop is Daiken radish – a long white root crop of which there are several varieties; “White Icicle”, Minowase Long White F1” and “Tokinash”. These longer Daikon radishes are quite easy to grow in deep friable soil. Sow the seeds about 25mm deep in the row and cover. Once growing thin out the seedlings so they are about 80mm apart to allow them to grow rapidly to full size.
These radishes stay fresh, crisp and tender longer than European varieties.
There are a number of different cultivars to grow depending upon your requirements.
Leeks, some people like them some people don’t. There seems to be a constant debate about the likes and dislikes of leeks. Strange that as leeks belong to the onion family and there is a lot less discussion about the likes and dislikes of onions.
Leeks are hardy and very easy to grow but require a long growing season to achieve a good size. Seed is sown in spring and seedlings either pricked out into containers to grow on a little more or if sown thinly in the ground allow them to grow to about 150mm high.
Once they have reached this size prepare the ground for planting out. Fork the ground deeply and level. Remove the leeks from their growing position and separate the leeks and tease the roots out. Use a large fat dibber and plant them in a row quite deeply so that the base of the leek plant is several centimetres underground. This will blanch the base of the leek plant making it tender and mellow in flavour.
Keep the leeks well watered and weed free through the summer. If you would like longer, blanched leeks mound up a little soil against the stems.
One of the problems with transplanted leeks it that they occasionally go to seed. Proper teasing out of the roots at planting time will usually prevent that happening.
Once they are of a reasonable size they can be harvested when needed direct from the garden. It is usually used as a winter vegetable.
Leeks are used in casseroles, stir fry’s, or other combination meals. They can be chopped and fried in butter or olive oil as a vegetable. Leeks were cooked and served with a white sauce but this seems to be less common now.
This summer mainstay of new Zealand meals is a must to grow in every garden.
Today of course there are many many varieties to chose from, especially if we include all the “modern” varieties that make up a very wide group of similar but different plants.
Flavours are also different from spicy peppery flavours to the typical traditional crunch lettuce flavour.
Different varieties grow better at different times of the year. The traditional method of telling apart winter and summer lettuce was by colour of the seed. Black seed were winter lettuce and white seed summer lettuce.
Whatever varieties you choose there are some simple growing tips.
As a leafy vegetable it requires a higher nitrogen component of soil fertility and they are best grown in ground previously used for legumes such as peas and beans. Soil should also be friable and easily cultivated. The addition of natural products like compost and blood and bone will provide extra nitrogen.
If growing from seed only sow a few seeds each week or two or else there will be more than enough plants for the whole neighbourhood. Grow on until a reasonable size to plant out.
Plant them 300 to 400mm apart in rows. The use of double rows with plants staggered saves garden space. Some experimental work in England showed quite close planting will result in more volume of lettuce per squre metre even if the plants were smaller when picked.
Water the lettuce really well during is growth.
Unfortunately there are a number of pests that affect them. Slugs love lettuce therefore keep weeds at bay and allow the ground to dry a little before watering. In the last few years our lettuce have become infected with aphids. If this si a problem experiment with planting different varieties to identify those that are less palatable to aphids and grow them.
Pick straight from the garden wash, cool in the fridge and serve with your meal.
It is suggested that this group of plants originated from a wild plant called Cucurbita pepo. In our gardens today we know it as Courgettes, zucchinis or marrow. They come in various sizes and shapes and colours.
While they can come in trailing or bush types the main ones grown today are the bush type. They are practical and fit well in the modern small garden. While there are different colours, mainly green and yellow, it is the green ones that are the best known.
People get confused about what to call these things that all come off the same bush. Simply the small ones cut very early, say up to 125mm long, are Courgettes, and up to half grown they are zucchinis and full grown are marrows. However zucchinis that grow up to about 250mm are the best. Any larger they are starting to turn into marrows. It is easy to tell when they are turning to marrows as the centre of the fruit starts to get pithy and the immature seeds are quite visible. Location and sunlight may dictate earlier maturity in some locations.
Regular picking, often daily, will encourage further fruiting. Letting some fruits grow into marrows will slow down fruit production.
Plant out up to six plants for a family and if there is only tow of you 3-4 plants is sufficient. Choose a sunny well drained space and plant quite a distance apart as these plants can get quite big, say up to 600mm across. Once growing well they should fruit quickly and regularly.
Pick the fruit daily if needed and if not used place in the cool part of your fridge for later use.
Courgettes and zucchinis make a great summer vegetable. Wash and cook in a little butter in a fry pan. Or cook with chopped onions and if needed add some tomato pieces. It is versatile and easy.
Dealing with excess fruit is a bit more difficult depending upon your taste. Frozen pieces of zucchini are in my view quite tasteless and go watery very quickly. One solution when you have excess tomatoes and zucchinis is to boil up the tomatoes, pulp them and re heat adding grated zucchini and cook quickly. When cooler place the mixture of tomato and zucchini in pots and freeze. It makes a great base for soup and stir fry or mince dishes in winter.
