Introduction to Growing Vegetables in New Zealand and Vegetable Planting Season and Calendar in New Zealand: New Zealand is part of Oceania and is headquartered in the southwest Pacific Ocean. It is also called the land of the long white cloud or Aotearoa in Maori. It contains three main islands the North Island, the South Island, and Stewart Island.  The weather in New Zealand is normally temperate but weather conditions differ greatly with each zone, the west coast of the South Island is very cold while Mackenzie Basin in Canterbury is semi-trailer and Northland is subtropical.
Growing Vegetables in New Zealand, Planting Calendar, Season, Vegetable Gardening Tips in New Zealand
These vegetable planting such as Broad Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Celery, Garlic, Kale, Mizuna, Onions, Peas, Shallots, Silver beet, Spinach, Coriander. Shove in organic compost and sheep little piece before planting to replenish nutrients used by previous roots plants.
Sowing seeds in the warmer portion of New Zealand use shield areas of your garden to sow seeds such as Broccoli, Broad Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Peas. Lettuce seeds can be sown too if you select hardy winter varieties.
The shortest day of the year is occasionally Garlic planting day, but you can plant between into early spring in some areas. Shove the well-drained soil over well and add lots of lovely organic compost Plant cloves 5 cm deep down with the acuminate end to the sky. Garlic can get ready to harvest in mid-late summer.
Basic Things to Remember to Start Vegetable Gardening
- Suitable sunlight
Full sun vegetables require a minimum of six hours normally at least eight hours of sunlight per day. For at least six hours, the sun should directly beam onto the plants closely every day of the season. Freezing weather and over clouded days are not counted. No trees or buildings should be obstructed sunlight from full-sun vegetables.
Fully shaded: In a fully shaded backyard, your vegetables will not receive any direct sunlight. A plant can’t thrive without the sun, so a full shade garden is not the best idea for growing plants. Though some flowers will do excellent.
Lightly shaded: In a moderately shaded backyard, the vegetable will receive an hour or two hours of sun per day.
Partially shaded: In a partially shaded backyard, your plants will receive a lot of direct sunlight, between two to six hours per day. These are very good conditions for growing root, leafy, and fruiting plants.
- Suitable soil
Before you plant any vegetables, prepare your garden grounds by shoving the soil and adding organic compost at least 1-2 weeks before you begin planting. Most vegetables only require 15-20 centimeters of good well-drained soil for their roots to grow. It’s frequently been removed in new sections and subdivisions you will require to replace it or restrict yourself to gardening in containers and raised grounds. If there is a line of reddish-brown soil below the surface of the earth, you have a hardpan. This is a layer of compacted well-drained soil that will block excellent roots and not tolerate water to drain. If the well-drained soil above the line is grey or smelly, it is possible waterlogged, and nothing you plant in it will flourish. You will need to dig down to the level of the hardpan to break it up or use a shoving fork to punch holes through it at daily intervals.Â
- Water the vegetables
To give your vegetable garden a good beginning, water the plants at least per day for the first few days. Then decrease the quantity of water you give them, which will support the plant’s roots to grow deeper as they look for water. This will also benefit the plant to grow, develop itself, and supply native vegetables for your kitchen.
- Apply mulch
Mulch Benefits your plants to grow in many ways. As it breaks down it will supply organic compost to the well-drained soil and your plants, retain the roots cool in summer and stop weeds from growing in your vegetable garden. Apply the matter throughout your vegetable plants but not touching them. If the organic manure gets wet it can decompose the plant.
- Harvesting
Harvest at the right time and don’t forget to harvest your vegetable plants at an appropriate time.
Seasons for Growing Vegetables in New Zealand
New Zealand’s climate is soft and ranges from exotic in the north to temperate in the south. No trouble the season, the greater of our main appeal is open year-round. The four seasonal weather climatic changes in New Zealand are increasing across months of the year as follows:
- Summer Season is from December to February
- Autumn Season is from March to May
- Winter Season is from June to August
- Spring Season September to November
Spring: September – November
The spring season in New Zealand bursts with new beings. Colourful flowers, baby wildlife, and waterfall season make this an inspiring period of the year. Temperature is from 4.5 to 18°C.
Summer: December – February
Summer activities to be disposed to make the most of the sun, sea, and sand. Temperatures between 21 – 32°C.
Autumn/ fall: March – May
In autumn, New Zealand loves some of the most settled weather of the total year. Soak up long, sunny days and beautiful golden leaves. Temperatures range from 7 – 21°C.
Winter: June – August
The winter months prefer snow blanketing soaring mountains in entire parts of the country and clear, breakable days that arouse the senses. Temperatures range from 1.5 -15°C.
