LILA'S  O R G A N I C   K I T C H E N    G A R D E N                                     SUSTAINABLE    EARTH    LIVING.   New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.© 2007 
                         
                         

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   Marrow Annual   Plant Spring/Summer      
 MY GARDEN CALENDAR   Marrow really enjoy rich soil, with lots of compost dug in , sow seed straight into the ground 4cm deep at the end of October when the ground is starting to really warm up, remember to keep water up to Marrow, they can be picked small and used like Courgettes or left to grow really large, pick when skin is soft or leave until skin hardens on the vine, Marrow are fantastic when stuffed with rice and herbs, plant 1 metre apart  
December 2008 photos    
GARDEN ALMANAC    
My Garden Photos    
 March 2008    
 A-Z LIST OF VEGETABLES AND HERBS, WHEN AND HOW TO GROW THEM.    
   
                           
compost making   Melons Annual Plant Spring/Summer  
liquid fertilizers   If we don’t have a long hot summer, melons cannot be grown successfully, however the last few years the temperatures have been fantastic and my first rock melons arrived about 2003, plant in the hottest place in your yard. Germinate seeds early in punnets and pots and only plant out when the soil is Warm in November, or sow seed straight into the ground in November.  Allow at least 1 meter between plants and make sure seeds are 4cm deep when sown. Melons should ripen on the vine, test by tapping fruit with the knuckle and if you get a dull sound try one, Rock melons stems will dry and break off easily when ready to pick, smelling the fruit is another way to find out if fruit are nearing ripe. Plant some bee plants around the area so that bees successfully pollinate the flower, lawn clover is excellent for attracting bees.      
       
What is  permaculture exactly - and why is it important?      
   
soil improvement    
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    Mint                 Perennial   Plant all year round
    Look for a good mint grown from cutting, not one that has grown from seed, you will be able to tell by how pungent the leaves are, many mints sold today are not worth growing if they are not the right strain.  Mint can get out of hand; so ensure that it is in a large pot, if it is in the garden it will spread like wildfire if the soil is rich and moist.  I prefer my mint in a large pot with lots of compost.  Cut mint down to the ground frequently, at least 4 times per year, this well encourage fantastic new growth, don’t be frightened by cutting it all back, cover with fresh compost and in a week or so up will come all the new growth, old mint growth is woody and you do yourself no favor by leaving it on the plant, Keep your mint in the full sun and keep it well watered, if you ever neglect a pot of mint and it looks awful or you think its dead, just cut back all the growth to ground level, soak really well till all soil in pot is dripping wet, in fact let hose run in pot for 10 mins or so it wont hurt it, put it in a sunny spot and you will soon find out whether or not you have killed your mint with neglect.  Mint is hardy and you have to be really neglectful by not watering the pot for months before you will actually kill the rhizomes [root runners]      
         
         
         
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
         
                             
    Onions Annual   Sow seeds in July and August  
   

 Red onions are a hot favorite for salads and green for every day cooking.  Although you can sow onions in Spring, the best time is July and August in punnets and very early spring into ground 1cm deep, please don’t sow too thickly as you will waste many, they need to be thinned out to at least 1 cm at first and then as the onions grow bigger thin out further by using the seedlings in salads, you will end up with onions at least 6cm apart in the end, if they are grown closer together they will not grow large, however if you don’t thin enough, the onions will force each other aside and compete with space, so you will still end up with your onions.. The onions need to grow over summer and make sure that you keep the area weed free because the soil nutrients will go into the weeds and you need it for the onions, this actually applies to all your vegetables, the weeds can rob the goodness from them while growing.  Let the tops of the onions die off and fall over, once this happens you can loosen the onions with a fork, lift out and lie on concrete in the shed or garage in the shade for a couple of weeks to dry, turning frequently as they dry, make sure the area gets a good flow of air circulating, not a shed with the door shut and no breeze. After they have dried you can plait them, or tie them in bunches, but be very sure that plenty of air can get to the onions or they could rot, check frequently so that rotted ones are removed immediately, even if you store them in a box make sure that you turn them and plenty of air can get to them.

      
         
         
         
         
         
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
         
         
         
                             
    Oregano Perennial All year round root division or cuttings  
    True Greek Oregano is as scarce as hens teeth, so if anyone has one please contact me, if you are buying oregano from a nursery you can be sure that it is grown from seed, true oregano cannot be grown from seed and can only be grown from cuttings or root division, sadly I don’t have one at present, oregano is a Mediterranean herb great for stews, pizza, spaghetti bolognaise and numerous other dishes, a ground cover spreading quite profusely in the right condition, grow in full sun so that the essential oils develop in the plant, too much shade has a weak tasting oregano make sure you leave space of about 30cm diameter for your oregano and if it gets too large root divide and pot up and give to friends, if you have the true oregano that is, if not go searching for it, you will not be disappointed.      
         
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
                             
         

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website created by  Lila Smith ©  DECEMBER 2007   New Plymouth,  Taranaki New Zealand