In the Garden - Vegetable Gardening

Awesome Autumn
Autumn is a rewarding time in the vege garden with both harvesting and new planting to enjoy.
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Changing seasons
When the calendar turns to March, autumn has officially arrived and it's the exciting beginning of a brand new planting season.
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Harvest time
Autumn is the season to celebrate nature's abundance. Whether we grow our own or visit the market while prices are low, it's time to make the most of a profusion of fruit and vegetables that can sustain us through the winter months.
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Know thy enemy
Sue Linn wages war on a tiny terror - the tomato potato psyllid (TPP)
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Planting a winter garden
Getting seedlings in the ground early, while the soil is still warm enough for active growth, is the key to a productive winter vege patch.
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Reap what you sow!
Autumn in the vege garden - Summer's end brings no time for slacking, there's plenty to keep us busy in the autumn vege patch.
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Silverbeet - the humble hero
Silverbeet is versatile and easy. Sow or plant this healthy staple regularly and you'll never be without fresh greens to eat. Sue Linn tells us how
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Above ground
Lifting a garden above ground level provides many benefits. From the plant's point of view, there is improved drainage and soil that warms up faster in spring. For the gardener, raised beds offer a more comfortable experience when planting, weeding and harvesting.
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Brassica recipes
For anyone turned off brassicas in childhood, overcooking has got to be the number one culprit. A minute or two is all it takes to steam a sweet crunchy side dish.
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How to make sauerkraut
Man has been preparing and eating fermented foods for thousands of years and around the world today many cultures understand the great and varied health benefits of including fermented foods in their daily diet.
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Pride of the patch
Cabbages can be grown 365 days of the year, but they are particularly rewarding in winter when the cooler temperatures turn them sweeter than ever.
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10 crops for Christmas
The arrival of spring is warmly welcomed. It's the perfect time to grab a spade and start growing vegetables for the new season. However caution should be exercised
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Growing a fresh spring crunch
After a winter of hearty comfort food, the desire for something with crunch becomes more like a craving. Here's how to grow a non-stop supply of fresh salad greens.
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Nutrition on a shoestring
The very best food for health and well-being is the sort that grows in a garden. Food picked fresh from the garden contains the most nutrients and it's super convenient, saving time with fewer trips to the supermarket.
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On home ground
When you want to grow your own food but don't have a large garden, it comes down to getting the most out of the space you have.
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Ready set grow!
A beginner's guide to growing summer vegetables.
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Spring in the vege patch
12 timely tasks and seed sowing tips to get the best in your vege patch
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Success with Seeds
Be cautious about planting seedlings too early into cold soil, but we can prepare the soil and get seedlings started in a sunny place indoors or under the protective cover of a greenhouse.
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Summer from seed
November is planting time for some favourite summer crops. Sarah O'Neil speaks from experience about sowing seed outdoors.
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The great garden salad
When we grow them at home, our salads are as organic and as fresh as we choose. Fresher than a shop bought 'garden salad' can ever be.
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The taste of Summer - tomatoes
As far as Sarah O'Neil is concerned, summer only means one thing - Tomatoes
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A cucumber a day
Summer brings such simple pleasures - like taking a break on a hot day to munch on a fresh crunchy cucumber picked straight from the garden.
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Favourite tomato recipes
Here's some tasty ways to enjoy this season's tomato crop - bruchetta, insalata caprese & and healthly homemade ketchup.
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Fresh start
If winter has had you reaching for the comfort food, spring is the time to turn over a new leaf and plant a garden full of healthy, nutrient dense food.
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From the patio to the plate
Simply sow some seed in the comfort of a sheltered patio and watch them grow. In a month's time or less, you can be snipping them for dinner without even putting your gumboots on.
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Home grown tomatoes
There is no denying the superior taste of a home grown tomato, and those who grow their own enjoy the most exciting smorgasbord of varieties.
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Let's talk tomatoes
Pearls of wisdom from experienced Kiwi gardeners
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Non-stop crops - the art of succession planting
For those who love to grow what they eat, the season of plenty has arrived. October is a huge month for planting a huge range of vegetable crops. Almost anything can go in the ground in spring.
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Pride of the patch
It's planting time for those warm-weather vegetables that will feed the family for six months or more.
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Sow, grow, eat
Apart from the wonderful sense of satisfaction and potential to save money, growing vegetables from seed offers a broad choice of exciting varieties to grow and eat.
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Summer's bounty
Small steps towards a more productive garden.
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Survive and thrive!
As is right and proper in the excitement of spring, planting enthusiasm reaches heady heights and summer crops are well underway in gardens all round the country.
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Surviving summer
Early summer rain and warm temperatures see vegetable crops leaping into growth, but as summer progresses there will be hotter drier weather and expanding pest populations.
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Sweet sensation
Here comes summer and the joy of home grown tomatoes! These days there is a huge range of different varieties to try make growing tomatoes even more fun.
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Taking care of tomatoes
At planting time, sturdy young tomato plants show no sign of trouble ahead but wise gardeners are on watch.
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Talking tomatoes
Tomatoes must be one of the most rewarding summer crops. Get the basics right and we can all grow a crop to be proud of. But it's always useful to talk to someone who's been doing it for years. Sue Linn talks to two experienced tomato enthusiasts.
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The benefits of beetroot
Highly nutritious beetroot is well worth growing. Naturopath Meryn Wakelin shines the light on this underrated root crop and shares a chocolate cake recipe with a twist
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The cook's garden
Fresh herbs picked fresh from the garden while you cook have the best flavour. Few plants give so much for so little.
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The sweet taste of Summer
Picture your summer vege garden bursting at the seams with colour, health and vitality. Picking armloads of fresh, sweet homegrown fruit and veges to feed family and friends is one of summer's greatest joys, but there's no time to waste if we're to make the most of the warm months ahead.
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The taste of summer
There is something about the strange smell the tomato plant gives off, the scent of anticipation. Soon there will be tomatoes ripening within the branches
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Tomatoes with Sarah
Sarah O'Neil reflects on the trials and tribulations of learning how to grow tomatoes
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Vine ripe
Growing tomatoes is a bit like fishing - everyone has a story. Talking to experienced gardeners is a great way to learn new tricks, but as all those stories indicate, there are lots of pathways to the perfect tomato.
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Zucchini pesto 'pasta'
If you can keep up with picking the best way to eat your zucchini is small and straight after harvest.
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Container culture
When your outdoor space is tiny or temporary, container gardening is a great way to grow. Even for those with dirt to dig, planting a few edibles in pots makes good sense when it's cold and wet out there
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Kids Go Gardening - grow sweet corn
Sow it, grow it, eat it! Now the days are longer and the soil is warmer, grow the sweet (corn) taste of summer.
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Kids Go Gardening - grow your own potatoes
The most delicious potatoes of all are the ones you dig from your own garden! No dirt to dig? No worries, potatoes are easy to grow in containers!
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A family affair
When Jenny Hamill and her partner William became parents, they decided it was time they had a garden
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Essential ingredients
When fresh fruit and veges are the order of the day, it makes sense to grow your own. Sue Linn talks to a gardener driven by her desire for top quality food.
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Full circle
Sue Linn meets three generations of gardeners for whom growing veges is simply a way of life.
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Raw delight
Naturopath Meryn Wakelin explains how eating raw plant food has remarkable consequences to our health and wellbeing
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Pest watch
Slugs and snails must the most despicable garden pests. Sarah O'Neil considers her options.
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26-Apr-2024