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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    Brussels sprouts   Annual Plant Summer      
 MY GARDEN CALENDAR   Rather a tricky plant to grow but rewarding if you get it right, established plants need planted Dec, Jan, Feb march, you can grow from established plants or seed directly into the soil around Mid October but ensure you prick [thin] out, you must not grow Brussels sprouts to close together, give them 30cm space between plants. Your end product depends on the richness of your soil, Brussels need good feeding and excellent watering during summer to produce well formed sprouts, try planting in a place that only gets morning sun and the heat of the day is blocked from the plants, too much heat is not good for Brussels. pick the sprouts from the bottom and ensure they are well rounded, if they are loose Brussels and not packed tight, they they have been lacking in food and water and had too much heat...you need good management more than good luck with Brussels. Buy some Neem Oil if possible to keep the insects at bay i.e. white caterpillar and aphids, Neem works well and is totally organic, I did field trials of Neem In Sydney at my organic herb nursery and have used the product ever since with my Brassica's.      
December 2008 photos    
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My Garden Photos    
GARDEN ALMANAC    
soil improvement    
liquid fertilizers    
A-Z LIST OF VEGETABLES AND HERBS, WHEN AND HOW TO GROW THEM.    
   
   
   

What is  permaculture exactly - and why is it important?  

 

    
       
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  Broccoli Annual Plant all year round    
    Broccoli has got to be one of my favorite vegetables, I plant them all year round, at intervals of three months, if the weather is not warm enough to germinate them directly into the soil, I start them off in punnets. The most wonderful thing about broccoli is that you have successive stems, which seem to keep coming and coming, -  once the seeds germinate in the soil and they are about 12cm high I move them off to live individually in the garden I don't have them all growing together spreading them out so other plants can be grown near them i.e lettuce and parsley - water broccoli well in summer.  Ensure you plant seedlings deeply and up to the first leaves. Broccoli like all brassicas love rich soil, I keep putting more compost under mine all the time. Mulch is great for Broccoli also, and I always put bamboo stakes around them so that they never fall over you can see it in the image, in summer revert to Neem oil to keep those white caterpillars off the plants, I did a field trial of Neem in Sydney and was stunned at the success, produced from the African Neem tree      
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
         
                             
    Cabbage Annual   Plant all year round    
    Because there are so many varieties of cabbage they can be grown all year round, so check the variety of seed you are purchasing, or the variety of plant you are picking up, ask the nursery if they are definitely for the time of year.  Cabbages need space 60cm space between plants at least is required and full sun, so you have to really think about where you are planting them, the richer the soil the better, when you plant any brassica and especially cabbage ensure that you plant it deep enough, right up to the first leaves or else it will just fall over at a later date, , use Neem oil in summer to combat white caterpillar      
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
         
                             
         

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