New Zealand Seasonal Prospects?

[Usenet2007]

Well, here in NZ, we are now up to Labour Weekend. But, really, the weather just isn't looking reliable at all.

I am in an especially windy spot, hit hard by southerlies. A few nights ago, the wind actually had a glass bowl (of cat food) skidding a bit on the walkway next to my garden.

I am doing average summer stuff - courgettes/zucchini, cucumbers, capsicum/bell-peppers, and tomatoes.

But there is no way I am going to put them outside this weekend. I waited rather late last springtime, due to the harsh winds. And had some serious damage anyway.

Are there any other NZ gardeners with specific plans or info on the forecast? MetService's site is a bit hard to figure out, as far as this medium term (next few weeks.) I am in Wellington.

Thanks...

[r.mcgillicuddy]

I'm no expert but this cold snap will keep soil temperatures low and there will be no advantage to planting early, or this weekend. As an experiment (in the Hawkes Bay) I planted dwarf bean seedlings about a month ago - purchased at Supermarket. It was pure experiment as I knew we would probably get frosts. We did - some beans survived but they simply haven't grown. Reminded me years ago, in the Wairarapa, spending a great deal of time with early tomatoes nurturing them tenderly, protecting with them plastic and newspaper - but which fruited at the same time as those planted weeks later! Seems Nature will have her way!

[FarmI]

One of the ways of warming soil before there were plastic products around was to spread soot on the ground around seedlings. Being black it warmed the soil. I've always meant to give it a try.

>

[naxos]

I suppose black plastic fulfils a similar function, but have only used for strawberries and tomatoes ages ago ... don't remember if they fruited and grew earlier or not.

[dtjackson]

Hi,

I'm from Dannevirke and if you didn't see the news yesterday (23rd Oct) we had a real wind storm. My plastic glasshouse that I brought this winter to see if I could start growing cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, celery, brussel sprouts, broccoli etc in, is no longer standing. Thankfully I had moved some of my older plants out but I did lose my new seedlings as well. So I am having to re think my plans as well. I read today in the paper, that it is recommended that we wait until the windy season is over before planting for summer. So much for getting a head start on things with a glass house.

Happy wind free gardening

[naxos]

We had the wind here too ( Hastings). No real damage at my place luckily - sorry to hear you lost your greenhouse ...