Summer crops?

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Funasshi
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Summer crops?

Post by Funasshi »

Hi

I just readied my tiny plot with a couple of beds, but realized all the few vegetables I know how to grow are sown in either spring or autumn. Now being summer I am not sure what would be best vegetables to plant/sow.
Any suggestions? The plot is extremely sunny and it feels like a waste to wait till autumn.

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Funasshi
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Re: Summer crops?

Post by Funasshi »

...maybe I should mention I don't like goya ;)

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Zasso Nouka
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Re: Summer crops?

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Actually now is the time to start sowing autumn and winter crops, either in module trays for later transplanting or directly. Towards the end of the month or even now if you want to get a head start you can seed kale, brussel sprouts and winter cabbage and soon it will be time to start carrots which for successional harvests can be seeded every two weeks through to the end of september. Other winter crops like kairan, kohl rabi, wasabina, etc can all be seeded from now on, the general idea is to have them large enough by mid november so they can coast through the 'Persephone Months' (thank you Eric) till days go over 10 hours of sunlight again in February. Also it will be time to plant onion slips and garlic in October so start preparing the beds now.

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xxxxtom
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Re: Summer crops?

Post by xxxxtom »

Hi , just pulled up the onions and not sure what I should plant in the same beds. I’ve read not to put legumes in. I hope something in punnets is suitable.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Cheers

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Re: Summer crops?

Post by Zasso Nouka »

If you can buy plants nasu/egg plants would be good to put in now. If you can cover with a small tunnel (not the large pipe houses but the 'tomato/cucumber frames' Komeri sells) tomato plants would do well, unfortunately without some shelter from the rain many outdoor tomatoes get infected by blight and a host of other fungal diseases.

If you are seeding then pumpkins are a good one, pick when the necks start to 'cork', if you like them 'hoku hoku' then use immediately or store for around a month out of sunlight for them to sweeten. A good long term storage kabocha is Yumemi from Takii. We store them for around 4 -5 months before selling them through the winter and they are very tasty, a great all rounder. Butternut squash also do well in the hot summers, pick them when the necks have gone completely brown for full sweetness.

Sweetcorn is another good summer crop but you may run into problems with corn borers which can be dealt with by injecting a small amount of BT into the tassles of the cobs. That way they ingest it when eating their way in and die. You'll also need to run a net around them if you have Tanuki, Hakubishin or Raccoon's in your area.

Edamame can also be planted now but as they are legumes you may not want to, personally I wouldn't worry too much but I've never put legumes in after onions so don't know how they are affected. Peanuts can also be planted now as can cowpeas but again they are both legumes.

Zucchini also do well and will finish before the intense heat of August proves too much for them, if you want to try something unusual then tromboncino squash do well in the hot humid summers, pick them as a zucchini rather than letting them get large and they have a lovely nutty flavour. Personally I think they are best when small as the flavour is at it's best, if left to get large they don't really taste of anything. Grow them on an A frame with netting to keep the necks straight and stop them from invading the rest of your garden. Leave one fruit early on to fully develop and you have more than enough seeds for next year.

You could also try a few cucumber plants but you won't need many as they are prolific producers.

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Re: Summer crops?

Post by xxxxtom »

Thanks ZN for the quick reply.
We have cucumbers, eggplants, chillies , capsicums and cherry tomatoes (easier to be grow ) in other beds.
I’ll go with edamame and pumpkins what do you mean by start to cork?
Cheers

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Re: Summer crops?

Post by Zasso Nouka »

When the neck of the kabocha looks like this

Image

TIL - Apparently the technical term is
Corking of the peduncle
:ugeek:

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Re: Summer crops?

Post by Caleb Fuller »

Plenty of things can go in now! You should be bloody busy, to be honest.
First, anything you can buy as seedlings from the local home centre are fine. Get in quick though, by the time the rainy season kicks in that tends to be about it for summer planting stuff.
Secondly, it's not too late to start a whole range of things from seed, even if you can't get them as seedlings locally. Some suggestions include:
Beans (climbing and dwarf)
Tomatoes
Pumpkins
Zucchini
Beetroot
Capsicums and peppers
Silverbeet and rainbow chard
Various types of carrot (check the seed packet as the sowing times vary for different varieties)
Radishes
Rocket (Arugula), though it will go to seed quicker now.
Melons of various sorts
Lettuce (depending again on variety - check the back of the seed packet)

Spend some time looking at the back of seed packets in the store and see what the sowing times are for your area. You'd be surprised!
Good luck and get to it!

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