Seeds & Seedlings to Plant Now in the Northern Rivers

As we welcome the end of Spring, we are approaching the most challenging growing season here, with increased heat, rainfall and consequently humidity ~ but I’d like to inspire you to keep growing, as there are still plenty of crops that thrive through the summer months. 

What to Plant

Summer is the time to grow fruiting vegetables such as eggplant, beans, cucumber, zucchini, chillies, sweet peppers, pumpkin, watermelon and cherry tomatoes. It’s also perfect for growing sweet and/or starchy corn! Not to mention my favourite summer greens, including sweet potato (the leaves are edible, abundant and delicious), perennial greens including Kang kong, Okinawa spinach, Brazilian spinach and Surinam spinach, spices such as ginger and turmeric and tropical root crops like cassava and taro. These plants are hardy and thrive in the heat and humidity, similar to the tropical climates where they evolved.

November and December are typically drier and less humid than later in the season so this is the time to get crops adapted to arid climates such as zucchini, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, tomatoes and cucumber planted. These crops have hairy leaves. These hairs are designed to capture moisture in dry, hot arid climates where they evolved. But in a subtropical climate this can do more harm than good to the plants. 

If moisture is captured in the hairs on the leaf surfaces it encourages fungal diseases to thrive and can cause the plants to rot. The most common fungal disease is powdery mildew. To avoid this, it’s best to get these crops in early in the season when it’s typically drier and preserve your harvests for the wetter months to come. You can either direct sow these seeds straight into your garden or you can transplant seedlings. As it’s now November, I would recommend planting seedlings as there are only a few months left to grow before the rain returns. 

Other Goodies to Get in the Ground Now

Don’t forget about planting eggplants, sweet peppers, chillies and beans. These crops will grow throughout the entire summer season, from September to March. All of these plants are best seeded into trays and then transplanted into the garden when they are around 8-10 weeks old and have established root systems. 

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like kale, rainbow chard and lettuces really struggle to thrive in summer. Pests such as slugs, caterpillars and aphid’s often attack them, not to mention diseases. To make the growing easier for ourselves, we plant tropical greens instead. These include kang kong, Okinawa spinach, Surinam spinach, Brazilian spinach and Warrigal greens. We also plant sweet potato for the greens (and later the yummy tubers!) and pumpkin leaves make a delicious spinach alternative. All of these greens are best cooked, lightly steamed, sautéed or stir-fried, with the exception of Okinawa spinach which is delicious fresh in salads. 

Herbs

Let’s not forget about herbs! Parsley and Basil both thrive through summer as long as they have space and plenty or airflow around them. Mexican tarragon, garlic and onion chives and Tulsi also grow abundantly. And my favourite summer flowers are zinnia, sunflowers and nasturtium. 

Other Tips

To grow successfully this summer make sure you enrich your soil with lots of organic matter like compost and worm castings prior to planting. Mulch your gardens with sugarcane or lucerne mulch to protect the soil from wind and rain and prevent runoff and erosion. Plant all of the crops mentioned here in a full sun position (at least 5 hours of direct sun per day) with enough room around each plant for sufficient airflow. And remember which plants like the company of each other. Like the 3 sisters, pumpkin, beans and corn or one of my favourites, tomatoes, beans and basil. 

We are lucky to be able to grow year-round here so don’t let the hot and humid days of summer scare you out of the garden. These days are reminiscent of tropical environments where crops like taro, cassava, turmeric, ginger and perennial greens thrive. If anything, summer is the perfect time to get in the garden and experiment with new and interesting crops that you can seldom find anywhere else. I encourage you to grow this summer and see what gifts the garden will inevitably deliver.

Special thanks to our local farming writer Lydia @cosmos_patch for this article.