Growing Vegetables in the Summer Season in New Zealand
- Beans
Beans flourish in a warm, sunny position out of the wind. In most portions of New Zealand, they can be vegetable planted from October to February. Garden ground temperatures should be above 15°C. Growing Beans from seeds alternately transplanting plants because they do improve without the confusion of transplanting. After preparing a wide container with organic fertilizers, plant 18 to 24 seeds at a depth down of 3cm approximately three times the seed diameter. Stretch the flexible plastic cover over the container and wait for 7 to 10 days until they have appeared in their little warm house. After reducing the cover, you can enjoy watching the Bean plants take off. Growing Beans do best with partial shade on the roots plants and a lot of sun on the foliage.
- Capsicum
Summer is the very best period to plant Capsicums in New Zealand. Prepare your soil with organic manure like organic compost and sheep pellets. Add a surface of vegetable mix to plant into. Feed your Capsicums daily and retain the soil moist around the growing season. Select a warm, sunny position. Spring and summer are the best periods to plant Capsicums in New Zealand. Prepare your fertile soil with organic manure like organic compost and sheep pellets. Support taller plants and those grown in wind-horizontal areas. Capsicums are the most popular vegetable to grow in warm areas as they are relatively fast to produce a plant, don’t need a lot of special care, and come in such a likely range of colors. Most varieties begin green and then change to red, purple, black, yellow, or orange as they mature. Â
- Courgettes/ Zucchini
In case if you miss this: Shade Vegetable Gardening Ideas.
Grow Courgettes seeds in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth roughly three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at well-drained soil temperatures range from 21°C and 35°C. Plant into a moderately raised, well-composted ground and mulch. Require daily plentiful water. Supply wide leaves with an increase of about 1.5m x 1.5m. Some varieties trail a portion but don’t vine. The yellow variety is more unaffected by nature damage in humid areas and the same product even when the leaves have mildew on them. The yellow varieties sometimes have yellow spots on their leaves but it is just color, not a disease. If there are no bees throughout and the fruit is not setting very well or dies off after beginning to grow, try picking a male flower and kindly brushing pollen inside female flowers. Harvest in 60-70 days. Cut the fruit frequently to retain production.
- Sweet corn
Summer is the very best period to plant Sweet corn in New Zealand. Prepare your well-drained soil with organic manure like organic compost and sheep pellets. Add a surface of vegetable mix to plant into. Feed your Sweet corn daily and retain the soil moist around the growing season. Select a sheltered, well-drained location in full sun. Sow these seeds in seed trays for successive transplanting or, after the freeze, sow directly. Sow seeds 15cm aside, in rows 75cm apart, and to a depth down of 3cm when seedlings are 5-10 cm high, thin them to 30cm aside. Sweet corn is particularly very easy to grow and is a great option for smaller gardens as they just require vertical space. Sweet corn is best planted after the freeze of spring has long gone in warmer climate conditions, or once summer has arrived in southern New Zealand.
- Tomato
You may also check this: How To Grow Spinach In Beds.
The perfect position for Tomato a plant is in direct full-sun prevented them from strong winds. Prepare the well-drained soil before planting by shoving in some organic manure than water thoroughly using a liquid fertilizer. Soften the seedlings out of the pot and plant them at the same soil level as they were in the box. Water in the seedlings fastly after planting. Plants needed staking should be planted at least 1 meter aside. Bush-type Tomatoes should be planted 50cm side. Most Tomato plants are helpful from staking to developing fruiting. It is best to support early while the plant is young and to make sure a nice straight stem. The best plant ties are made from soft elements as they won’t cut into the Tomato stems as the plants grow. Any type of encourage structure may be used. Daily watering is more effective than often light sprinkles. To protect the disease from occurring keep away from watering the foliage. Early morning throughout the base of the plant is the most helpful procedure.
Growing Vegetables in the Winter Season in New Zealand
- Kohlrabi
The Scientific named called Kohlrabi is Brassica oleracea gongylodes. It is similar to other brassicas like Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and Kale. Kohlrabi is very easy to grow and can be sown closely all year round in New Zealand’s temperate climate, exclude for the very coldest winter months. Kohlrabi seed is very best sown when well-drained soil temperatures are between 8°C and 30°C. Sow seed directly, to a bottom of roughly three times the diameter of the seed, and space plants 25cm aside. Such as other brassicas, Kohlrabi is a special of white butterflies so prevent your seedlings if there are still white butterflies hide around. Kohlrabi grows very best in light well-drained soil with cool outdoor temperatures. They will be harvest-ready for after 55-70 days. Harvest them when they are about 7.50cm or compact.
