How to Grow Vegetables in New Zealand
Gardening in New Zealand can be a vegetable lover's dream. New Zealand boasts mild temperatures, a high amount of rainfall and intermittent sunshine during the summer months. The country's climate makes it an ideal place for vegetable gardens, which will thrive off of these productive weather systems, even during the winter months. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Select a garden site away from buildings and trees. Ensure that the location drains well because vegetables will not grow well if the soil will not drain properly. The garden will need at least six hours of sunlight a day. Be aware that New Zealand's summer months are from December through February and spring is from September through November, so plant your vegetables accordingly.
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Examine your soil type. Sandy loam, which is a mixture of sand and humus or organic matter, is the best soil for growing vegetables. To test the soil, squeeze it between your hands. If it sticks together when tapped it is mostly clay and you will need to amend it with compost.
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Prepare the soil for planting by removing all grass, weeds and stones. Add 3 to 4 inches of organic material to the garden bed and mix it well with a shovel.
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Select and plant vegetables. Cucumbers, potatoes and corn are some of the best vegetables to grow during New Zealand's summer months. Vegetable plants may be purchased from nurseries or seeds may be planted. Plant seeds at least 1/2 inch into the soil and plants with the base of the plant level to the soil.
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Water the vegetable bed, making sure the soil is thoroughly soaked on your initial watering. While rainfall is moderately high in New Zealand, you will still need to give your garden at least 1 inch of water each week if there is less than that amount of rainfall.
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Tips & Warnings
You can still plant vegetables that will be edible during New Zealand's winter months. According to the website Garden NZ , seed potatoes and brassicas are best planted in the fall.
Consider using green manure to help fertilize the soil and suppress weeds.
References
- Photo Credit new zealand bay image by purplevine from Fotolia.com
