October In The Vegie Patch + Greenhouse

broadbeans, leafy greens, sweetpeas, leeks, a compost pile and Jack the dog!

The October vegie patch is pretty dam exciting with seedling raising in full swing and crops boosting away in the warming soil and air. Do your best to keep your head and don’t rush into planting summer loving crops on the first fine day! Its hard, I know, but wait it out until soil temperatures are ideal for the crops you are planting out – this will keep your garden growing strongly.

A soil thermometer is a huge help here. Measure the soil temps in your garden beds and seed raising trays, before sowing or planting.

What to plant and sow in October

Asparagus, broccoli, peas, leeks harvested for dinner ediblebackyard
A little and often daily harvest comes from little and often planting or sowing

Gluts from the garden are fun, but a regular steady supply is where its at. Keep the garden productive by sowing or planting a new thing every week, and by filling any gap created by finished crops, right away. As well as high production, this keeps the garden weed free – if its always full, there’s no room for weeds! Huzzah!

Sow

Raising seedlings in toliet rolls ediblebackyard nz
Peas, beans and corn are all well suited to growing in toliet rolls. There’s no transplant shock because you plant them out loo roll and all!

Direct Sow

  • Radish, coriander, dill, parsnip, carrot, rocket and mizuna.
  • Calendula, cornflower, cosmos, borage, buckwheat and phacelia

Tray Sow

  • Use a heatpad or somewhere toasty to raise pumpkin, zuchinni, cucumber, melon, corn, basil, climbing beans, dwarf beans, shellout beans, soya beans, tomatoes, peppers, aubergine
  • Globe artichokes, parsley, spring onions, red onions and chives
  • Peas and leeks for cooler places
  • Sunflowers, gaillardia, rudbeckia, zinnias, love lies bleeding and oodles of marigolds

Direct or Tray Sow

  • Beetroot, spinach and saladings can be direct sown outside as soon as soil conditions are right, otherwise tray sow to buy you time and ensure success.
  • Sweetpeas

Transplant

toms and melons hardening off

Before planting vegie seedlings out in the garden, harden them off. Give them a few days and nights outside in their seedling trays to get used to the cooler temps. This makes for a smooth transition.

  • Asian greens, cabbage, broccoli, red onions, spring onions, celery, silverbeet, perpetual spinach, parsley, saladings, potatoes and yams
  • Swan plants and lots of companion flowers! Plant sunflowers to a robust stake.
  • Globe artichokes, asparagus and dahlias in perennial areas
  • When soil outside hits 20ยฐC, shellout beans, pumpkin, kumara and corn can all be planted.
  • When greenhouse soil hits 20ยฐC, zucchini, cucumber, melons, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, green beans, soya beans, marigolds and basil can be planted. Hello summer!

October checklist + things to do

tomato frames are up
  • Beans and tomatoes need robust stakes/ frames that will handle a heavy crop in all weathers. I love reinforcing mesh.
  • Tie broadbeans to keep them upright through spring winds. Bang a stake at each end of the row. Tie twine to one stake, about halfway up the crop, then take it around the outside to the other stake. Wind it around, then take it back up, the outside of the crop and tie it off to the stake you started from. Stagger these ties at 30cm-ish intervals.
  • Forage for OM (organic matter) .. cardboard, spoiled hay, manure, seaweed… Chances are your stash has dwindled with all the spring plantings. Ensure you have something to hand for side dressing and mulching summer crops.
  • Make a compost pile (or four!) with all your spring clean up. Such lot of ingredient about right now. Theres nothing that will get your garden humming, like your own compost.
  • Thin September sowings of beetroot, parsnip and carrots. I prefer to thin progressively they grow faster this way. Start by taking carrots out to about 1cm, parsnips out to about 5cm and thin beetroot down to groups of 3 or 4. If you are careful you can transplant the spare beetroots. Check in on your root crops each week and pluck out extras as the crop grows until carrots are at about 3cm and parsnips – 10cm.
  • Get everything mulched or sown or planted before the weeds get away. If you have no seedlings or mulch – sow a greencrop! Such a quick/ cheap solution
  • Check in with your soil – feel it, smell it, eyeball it. Know where its at and base all your planting decisions on the state of your soil.
eggplant seedling
Birdsticks – simple but effective!
  • Protect all new seedlings from birds with bird net over cloche hoops, or bird sticks.
  • Prick on seedlings in trays as soon as they have 2 leaves and then again as they outgrow the container they are in. Keep them moving. Seedling raising is a daily job.
  • Divide rhubarb
  • Let parsley, perpetual beet, endive, rocket, coriander, cornflower – whatever wants to seed – go to seed. No need to leave all to reproduce – one plant, sends out 1000’s of new emissaries. Self seeded plants can supply a good chunk of your dinner once you get in the habit of it, and they are always super hardy plants.