Growing tomatoes in the vegetable garden is a great challenge. There is a sort of unwritten rule for vegetable gardeners; if you grow good tomatoes the rest of the garden must be good also.
The art and science of growing great tomatoes is actually very simple.
Glasshouse tomatoes
During early spring use a fork to turn the soil and make it loose and friable. Apply a liberal amount of compost to the surface. Some people like to dig this in but it is not necessary. Keep it weed free.
Purchase your tomato plants from the garden centre or you may choose to sow your own seed. (see seed sowing). When selecting your tomatoes make sure you get nice strong healthy ones. They should be dark green, with plump stems and just a hit of purple at the base where the roots appear.
When all signs of frost or really cold weather have gone plant them out on your glasshouse about 40cm apart. Add some slow release fertiliser or blood and bone to the soil and water well.
Keep the glasshouse temperature even. The main thing that a glasshouse does is prevent wind damage and stops cold air disturbing the plants.
As tomatoes are climbers you will need to attach strings to the roof and tie the string to the bottom of plants and twist the plant around the string periodically. As you do this remove laterals (side shoots) to encourage upwards growth and better fruiting. Some people may let the main shoot and one other strong lateral grow to produce fruit.
Manage the glasshouse so that it does NOT become a hot house. Tomatoes require a even temperature not hot conditions. Leave the vents open for good air exchange to prevent disease build up.
Water the plants well and regularly. Do not let the soil dry out and then saturate it. This is the cause of a problem called blossom end rot of the actual tomato fruit. Regular watering is best.
As the plants grow the bottom leaves will start to turn yellow. These can be removed. This will let light into the ripening tomatoes.
Pest will appear later in the season and ill include white fly and looper caterpillar. Spray these with your organic or traditional insect spray.
Should the plants look like they need some extra fertiliser use a general purpose fertiliser that does not have too much nitrogen in it.
Commonsense and care and attention to glasshouse hygiene are keys to success with tomatoes.
When ripe pick the fruit and enjoy.
Outdoor tomatoes are even easier. Select a sheltered part of you garden away from strong cold winds. Prepare the ground with lots of compost. Plant out a row of tomato plants about 40 cm apart. Insert a sturdy stake to tie the tomato plant up to as it grows. Some people prefer not to remove all the side shoots and have it spread out and not become too tall. The choice is really dependent upon how much room is available in the garden.
Again keep up a regular watering. Removal of yellow leaves and some side shoots will keep fresh air moving through the plant and help prevent a build up of pests and diseases.
Once again good care and attention will provide large rewards.
Top Photo "Harvey Has Beans" Bottom Photo "Purple King"
Beans are best eaten when young and tender because as they get older they tend to become stringy. Beans purchased from supermarkets and fruit and vegetable shops are usually several days old, not very crisp and loosing their taste.
Fresh beans straight from the garden are best and they are very easy to grow, needing little care but plenty of water. A simple climbing frame like a Tee Pee, vertical strings or a wire fence is all that is required. Plant the beans at the base of the structure and when they are growing encourage the shoots to twine their way up the structure. Apply a light mulch of compost to ensure continuing growth.
Pick the beans when young and tender. If you have an over supply pick, wash and place then in a plastic bag in the fridge or cut them up ready for cooking, blanch them and place them in the freezer for use later in the year.
The most common climbing bean grown in New Zealand is the Scarlet Runner (Phaseolus coccineus). It is planted because it is reliable, hardy, and produces a good crop. It is also nice and colourful with its bright red flowers which are quickly followed by long tender beans.
How ever there are other climbing beans worth considering.
Try “Borlotto”. This is a lovely white flowered climbing bean which produces fabulously coloured bean pods on the vine. They are light green with bright dark red markings on the pod. When cooked they loose the colouring and taste just as good as the best runner beans. They are not stringy and are therefore easier to prepare. They are available in prepared cell trays and the seed is available.
“Purple King” (Phaseolus vulgaris) is quite a strong vigorous growing climbing bean. Again the purple been pods are best picked young and tender and when cooked loose the purple colouring.
“Harvey has Beans” with its white flowers produces a really long wide light green bean. It is not as vigorous but produces a good crop. It is a tasty bean with a different shape to add to the vegetable dish.
Around the world there are a number of different forms of climbing beans available. It appears that here in NZ we have lagged behind in some of the new varieties which can produce higher volumes of better quality beans.
With climbing beans it is very easy to save your own seed each year. Choose the best plant and leave say 10 bean pods on the vine to mature. When they turn brown pick them and place them in a cool dry place until the mature beans are dry and then separate them from the pods and store them until next spring. The fresh seed will grow better and stronger than seed that is several years old.
