Beetrooper

Hi,

After being in the garden today tidying it up ready to sell, it got me thinking

Do many people grow their own in NZ? and if so what do you grow?

and does anyone know if we can bring across any seeds to grow?

cheers

Niki

BEVS

Most houses have a vege patch or garden. We grow a whole host of things.
All the usual winter and summer vegetables .
Plus it is easy to grow tomatoes and sweetcorn here. We are just having the last of the tomatoes now.
Not long dug up our potatoes , onions and a couple of cauliflower. Sprouts are doing quite well.
I have also grown peppers, garlic , artichokes.
Normally I try to have some strawberries plants . Have a good couple of redcurrant bushes but no raspberry canes at the moment.
We have a plum , a peach , pomegranate & an apricot tree. Also feijoas & persimmons . There are also two lemon , grapefruit and satsuma bushes.
We planted an advocado tree last year to see how it does. It's really a bit too far south for that here because of ground frosts at night. We also planted an apple tree.

The thing here is that people are always giving produce away. I do ! Or it can be bought from someones front garden for a dollar or so. I've an apple glut at the moment where someone gave the husband a huge bag for mending two dripping taps . A couple of months back I was swamped with pears. We buy Kiwi fruit for $2 dollars a bag .



Nope. You can't bring seeds into the country.

weejie

Don't think MAF will allow any seeds into NZ,if I am wrong someone will soon correct me They are really big about allowing seeds,soil and any organic matter in as it may be a risk to NZ's natural plantlife if any diseases are brought in.

See,told you someone would be along!!

Catkin09

I used to grow my own fruit and veg in the UK as I rented an allotment from the local council, I was also able to have some chooks too.

When we eventually get out of this rental and buy our own house (have to sell UK home first!:curse I will start the veggies again. The beauty of it is, you don't need loads of garden, you can grow loads of stuff in pots as well as the ground the bigger crops.

Really strange to get used to the planting seasons, July is the time for potatoes and carrots!! I'm sure after a year or two I'll get it right in my head

Catkin

howden40

I am preparing my garden for growing my own. I want to grow sweetcorn, onions, customary tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, beans, peas, strawberries, raspberries to name but a few and have a herb garden. I only have 2 lemon trees and an orange tree. I was thinking of Avacardo but now that I know the size they reach I won't bother.

I used to grown some veg in the UK, one of those people who mixed veg in with flowers, I like the effect. Will probably do it here.

Pauline

shirl

We are in the process of constructing a raised veggie patch. OH got the wood to do it. Will be quite a large patch and I already have lemon and graprefruit and strawberries in pots which I hope to put in the garden, Hope to have runner beans, spuds, tomatoes, onions, carrots, etc. Does anyone know if they will all grow together in the same soil or do some veggies need different soil. We are going to layer the patch with manure and seaweed and old newspapers etc to get the compost going. Then is it September that we plant everything. I already do quite a bit of baking and cooking because of the price of food etc. OH picked up some desert in the supermarket until I pointed out the additives in it and I said if you want that I will make it which I did. It is nice to know that you can be self sufficient in times like these isn't it. Any help on the gardening front would be much appreciated. We haven't really grown veggies before in the UK. Thanks in Advance of any info.

Catchafire

I grow plenty of my own!

Irie!

howden40

Yes my vege patch will be raised, just waiting for the wood (going to use my decking). Have 3 compost heaps maturing in preparation.

I also do my own baking, house is not warm enough to make my own bread and I am not prepared to spend money on a breadmaker when a bowl will do. I plan on preserving what I grow. Won't move into chooks.

I also need help on the gardening front. The veges I grew in the UK were placed among my flowers and shrubs, they grew OK.

I'll be watching this thread for tips and advice

Pauline

Catkin09

Here are the best times for planting etc:

September: beans, beetroot, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, aubergine, pumpkin, radish, sweetcorn, tomato, courgette.