- Broccoli
As a cool-season plant, Broccoli can sprout in well-drained soil with temperatures as low as 5°C. If you live in a warmer zone of the country, autumn planting is very best, as Broccoli flourishes in cool weather. However, you can plant seeds in mid-to-late summer in most locations. If you want to sow seeds directly in the garden ground, do so about 85 to 100 days before the average first winter frost in your area. If you are growing in seed trays you should be adequate to transplant out in 4-6 weeks. Broccoli needs full sun and moist, fertile soil that’s moderately acidic. Broccoli is a slightly heavy feeder so work in 5 to 10cm of rich organic compost or a thin layer of organic manure before planting. Plant seeds 1cm deep, ensure that you space out your seeds to tolerate the heads to grow nice and very big.
- Silver Beets
Silver beet grows year-round, flourishing in both the warm of summer and cold of winter, and is equally happy in containers and garden grounds. Another bonus is that you don’t require to grow too several plants as a few will feed for the winter months. In the garden select a spot in full sun. Silver beet is allowed of a large range of well-drained soils, but does best in one that is fertile, well-worked, and keeps moisture. Prepare your well-drained soil with organic manure like organic compost and sheep pellets. Add a surface of the vegetable combine to plant into. Silver beet grows throughout the year in New Zealand. Feed and water Silver beet daily to promote the growth stage. Pick Silver beet daily to support more growth.
- Kale
The best period to plant Kale seedlings is from the winter months, or you can sow seeds from late summer up to early winter. Ensure the garden ground is moist and free from weeds, blocks, and stones. Design a depression with a trowel at the correct deep down for sowing the seeds into the garden ground. Sprinkle the seeds moderately into the depression and cover with well-drained soil, before moderately firming down the fertile soil after sowing. Retain the soil moist until the seeds have sprouted after about 7-10 days. Kale will grow well in a sunny spot on garden grounds or containers. The soil requires being well-drained and you should shove in some organic manure or compost before planting. Water the plants daily and mulch with cover plant hay or pea straw. Feed monthly with a portion of part of soluble plant food.
- Swedes
Swedes are included in the same group as Turnips and Cabbages. Swedes were established in Sweden in the 17th century, from a hybrid among a Turnip and a type of Cabbage. Swede is also called a Swedish turnip or Rutabaga; Rutabaga comes from the Swedish regional word rutabaga,from root and baggeor lump, bunch, mention to the purple, bronze root. Swedes while completely similar to Turnips, however, have yellow-orange flesh, not white, and they taste sweeter than Turnips. Swedes have a delicious, sweet flavour, great surface, and are very adaptable. Swedes are more obtainable in winter and are said to be improve tasting after a good freeze, hence the very best swedes in New Zealand are supposed to be those grown in Southland. Although the leaves are eaten in several countries, it is the total roots that are commercially obtainable in New Zealand
Growing Vegetables in the Spring Season in New Zealand
- Asparagus
Best planted at fertile soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. Space plants are 20 – 40 cm aside. Plant roots 20-40cm aside and a few cm or 1 inch deep in well-manured fertile soil. The Asparagus funnel grows in the spring season. Harvest the shoots which are taller than 1-2cm or half-inch in diameter. Leave the rest to grow into the leafy ferns 1.5m or 5-6feet in high which will feed the roots to give a plant next year. Harvest by cutting off the stems, near the garden ground. From the third year, you can get an additional plant by letting the first plenty of terrestrial ferns grow, then bending down the stems to break them. The second plant of shoots will grow and can be ready to harvest. Leave successive shoots to grow onto ferns. Asparagus does not like continuously moist and warm fertile soil. It grows improves where there is a cool or spring season.
- Watercress
The New Zealand Watercress varies from the other different varieties in that it has wider leaves and stems. It is a member of the Mustard Greens group and its trademark peppery warmth comes from the plant’s mustard oils. Watercress is a semi-water plant the stems are empty which tolerate water to travel upwards to nourish the leaves. To survive, Watercress must be retained constantly wet. It takes six to eight weeks for our Watercress to grow to the harvest growth stage.
- Artichokes
Sow the seeds in the direct garden ground. Sow seed at a depth roughly three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at fertile soil temperatures range from 15°C and 18°C. To get a harvest from the second year. Artichokes grow exceptionally well in sandy soil. Can be planted by suckers or offsets. In temperate or warm areas a well-fertilized plant will begin for about five years and throw up suckers per year. Artichokes are not hardy adequate to overwinter in areas with very cold winters. In cold areas select a hardy variety from a local producer and grow it as an annual, with 10 days exposure to cool daytime temperatures during the spring season. Transplant only when all danger of freeze is passed in your local area.
- Radish
A cool-season plant, sow seeds in early spring or early autumn for the very best results. a sunny position, loose excellent soil free and remove from rocks and sticks, and frequently moisture. Sow the seeds directly into the fertile soil in rows 6mm deep, roughly 4cm aside. These are a crisp snack that doesn’t take up more space in the garden ground. Once the seedlings sprouted after 6-10 days, thin them out to give them space to grow you can use the small undesired seedlings in salads. Pick the Radishes when they are completely small 2-3cm across for the very best flavor. For continuous produce, plant seeds 10 days aside.
