PEAS
PUMPKIN
82 SEPTEMBER 2019 GARDENING AUSTRALIA
Pumpkinisaterrificcroptogrowinthe
warmermonthsbecausetheharvest
storessowell,givingyoulotsofpumpkins
tousethroughoutthecoolermonthsin
soupsandcurries,orforroasting.Some
arequitedecorative,too,andcanmake
lovelydisplayswhileinstorage.
Youcanstartseednowinallareas,
exceptforthetropicswhereit’sbestto
sowseedatthebeginningoftheDry.
Inthesubtropics,thesoilshouldbewarm
enoughtosowseeddirectlyintheground.Sugar snap varieties can be eaten pod and all, and
are delicious. Pick these any time until the tender pods
just fill out. With garden or English peas, which are
grown for the seeds, wait until the pods appear plump
and swollen, but the peas inside are still tender. Check
plants daily to collect peas at their best, and be careful
not to damage the vines when harvesting – the best
way is to use scissors to snip the pod stems. The entire
harvest period is normally only a week or two, so enjoy
eating fresh peas while you can. The way to extend the
harvest period in future is to plant successive crops.NOW
PICKi
In cooler areas, get them started in small
pots of seed-raising mix positioned on a
warm, sunny windowsill, then plant them
(or direct-sow) 2–3 weeks after the risk
of frost has passed. If a sneaky late frost
is expected, cover the young plants with
frost cloth overnight.
Sow seed 3–5cm deep. Water well and
allow the soil or potting mix to dry out a
bit before re-wetting, as the seed can rot
when too wet. They should germinate in
about a week. When direct-sowing, plant2–3 seeds in one spot and remove
all but the strongest-looking seedling.
Pumpkins like plenty of sun and lots
of space, so fi nd a bright spot where
they are free to ramble. Good drainage
is essential, too. For planting, prepare
compost-enriched mounds of soil (one
per plant) about 30cm tall and 50cm
wide. Space the mounds 1–1.5m apart.
To get your pumpkin seedlings kicking
along, fertilise them once a week with
fi sh emulsion mixed at half strength.i NOW
PLANT