Beware the seed eaters!

Mice, rats, slugs, snails and slaters are about at this time of year. It’s worth managing them cos one night visit from any of these guys sets your food garden back.

Rodent management is essential for a food gardener, and I think, a cool thing for all of us to pitch in and do. No matter where you live – you have rats! Food gardens are a rodent hotel – cosy homes (compost piles) and food supply (avocados, seed, compost nomnom). At this time of year they love gobbling up corn, pumpkin and sunflower seed. Make trapping part of your regime.

slater trap

Slaters have great benefit – decomposers par excellence, but at this time of year are a nusiance as they love nibbling off newly sprouted seed. Make a trap by putting a spoon of yoghurt in a small container. Top it up with water. Bury it in your seedtray so the edge is at ground level. Slaters love this stuff. Or sprinkle Tui Quash slugbait about to deter them.

Slugs and snails are getting going too. They love asparagus, peas, carrots, echinacea – anything new really! Tui Quash is the most affordable, least toxic slug bait I can find.

At this time of year I pop out with my head torch and do a big old snail squash and slug capture, tossing them into a bucket of limey water as I go (literally lime dissolved in water) where they foam and froth and finish off. Don’t throw them over the fence! Bad karma๐Ÿ˜‰ and besides, they’ll be back.

Removing the mulch further reduces the mollusc load – I leave it off until the soil warms and weather turns.

Divide and plant herb companions

Thyme flowers are much loved by the bees
Thyme is an excellent edging plant

Plant out chives, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, lavender and any other perennial herbs you need. Not only are they dinner and cuppas and medicine, but they’re all such good landscaping plants! Evergreen perennials ease the gardeners life – standing guard over bare, wintery soils that’d otherwise need mulching.

  • Sage is one of my dessert island herbs …. so tasty and such an effective, easy sore throat treatment to have on hand. Her grey, textured leaves are a sweet foil that offsets other plants.
  • Thyme, chives and oregano make excellent edge plants en masse – oregano the best of the 3 at beating out incoming weeds.
  • Rosemary is an awesome bee plant and wind shelter
  • Lavender is one plant you just cant have enough of – pretty flowers for bees and bugs and humans to eat and enjoy.

Comments

  1. Elise Curnow says

    Hi Kath, I am having a problem with white fly. It started last summer in my mint patch and soon got out of hand. I pulled up all the host plants, which included mint, lemon balm and borage ๐Ÿ™ and grew some tobacco plants (on the suggestion of a friend), Now the weather has warmed up again it appears they are still around and the cycle is continuing again. I have a beautiful self seeded borage which is taller than me and I am loathe to cut it down. I am about to put in two new raised beds with new soil, which I really don’t want the white fly to spread to. Any suggestions how to be rid of this plague? Thanks
    Elise

  2. Hi Kath,

    I see you love your Broadfork. I’ve been looking at these and dropped a not-so-subtle hint to my family for a Chrissy present. But now I’m thinking why wait? When it’s most valuable to me right now! There are a few sizes and design options – and I want to get the right one. What’s your suggestion for a good ‘all-rounder’ fork to be used by a slightly shorter than average, but strong and fit, female?

    Thanks,
    Kirstie

    • I like your style Kirstie – why wait! A forksta will be the best thing you ever buy for your garden! To get the very best advice here you need to go straight to the source – hit up Marco or Tess at crafty gatherer for their advice. They make them so they know them well. happy shopping! Kath

  3. Sue Patterson says

    HI Kath,
    I have been waiting for my kumara mothers to sprout since the end of August! I have followed your e-book instructions re planting and have endeavoured to keep them moist, and they are in my mini-greenhouse. I am wondering if I can still expect them to deliver or whether I have to buy in some tipu to be in time? Thanks for your advice, as always!
    Sue in Murch

    • Such patience! Def expect action by now.
      Check these two things out for me ok – hows the mother – is she sound as a pound? Also what temperature is your sand?
      talk soon
      Kath

      • Sue Patterson says

        Thanks Kath. Mother is firm and seems in good shape – just not doing anything. Sand temperature – well depends on time of day. just now (evening) it feels quite cold even though in the mini-greenhouse. (This is South Island and inland.) I suspect that is the problem – would have been better kept inside the house. Is it worth relocating (for instance to the hot water cupboard) and persevering or am I definitely going to be too late for this season?
        Sue in Murch

        • I would get it some where toasty warm – it needs to be 20 degrees night and day. A soil thermometer is cheap as chips will help out heaps! so you know you are reaching the temp you need. Go for it I say! Unlikely you can buy tipu for a bit anyway. best
          Kath

          • Sue Patterson says

            Thanks Kath! The hot water cupboard will be it, And I will get the soil thermometer. Once the tipu sprout (trusting they do), I assume I will need to move them into the light during the day but put them back in the cupboard overnight – does that make sense? – or do they only need the constant day and night temp until they sprout?

