Autumn Gardening

As we enter April the feeling of Autumn is in the air. The cooler temperatures and increased rainfall provide the ideal conditions for growing a variety of vegetables. 

1. Some vegetables that thrive in autumn include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, kale, lettuce, beets, and radishes.

2. Before planting, prepare the soil by adding compost and other organic matter such as seaweed or sheep pallets. This will improve the soil quality which will help your plants get the nutrients they need.

3. Water regularly: Make sure to water your plants regularly, especially during dry spells. However, be careful not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot. 

4. Protect from frost: As the temperatures drop especially in cooler areas of NZ, it's important to protect your plants from frost. You can do this by covering them with frost cloth or plastic sheeting (make sure you clean and store this away between seasons to reuse).

 Don't forget about your harvesting, if you have courgettes make sure you are keeping up with picking so they keep producing. With pumpkins and squash now is a great time to give them a feed of seaweed tonic (and keep up the watering) before whipping them out before the first frost.