Season 4, Episode 3 – Late Spring: It's Tomato Time!
November is here and the garden is gathering pace! This month we're talking tomatoes - from their fascinating history to getting our heat-loving plants established in the garden.
We'll also be enjoying lemon balm tea, looking for fresh ingredients for our Spring salads, observing nature's seasonal calendar, and meeting another Kiwi gardener.
And we're delighted to welcome Kings Seeds as an official sponsor of Your Garden Coach NZ. A big thank you to Charlotte and the team for their support.
November Moon Gardening Calendar
1–4 November | Barren Phase
- Prepare soil for root crops.Tidy beds and get organised for the month ahead.
5–6 November | Root Crops
- Sow carrots, beetroot, parsnips, and other root vegetables.A good time to prune and add disease-free prunings to your compost.Remember to aim for a balance of approximately 50% greens and 50% browns in your compost.
7–10 November | Soil Preparation
- Prepare beds for the coming sowing and transplanting period.Keep checking plants for pests.Explore companion planting to help discourage pests and attract beneficial insects.
11–21 November | Sowing & Planting
- Our main above-ground sowing and transplanting period.Heat-loving vegetables can begin moving into the garden where soil temperatures and frost conditions allow.Tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkins are on the agenda.
22–25 November | Soil Preparation
- A great opportunity to weed and prepare the next growing spaces.
26–27 November | Root Crops
- Another opportunity to sow root vegetables.
28 November – 4 December | Barren Phase
- Tidy up, maintain your garden, and get organised for December.
The moon calendar helps us organise our gardening workload. Always consider your own growing conditions, soil temperature and weather.
In This Episode
Tea of the Month – Lemon Balm
A lovely herbal tea and a little history of lemon balm.
What Am I Foraging?
What can we find growing around us to add something fresh and interesting to our Spring salads?
Phenology – Nature's Calendar
Taking time to notice what's happening in nature and how those observations help us understand our own growing seasons.
Main Topic – Tomatoes
It's tomato time! We're talking about growing this much-loved Summer vegetable, along with a little tomato history. And sadly, I couldn't find a family connection to Henry Harrington - the influential Southland Tomato grower, and avid seed saver!
Meet a Kiwi Gardener – Nic Mullen
Introducing our new regular segment, Meet a Kiwi Gardener. This month we're meeting Nic Mullen from @nicsurbangarden.
Dishes with Del – Peas
Del joins us to talk about making the most of fresh Spring peas.
Kings Seeds
We're delighted to have Kings Seeds officially joining us as a podcast sponsor. Thank you to Charlotte and the team for supporting New Zealand gardeners and Your Garden Coach NZ.
Happy Gardening!
Late Spring is a busy time, but remember that you don't need to do everything at once.
Keep observing your garden, sow little and often, and enjoy watching the season unfold.
Support the show
You can contact us at coach@yourgardencoach.nz and follow us on socials @yourgardencoachnz