The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 1 Winter 2012 | Page 13

The Zimbabwean Gardener
The veggie patch

In the veggie garden this winter
What to plant this winter

If you live in areas that experience frost, these are the
vegetables you can grow in winter: Beetroot, broad beans,
broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese
cabbage, lettuce, onions, peas, rape, Swiss chard, spinach.
If you have a greenhouse, you can grow vegetables that are
susceptible to frost like cucumbers, peppers, squashes and
tomatoes. Remember it is much easier to grow vegetables in
winter than in summer because there are fewer diseases and
pests in the cold months. However, be careful when it starts to
warm up in September, as this is when pests get turbocharged
and attack your vegetables.

What to do this winter
• Remember to mulch your veggie beds
in winter to keep the moisture in
and the soil warm. There are a lot of
leaves falling in the garden and you
should be using them to make your
own compost and also using them as
a mulch in the veggie garden.
• If you are growing brassicas such
as cabbages, broccoli, cauliflowers,
Brussel sprouts, beware of aphids,
as they love brassicas. To get rid of
aphids, you can use a simple method
by spraying them with a dishwashing
liquid solution of 25 ml of soap per
5 litres of water. When you spray the
plants with the soapy mix, the soap
will block the aphids’ breathing pores
as well as prevent them from flying.

Another way is to drench the soil
around the plants with Actara, which
is a systemic green triangle chemical.
Actara can also be applied as a spray
to the plants. If you use Actara, only
harvest the vegetables 7 days after
spraying.
• If you grow broad beans, remember
to sucker them (break off the top)
when the plants get about 1m high.
This ensures that all the nutrients go
into the pods making beans and not
vegetative growth.
• Make sure your veggie patch is in full
sunlight as most vegetables grow in
full sun.

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