October: beans, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, aubergine, pumpkin, radish, sweetcorn, tomato, courgette.

November: beans, beetroot, broccoli (late on), brussel sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, aubergine, pumpkin, radish, sweetcorn, tomato, courgette.

December: beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, aubergine, pumpkin, radish, sweetcorn, tomato, courgette.

January: beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, radish, spinach, sweetcorn, tomato, turnip, courgette.

February: beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, radish, spinach, turnip, courgette.

March: beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, onion, peas, radish, spinach, turnip.

April: broad beans, broccoli, onion, radish, spinach, turnip.

May: broad beans, onion, radish, spinach.

June: broad beans, onion, peas, spinach.

July: beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, carrot, onion, peas, potato, spinach.

August: beetroot, cabbage, carrot, onion, peas, potato, radish, spinach.

Lettuce can be grown all year round.

If you are plannin on growing carrots or parsnips DO NOT put manure down. If possible get carrot fly resistant varieties.

Always rotate your crop each year so that bugs and diseases can't develop in the soil.

Remember, plenty of sun, good drainage and plenty of organic matter. You can even use your grass cuttings to put round the base of beans, peas, potatoes etc.

You might need netting to prevent the birds getting to the young seedlings as they come through. They really love sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Anyway I think that's enough waffling from me for the moment.

Happy planting.

Catkin

howden40

No No No No NO please waffle on - your information is concise and direct which is what I love, bullet points can't beat em.

Are these times for seeds or seedlings, in trays or direct into soil.

I've always started off in trays and planted out seedlings.

Also what plants (fruit & veg) can you and how do you take your own seeds.

Keep on an wafflin

Pauline

shirl

Thanks for all that info Catkin. Also I too want to know if we should be doing seeds or putting them in pots and then planting out when they have sprouted - or point me in the right direction of a grass roots gardening book. Thanks and yes keep on waffling.

Catkin09

All the planting times given are for seeds. It's best to grow somethings in seed beds then transplant to the main veg patch. You can do this with most veggies.
I usually start things off in seed trays (had to un the UK, you could never gaurantee what the weather was going to be like!).
For carrots and parsnips, it's a bit different 'cos they grow down, putting them in seed trays can be difficult when planting out. The best way to do them is in toilet/kitchen roll holders, about 2-3 inches, fill them with potting compost, plant the seed, and once the foliage is about 1-2 inches long put them in the ground, cardboard an' all! Just make sure the soil has no stones in it, again best way is to do a bed or row of potting compost.
Potatoes and onions are done from sets. Onions, make sure when you put them in that a bit of the top is showing.
Potatoes, make sure you chit them first, then dig a 12 inch trench, put well rotted manure in the bottom, put the potatoes, shoots pointing up, on top of the manure, cover with soil and make it into a raised peak. As the foliage comes through, keep pulling the soil up to keep the tubers covered, if you don't they go green and that's not good.

Hope this helps, any more questions I'll answer if I can

Cheers

Catkin

Beetrooper

Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread it has been well informative and I can't wait to get going in NZ and get started.

It sounds like you can just about grow what you wish. I will have to get a place with a big garden.

I already here have chooks so it's will be sad to see them rehomed when we sell as I raised them all from chicks.

Does any one know if there are 'Silkies' in NZ as I love these chooks or are they mainly Rhode island Reds?

cheers to all keep the advice coming

Niki

Catkin09

Silkies are readily available, along with Rhodes Islands Reds, and your bog standard Warrens.

If you go on to TradeMe, they have them on there under the farming section.

I had to leave my chooks behind when we came here, I had given them the sickest names you can give a chook Paxo, Tikka, Massala, Nugget, Burger and Twizzler

We also had to leave the lizard and the rabbits, but we did bring our mad dog with us.

Catkin

howden40

Thank you Catkin, much appreciated.

Pauline

PS if you think of anything you missed, post it, I will be keeping an eye on this thread.