At home in New Zealand: Meet a cosmopolitan family

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 11

At home in New Zealand: Meet a cosmopolitan family

Country Diary

Derrick Rooney

Unseasonal weather in the past couple of months has made garden activity somewhat unpredictable. When one would normally expect a reduction in lawn growth, regular — almost weekly — mowing is still required. Some crops have been ready for harvesting in what seems almost days after planting, while others have gone to seed. It all goes to show that to be successful in gardening there is no copy book path to follow. It is necessary to be flexible, versatile, and observant, as well as being aware of how, when, and what should be done.

It can sometimes be perplexing to be confronted by the large selection of seeds, fertilisers, sprays, and devices now generally available.

Often assumptions are astray in the expectations of what has been bought. Not infrequently, failure or problems arise simply because of taking too much for granted. One of the biggest problems arises from not clearly checking beforehand about

the purchase — whether it is a suitable vegetable variety, hardy plant, correct spray, or appropriate fertiliser.

Detailed instructions are included with many packaged items. Often supplementary information in leaflet form is provided either by the producer, or as a customer service by the retail outlet. This material has been printed to be read and digested so that the best can be obtained from the item under general conditions. Where doubt still exists, or further information is desired, the amount of reference literature now available should provide the additional detail. No excuse is made for the forgoing, which may seem a laboured and unnecessary commentary. But it is really surprising just how often considerable improvements and less disappointment could have been achieved with a little less haste and a little greater preliminary knowledge. Well, having stirred in the New Year, we are now on

the threshold of a month of considerable involvement in the vegetable garden. Sowings of a very wide range of seed can be made in the ensuing weeks. Beans, beetroot, or borecole, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, curly kale, endive, lettuce, kohlrabi, parsley, peas, radish, spring onions, sprouting broccoli, swedes and turnips can be sown.

Plantings can also be made of the following: beetroot, borecole, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, celeriac,

curly kale, endive, lettuce, leeks, silver beet.

The important thing, more so at this time of the year than at other times, is to give all seeds and plants a good start. This includes adequate ground preparation, the addition of fertilisers and well rotted compost well in advance, adequate moisture availability, and freedom from the competition of weeds. The suppression of weeds is regarded as a boring chore, best avoided if possible. Running the push hoe lightly down the rows weekly when the weeds are mere seedlings, can be an easy little exercise. It not only reduces competition for soil moisture and nutrients, but improves aeration between the vegetables and cuts down on the incidence of many pests and diseases. Hand weeding may be desirable around many of the less stable plants, such as the curcurbits, to avoid damaging them or loosening the soil unduly. The aim should be to keep the crops growing with the minimum

of check, which will go a long way towards improving both quality and quantity. Prevailing weather conditions have contributed to some unusual developments for this time of the year.

Growers of soft fruit have had to contend with a high incidence of soft rot, quite often after the fruit has been picked. Immediate use is the only remedy for home garden produce of this nature. All infected fruit should be gathered up and dumped — not left lying around. Many crops will be showing more vigour than is usual for this time of the year. To avoid a flush of ready crops I suggest that smaller, more staggered plantings and sowings be made.

Keep an eye also on those staked tomatoes by removing the lateral growths from the leaf axils, and keep the plants adequately tied up. To prolong the flowering period of all perennial and bedding plants as well as roses, dead heading rewards well for the time spent.