- Cabbage
Although several Cabbage varieties do grow in summer, they are normally at their very best in the spring, autumn, and winter seasons. Many are perfect for growing in containers and some are even small adequate to grow in a hanging basket. Cabbages don’t like temperatures over 25°C, so observe you are planting at the correct period. Bursting with nourishment, cabbages come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Over the years bigger, smaller, sweeter, and colored cabbages have been established. Many are perfect for growing in containers as well as the garden ground. Prepare your fertile soil with organic manure like sheep pellets and compost. Add a surface of the vegetable combine to plant into. Cabbage can be planted in the late summer, autumn, and early winter season in New Zealand. Plant cabbage in rows at least 50cm aside. Feed your Cabbage complete the growing season with vegetable food and water daily.
Growing Vegetables in the Fall Season in New Zealand
- Kumara
Kumara is a frost-tender plant that requires a warmer climate and requires a warm summer, so it can be a challenge to grow in cooler regions of New Zealand. Also called Sweet Potato, Kumara is a hard Kiwi favorite. Perfectly, Kumara enjoys fertile soil that is well planted to a depth of roughly 30cm, and then has a hardpan beneath to stop the tubers from concealing themselves too deeply. Prepare the garden area well in forwarding of planting. Plant the tubers requires full sun, in rich, fertile, warm, and well-drained soil. If you are beginning with an existing garden ground shove in organic manure like sheep pellets and organic compost to your fertile soil. Then you can add a surface of vegetable mix. Select a sunny position with a lot of space. Prepare the well-drained soil well with sheep pellets and organic compost. October is a very good time to plant in New Zealand and when shoots are obtainable to buy. Apply vegetable food daily during the basic growth period of spring and summer. Lift the foliage daily for increased tuber growth stage.Â
- Chilies
Chilies are great plants in a small garden ground. Even though they occupy confined space for months as the fruit requires a long growing season to mature, each plant can supply many Chilies, and planting is enlarged as immature Chilies can be picked and eaten before they are fully mature. Chilies are also nearly expensive to buy and it is handy to be able to choose them one at a time or as required. Chilies are heat-loving plants and most of New Zealand is slight for them to flourish outside but there are ways to increase the possibility of a bumper harvest.
- Eggplants
Grow the Eggplant seeds in the seed trays or direct them into the garden ground, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth roughly three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at well-drained soil temperatures range of 24°C and 32°C. A wide bushy plant with amazing purple flowers. Several varieties have different colors and sizes of fruit, ranging from the classic wide purple to the small white several varieties and Brazilian red. In cold climates, conditions grow in a heated greenhouse and decrease artificial heat during summer. Perennial in exotic climates otherwise grown as an annual. Requires a long season. Begin under cover and plant out when the freeze has finished.
- Rhubarb
Rhubarb is one of the hardier plants, allow of cold, frost, and wind. It’s a major plant you can plant, fertilize, water, and walk avoid once it’s developed. Aesthetically, it adds color and surface to the garden ground. Rhubarb is sometimes considered a fruit because it is normally eaten with sweet dishes. Technically, however, it’s a vegetable, and hence it appears in vegetable spots and plots throughout the country. When planting Rhubarb recollect that rhubarb leaves are deadly and that only the stem can be prepare and used. Select a position in full sun. Prepare your fertile soil with organic manure like organic compost and sheep pellets. Add a surface of the vegetable combine to plant into. Autumn through to the end of spring is normally a good period to plant Rhubarb in New Zealand. Feed with a normal fertilizer during the key growth times of spring and autumn. Keep plants well-watered, extremely through dry times.
Vegetable Sowing Calendar or Vegetables Planting Calendar in New Zealand, and Planting Season in New Zealand
Vegetables | Planting Season | Days to harvest | |
Tomato | December to February | 90 to 140 days | |
Kohlrabi | June to August | 45 to 60 days | |
Asparagus | September to November | 50 to 60 days | |
Eggplant | March to May | 70 to 85 days | |
Sweet Corn | December to February | 60 to 100 days | |
Silver Beets | June to August | 60 to 100 days | |
Artichokes | September to November | 85 to 100 days | |
Chilies | March to May | 60 to 95 days | |
Pumpkin | December to February | 90 to 120 days | |
Kale | June to August | 70 to 95 days | |
Watercress | September to November | 55 to 70 days | |
Kumara | March to May | 100 to 120 days | |
Courgettes | December to February | 50 to 60 days | |
Swedes | June to August | 3 to 4 months | |
Cabbage | September to November | 90 to 120 days | |
Squash | March to May | 50 to 65 days | |
Beans | December to February | 65 days | |
Broccoli | June to August | 50 to 60 days | |
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