28/08/2026
It’s that seasonal transition time of the year! Compost has been dumped on the beds and veggie troughs along with manure, lime, blood and bone. The glasshouse got a clean and all of the remaining winter crops in planters got fed to the chooks, except the Cavalo Nero. I’ve started two planters of damp river sand with orange and gold kumara to grow tipu for plant out in late October once the risk of frost is past. Seed potatoes are chitting in boxes in the garage.
Yesterday I started some of the seed trays of heirloom tomatoes: Purple Cherokee, Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Black Cherry, Koanga Dalmatian Oxheart, plus a few of saved Vintage Brandywine and Big Heirloom (my catchall name for seeds saved from last year’s wonderful 🍅). I’ve ordered more plus some Croatian from Koanga, a big meaty red heirloom dating back to the gum diggers. Hoping to match last year’s total for our annual heirloom tomato seedling extravaganza at the Piopio Community Stand, fingers crossed and the 🍅 gods willing!
Also started a few pots of Musquee de Provence, Blue Prince and Whangaparāoa Crown pumpkins, Black Coral Zucchini, and Waltham butternut. While I also grow zucchini from seed, planting them sequentially, popping in a few seedlings gives us a jump on the season. With pumpkins I’ve found our growing season isn’t always long enough to plant seeds outside, so starting seedlings now insures us a decent crop.
I’ll also start Asian Fire chiles in the glasshouse shortly, once it’s a bit warmer. Beans (heritage climbing, dwarf cannellini, and dwarf green beans), corn and lettuces I grow from seed directly outside planting Labour weekend, along with Italian parsley, coriander, chives, dill. Thyme, mint, sage and rosemary grow all year. I grow basil in the glasshouse all summer once the tomatoes have cleared out. It’s not really hot enough where we are to grow basil well outside. Garlic, shallots, onions (red and Pukekohe long-keepers), kumara and potatoes are planted in beds way out the back.
And of course I’ve already planted some edible flower seeds for us and the bees: borage, calendula, cornflower and nasturtium. There are others but these are easy to grow and provide pops of colour. Coriander, dill and chives have edible flowers too.
I’ve just re-read this and think I may need to rest up!
