Spring has finally sprung! It’s the perfect time to get out into the sunshine and get your hands dirty with some spring planting and harvesting
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
A new season is upon us, which means it’s time to get busy in the garden and the vegetable patch! But before you begin planting delicious spring vegetables, you’ll need to harvest any remaining winter produce and refresh the soil for a new crop.
Giving your veggie garden a spring tidy won’t go astray either. Begin by removing weeds, raking up leaves and pulling up spent plants. Then, apply a slow-release fertiliser and gently incorporate it into the soil.
Here’s everything you need to know to get your spring veggie patch in order, including the best vegetables to plant and grow in New Zealand, what to harvest and how to prevent pests from destroying your new crops.
What vegetables can you plant in spring in New Zealand?
Before you start planting your batch of spring vegetables, it’s important to choose the right spot to do so. A sunny sheltered position is best but if there isn’t a suitable part in your garden to plant some vegetables, try planting some in pots that can be moved around to chase or escape the sun.
Vegetables that are ideal for spring planting include:
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Capsicums
- Beetroots
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini and squash
- Eggplants
- Green beans
- Broad beans
- Chillies
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Sweet corn
The best thing about this selection of spring vegetables is that some will grow and be ready for harvest before others, so you can enjoy your leafy greens in spring and summer salads and begin harvesting your pumpkins once the weather eases off in autumn.
You can also harvest and re-plant several times during spring and summer to keep the fresh goodies coming in.
What should I harvest in spring in New Zealand?
As much as this is the month to sow new crops, it’s also the time to harvest the last of your winter vegetables and use up what has finished.
Crops ready for the taking include:
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Silverbeet
- Kale
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Celery
- Spring onions
Silverbeet is one of just many veggies ready to harvest in spring.
Sow your seedlings
If you’ve been germinating your tomato seeds in pots by a window over the last month, now is the time to transplant your shoots into your veggie patch outside.
How to provide support for climbing vegetable plants
When your beans and tomato plants are starting to develop stems of decent length, you will want to make sure they have sufficient support to enable them to climb. Stakes are okay but can be difficult to tie your plants back.
If you can use a trellis you will provide the plant with an increased area of support that will help in the development of branches and make it easier to bear the weight of the produce. You can use lattice, an old gate propped up with some stakes or even concrete mesh to grow onto.
It’s important to provide plants with a trellis early in the growing process.
When to water your spring vegetables
After you’ve planted all your new crops for spring, they will need to be well-watered during their establishment phase, with watering becoming less frequent when the plants are more established. In very hot temperatures, your veggies may require daily watering, preferably in the morning.
Pests on vegetables
Make sure your new crop of vegies isn’t destroyed by pests. Regular checks should be made as your seedlings establish, but considering your vegies are plants that are to be later consumed, you will want to be careful when selecting an insecticide to make sure that it is non-toxic. There are many insecticides available with all-natural ingredients.
What fruit to plant in spring in New Zealand?
There are also several fruit trees and plants that you can add to your garden (or to a pot) in the spring months. These are a few popular options to try (once you’ve checked your climate):
- Dwarf apple
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Passionfruit
- Mulberries
- Tahitian lime
- Dwarf lemon
More spring gardening tips:
- How to grow and care for cherry tomatoes
- 8 fast-growing climbing plants anyone can grow
- How to grow strawberries at home
- How to grow passionfruit
- How to grow and care for hydrangeas
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