December In The Kitchen Garden Central Otago

December in my garden can be described as controlled chaos.

The growth of things has just taken off in recent weeks; that also goes for the weeds, but the spaces are filling in the garden and have started giving the occasional strawberry and a bowl of fresh leaves for the beginning of the summer salads.

What's Happening In My Central Otago Garden In December?

There are gardens still under cover due to the blackbirds wreaking havoc, digging up seedlings and moving things around, unwanted of course.

The corn bed has doubled in height in the last couple of weeks. I did lose one of the watermelon seedlings I planted with the corn, but that still leaves two plants, so I can manage with that.

With the corn, I have planted sunflowers, and around the edges, I have sown dwarf beans.

Every couple of weeks, I will feed the bed with Seaweed Tonic, and I have scattered sheep pellets for some slow-release fertilizer. The corn is generally ready to harvest in February/March.

Pea Season & Seedlings

I didn't have a successful start to my pea season, so I had to go to the garden centre to buy seedlings. The germination rate was very low this year, and I'm not opposed to buying them because what's summer without fresh peas? With Christmas just around the corner, I needed to ensure we had them.

Once the peas are finished, I will cut them down to ground level, likely around mid-January. However, by the end of December, I will sow beans under the peas to take over once the peas are done.

The beans will use the frame to climb and will continue through to autumn, providing enough for me to freeze for winter consumption.

I have my first tomato appearing, and several more are expected soon, indicated by the flowers developing.

This season, I've planted my tomatoes in a single bed, featuring 17 different varieties interplanted with marigolds and basil, and everything is looking promising.

Every two weeks, I will nourish them with Seaweed Tonic, and I've spread sheep pellets across the bed for slow-release fertilisation. In the evenings, after walking the dogs, I enjoy strolling through the garden to check on everything, pull some weeds, and it's the perfect time to inspect the tomatoes, adjust the support ties, remove some laterals, and watch for any pests or issues.

A Thriving Glass House

The glasshouse is thriving, with all six cucumbers having both flowers and fruit.

The chillies and peppers are doing well, but unfortunately, I've lost my tomatillo plant to slugs. This means I need to set up beer traps in the glasshouse and make nightly visits with a flashlight to monitor the situation.

The glasshouse will receive a tonic feed once a month. I typically don't use additional products in the glasshouse, but I keep a vigilant watch for any problems that the warm, moist environment might cause. The cucumbers have been planted with their support ties in place, and I will gradually twist the cord as they grow.

Healthy & Happy Courgettes

And finally, I have got my first courgettes. Now, I cannot claim these as my own, as a lovely person grew them and handed them over, so healthy and happy, especially compared to mine that haven’t even got more than four leaves.

I see courgettes on the table in the very near future.

With eight different plants in the ground, I have interplanted with marigolds, parsley, and chives to help with any pest control. I will feed these once a month with tonic and clear away any spent and dead leaves as I go to help with the potential of fungal issues with what could be a warm, moist summer.

This is the right time of year to begin thinning your fruit trees.

Our trees are about 8-9 years old, but that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from some thinning of excess fruit.

When you thin fruit, it helps the tree put more energy into the fruit that you leave, meaning bigger fruit and a happier, healthier tree with less stress and less risk of disease.

I will take off all but one piece on each point of the branch and only up to 3-4, depending on the length of the branch. If you have a cluster, remove all but 1-2 pieces. Don’t think you are wasting the fruit; just think of it as giving your trees a helping hand to do better.

And the last words on the garden are: the trick to a great summer garden is daily strolls.

If you keep a regular eye on things, they won’t get away from you.

Check in on young seedlings, squash any nasties, and check in on soil moisture.

You don’t have to do everything all at once, but if you do a little often, it won’t appear to be such a big job.

The garden should be a happy place, not a stressful place.