February in the Kitchen Garden
How’s summer going for you all? I think we had it on Wednesday last week down in this part of the country. For most of January we had to keep reminding ourselves that was still January – summer – not the middle of winter. However, the grass and weeds are still growing so there’s still plenty of warmth and moisture out there. The Chief Lawnmower in the family was just saying that in the time it took for him to finish his second cup of tea and a biscuit, he saw the grass grow by at least a centimetre. I’m making good use of the lawn clippings though as mulch in a desperate attempt to keep the weeds down.
We’ve had a very busy month helping the family to clear out my late parent’s house which has been sold and now handed over to the lovely new owners. Plus we had time away over Christmas and I had a week in Tasmania with my friend Sheree. So that was January taken care of and my garden fully neglected. Hasn’t stopped it producing though so very grateful
I do have to say that the unlikely star of the month has been cabbage! For some reason, they have been left alone by the marauding cabbage butterfly and its detestable caterpillars and we have had some magnificent specimens! With the changes Ive made in the health department (following the Tortoise Diet Method) I have been increasing my vegetable intake and so eating a lot of cabbage for lunch and dinner. Either as stir fry or coleslaw. And then there is always the courgettes who one minute are delicate finger-size beauties and next, I’m having to wheelbarrow them over to the chook run for the hens to snack on.
Everything else seems to be late to ripen. Tomatoes are only just colouring up now – and they are in the plastic house. Simply not enough sun during this La Nina phase of our climate cycle. Just have to work with it and enjoy what is ripe now.
Our potatoes have also been great this year. I always grow some for Christmas and as we travelled to Wellington this year, I took a good load in my suitcase. I know. Crazy gardener. But I do love growing potatoes knowing that this staple crop is spray free and full of goodness. We planted again in November and so have Agrias, Red King and another batch of my favourite earlies, Cliff Kidneys.
So what to do in February in your family vegetable garden? Well, keep the water and liquid fertiliser up to any actively growing plants. As a general rule, if it hasn’t rained for 3 days then water well in the evening. 3 days then water well in the evening. It is better to water deeply once every few days than sprinkle a bit every day. Mulch is essential to keep the moisture in and the weeds down. Harvest anything that is ready, beans, onions, carrots, beetroot, courgettes, tomatoes. I have lots of brassicas such as cabbage and broccoli which we are enjoying as well.
You can keep sowing seed now for winter and spring. Sow another row if you want of quick growing carrots. If you are in a cooler climate you might want to get some onions seed started. Brassicas can be sown – if you can get them in to good warm soil they will be able to put some good growth in before the first frost when they will slow down and start to park for winter. I’ll talk about what to do with your berries next month as yours might still be fruiting like mine.
What to do this month in the Vegetable Garden.
Sow. Peas, beetroot, carrots (in the south, fast growing) cabbage, broccoli, swedes, spinach, silverbeet, bokchoy, radishes, onions, turnips, parsley
Plant: Leeks, celery, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuces,
Cultivate: Keep up the liquid feed to growing plants – especially leeks and celery which won’t like to be dried out. Tidy up strawberries and take new plants from runners for replanting into good well manured soil. Cut back fruiting canes on raspberries. Weed and mulch.
Harvest: Everything that is ready! Eat and preserve.