The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 12 Autumn 2015 High res | Page 18
The veggie garden
In the veggie garden
By Andy Roberts
March
Green beans
(bush type)
D
ays to
h
arve
60 - st
70
You can just squeeze a green bean
crop in before the winter frosts
provided you sow now!
bed preparation
Beans do best in a loamy, well drained
soil with lots of compost. Use 50g/m2
of compound C as a basal dressing.
Sow 20cm apart, not more than 2 cm
deep. Apply 5g (a teaspoon) of AN
per plant 3 weeks after emergence
if not using manure; over-fertilising
will produce leaves at the expense of
beans. Staking is not necessary for
bush beans. Mulch well once plants
have 2 true leaves.
problems
Rust is a problem with beans, though
sowing this “late” should avoid major
issues with this disease. Spray with
Dithane® at 1g/litre of water if it
becomes a problem, and add a few
drops of dishwasher to spread the
droplets on the leaf. Regular spraying
of aphids with soapy water will get rid
of them.
Tip
Harvest before beans become stringy;
pods should break cleanly without
string along the back.
What to plant in Autumn
Brassicas(broccoli/cauliflower),
lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard,
and onions.
The following can be grown in areas
with a low risk of frost: Tomatoes,
capsicums, potatoes.
April
onions
D
ays to
h
arve
st
up t
o1
80
Onions are one of the few horticultural
crops that grow well on the poorer
soils, so don’t over-fertilise, especially
if growing on a heavier clay; you don’t
want leaves to be produced at the
expense of bulbs.
bed preparation
Well drained soils are essential. Make
sure you have rotated bed from last
year’s crop. Apply 20g/m2 gypsum if
you cannot locate compound S and
are using compound C. Apply 40g/
m2 of compound C and incorporate.
Plant seedlings 5cm apart in the row
(3 fingers), 10cm between the rows
(more if you want bigger onions).
Several light irrigations will be
necessary per week for the first 2
weeks. Apply 10g of AN/m2 after 3
weeks. Apply a light mulch once the
crop is established. Diseases are not a
problem at this time of year.
Tip
There’s no need to wait for the bulbs
to mature physiologically. You can
harvest them green, but they will not
store.
Compound fertiliser
measurements
approximations
Teaspoon = 5g
Wine bottle top = 10g
Tablespoon = 35g
Standard cup 200ml = 250g
this autumn
Ma
y
broccoli
D
ays to
h
arve
90 - st
110
bed preparation
Broccoli is a member of the brassicas
and loves a rich, well drained soil;
it is really difficult to over-fertilise a
brassica! Use lots of manure (well
broken down; it should not smell) and
apply a basal dressing of 50g/m2 of
compound C.
Plant seedlings on a grid 40 cm apart
(a diamond layout will maximise the
bed to the optimum). Apply 5g of
AN per plant two, four and six weeks
after planting. Do not water stress the
plants at any stage. A heavy mulch will
be beneficial.
problems
Aphids can be problematic: spray with
soapy water (see beans).
Tip
Hybrid broccoli can be grown yearround, so plant seedlings every two
weeks and you will never run out. If
you leave the plant in the garden after
cutting, you just might get some baby
broccoli heads sprouting.
Cooking tip
The leaves are tasty too so cook as you
would a cabbage.
Emerald seedlings
We offer a wide range of
vegetable seedlings.
Emerald Seedlings,
Alpes Rd, Teviotdale
Vegetable seedlings office
0772 326 446
[email protected]