Harvest to Table

If you are preparing for your summer Christmas holiday, make sure that the vegetable garden is well mulched before you go. Mulch will keep the weeds down and conserve the moisture in the soil while you are away. December is not too early to consider breaking out the shade cloth to protect the tender plants [...]

November is one of the most beautiful months of the year in the southern hemisphere. The cold is gone but summer’s intense heat has not yet arrived. The trees and grass are green. The forsythia and dogwood are in bloom. The birds have built their summer nests, and the first crops in the vegetable garden [...]

October is the month of greatest change in the southern hemisphere kitchen garden, spring is here. Now is the time to plant with the summer reward in mind. Plant tomato, eggplant, capsicum, cucumber, sweet corn, marrow, melons, zucchini, and pumpkin this month in all but the coldest regions of the southern hemisphere. Plant beets and [...]

September brings in spring and ends winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The first day of spring in the southern part of the world this year is September 22. On this day, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. The time between sunrise and sunset is exactly 12 hours. March [...]

  The days begin to warm in August in the southern hemisphere. This is the time to begin planting crops for summer harvest. But keep in mind there may still be some chilly days in the colder regions. Root crops can go into the ground immediately this month. But tender seedlings, tomatoes, capsicums and some [...]

July means winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter wherever you are is one the prime seasons for citrus. At the farm markets in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile this month look for kumquats, grapefruit, limes, early mandarins, oranges, and tangelos. Other winter fruits ready for harvest include late apples, avocadoes, and [...]

The first day of winter will arrive later this month in the southern hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and South Africa. Many birds have headed north and nature has finished its preparation for the cooler and cold days ahead. June is a good month to mulch strawberries and protect them from winter cold. [...]

May arrives between autumn and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Grays and browns replace the brilliant fall colors of April this month. Nature is beginning its rest time now as the harvest comes to a close. There still may be a few days of hazy sunshine this month but the first chill and frost are [...]

Days of warm, hazy sunshine with a fresh autumn tang. Leaves turning colors. The first frost on its way. Birds taking leave for the North. This is April in the southern hemisphere. Apples and grapes may still be on the tree and vine at the start of April, but by month’s end, much of the [...]

Autumn will arrive in the Southern Hemisphere–Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile–on March 20. Cool season crops need to be planted as soon as possible: beetroot Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, endive, leek, parsley, parsnip, potatoes, silverbeet (chard), and Swede (rutabaga). Cool weather crops require warm weather to germinate and begin growth. They [...]