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]