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Grow With the Flow with |
As we near the end of the summer season, it’s a great time to harvest the bounty of your garden, plan ahead for the year, and save a bit of money in the long run.
Stockpile crops
Your tomato plants have turned into trees, your cucumber vines are filled to the brim, and your herbs are beginning to bolt and flower. Now’s a great time to harvest heaps and save them for the future. I love to freeze my grape and cherry tomatoes in empty ice cream containers for later use in my winter stews. Mince fresh herbs, then toss them into ice cube trays filled with freshly squeezed lemon juice for an easy addition to any curry or stir fry. If you have the time and tools, canning and preserves are a great way to store excess produce.
Save your seeds!
Saving your own seeds is not only fun, it saves you money too! If you are harvesting seeds from a wet crop like tomatoes, put the seeds on a paper towel and let them dry for a few days before scraping the seeds off into a labelled paper envelope. Intentionally let herbs bolt in late summer, then collect the seeds for use next year. You can even save the seeds from vegetables you purchase at the grocery store as long as they are organic and locally grown, because imported vegetables are often radiated or sprayed prior to arriving to New Zealand.
Plan ahead
The harvest is a great time to reflect on the successes – and failures – of the summer growing season. Think about what worked in your garden, and what didn’t. Which crops did you enjoy eating the most? The least? Which crops experienced disease or pest issues? Can they be mitigated next year? If not, would the space be better suited for an easier crop? Now is also a good time to write down where you planted certain crops so you can rotate your plantings next year to avoid soil erosion and disease.
Melissa Cox is owner of Papamoa Pick Your Own Flowers, a garden offering affordable pick-your-own flowers for weddings, parties and special occasions. Learn more at: tinyurl.com/papamoaflowers