November in the Garden

For thousands of years, Native Americans have used a companion planting known as the ‘three sisters’, where sweetcorn is grown together with runner beans and squash. The broad leaves of the squash keep all the plants’ roots cool, and shade out weeds. The corn provides a climbing frame for the beans, while the beans add nitrogen to the soil, which the pumpkin and corn need to grow well. In Aotearoa, we can use cucumber or pumpkin instead of squash – and you can add sunflowers as a fourth sister!

Harvest

Peas, Beans, Kale, Rocket, Lettuce, Bok Choy, Cabbage, Broad Beans, Carrots, Asparagus, Basil, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrot, Celery, Coriander, Leek, Parsley, Parsnip, Potatoes, Pumpkin and squash, Radish, Rocket, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring onions

Activities

Continue mounding potatoes as the shoots grow. Remove laterals from tomatoes (you can propagate these to create new plants!)

Feed

Feed potatoes once a month, Feed tomatoes planted in garden beds.

Direct sow

Beetroot, Carrots, Coriander, Jerusalem Artichoke, Mustard‡, Oats‡, Parsnip, Phacelia‡, Potato*, Radish/Daikon, Rocket, Yam

Tray sow

Basil*†, Borage, Beetroot, Bushbean*, Cabbage, Capsicum*†, Cardoon, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chilli Pepper*†, Cucumber*†, Eggplant*†, Kale, Leek, Loofah, Marrow, Lettuce/Mesclun, Mint, New Zealand Spinach, Parsley, Pumpkin/Rocket, Squash, Sunflower, Tomatillo, Tomato*†, Winter Savory, Zucchini*.

Plant Seedlings

Basil, Broccoli, Bush Bean*, Cabbage, Capsicum*†, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chilli*†, Corn*†, Cucumber*†, Eggplant*†, Florence Fennel, Globe Artichoke, Kale, Leek, Lettuce/Mesclun, Parsley, Pumpkin/Kamo Kamo, Runner Beans, Silverbeet/Perpetual Spinach,Tomato*†, Zucchini/Squash*

Transplant to the garden when they are showing at least two sets of true leaves.

*Frost sensitive
† Performs best in a glasshouse or under a cloche.
‡ Cover crop, can be dug into soil.