          • Just leave them toasty and warm until they sprout ok which is when they will need the sun but also toasty warmth. I will leave this with you as to how you create this combo ๐Ÿ™‚ but for now, while the sprouts are still in the dark they dont need sun. Wish you many tipu!

  4. Sue Patterson says

    Mother now has 5 tipu ๐Ÿ™‚ She lives on a sunny table during the day and goes back in the warm cupboard overnight (as we are still having frosts). Thanks for all your help with this, Kath!

  5. Helen Burfield-Mills says

    Hi Kath,
    I just wanted to say how much I enjoy having your pruning book! You make everything so simple an easy to follow. Thanks so much. It is really helpful.
    Cheers,
    Helen

  6. Emily Efford says

    Hi Kath, do you have any advice for breaking the life cycle of red spider mites organically?

    They infested my garden last year and I am already seeing early signs of them, despite the rain!

    Thanks,
    Emily

    • Red spider mites usually hang out where in dry conditions so that’s pretty mysterious! Are you sure its red spider mites you got there Emily? If it is and you’ve already got them building up this early I’d use Neem – naturallyneem.co.nz

  7. Hi Kath I’ve never used gypsum or mineral fertiliser – are there any particular specifications or brands that you would recommend? Thanks heaps, Alana

  8. Emily Efford says

    I’m pretty sure they are – they look the same as the critters that destroyed my beans last year. Pretty ominous to see them this early! Will try the neem, thanks.

    • The great thing is that mites are suckers so if you’ve mistaken them for another sucker the neem will still do the job. There are really good identification sites online – it’d be interesting to check them out and be sure mites is what you’ve got. Best Kath

  9. Hi Kath,
    I have quite a bit of spoiled hay from this winter and was wondering what I can use it for in the verge garden. I am worried that the seeds will all germinate and I will be pulling out the grass for months to come. Any thoughts?
    Also I finally have some fruit trees so am excited to use your pruning book which I bought when it came out ๐Ÿ™‚

    Thanks,
    Sally

    • Spoiled hay is the very best! So nutritious – outstrips straws by a country mile. 2 options. Leave it out in a pile to sprout before you use it – though I always need mulch now! Or simply flip it over at the first sign of the green fuzz. Easiest weeding you’ll ever do and well worth it. You just wait to see the worms and soil improvements. Lucky you!

  10. Nerissa Kirby says

    Hi Kath,
    I’ve been using copper regularly through the last few months, however, my nectarine tree is already showing signs of curly leaf. Is there anything else I can do?
    Kind regards, Nerissa

    • Nectarines are sitting ducks for leaf curl Nerissa! No point in copper at this stage and no rescue from it either. You could pluck the infected leaves and burn them – when they drop they’ll perpetuate the fungus through next season. Spray weekly with good quality seaweed to help the second lot of leaves the tree is now having to produce. Read all this info to setup something for next year – managing it begins in Autumn at leaf fall ok. https://www.ediblebackyard.co.nz/to-copper-spray-or-not/

  11. Lesley McGregor says

    HI Kath

    What are you using as your fill spectrum mineral fertiliser now that you’re aiming to reduce plastic in the garden?

    Cheers
    Lesley

    • Fodda makes a beaut fert which recycles pest fish (carp) and organic coffee grounds among other goodness, tested for mineral balance and comes in a paper bag. To be sure the inner is plastic, but at this stage this is the best I know of re quality product + minimal plastic packaging.

  12. Sam Dollimore says

    Kia ora Kath, I just did a (really wonderful, thank you) workshop with you and as I was leaving I fell completely in love with the AMAZING smelling lavender you have all about your garden! Could you please tell me what kind of lavender it is? Many many thanks, Sam

  13. Hi Kath, loving your website – thank you! (and I’ll treat myself to your pruning book ๐Ÿ™‚

    I have an asparagus question. I have a whole lot of new asparagus crowns to go in and I’m wondering what you can suggest to really spoil them?

    I FINALLY have a huge and brand new vege garden again. It’s currently bare dirt on well-draining pumice-type soil.

    I have easy access to a ton of horse poo (I know – how lucky am I!) – so that will be in the asparagus bed by the wheelbarrow load.

    I will get the soil tested, but am keen to keep things as organic as possible and was curious about what extra goodies you use on your asparagus?

    • For asparagus the first thing is drainage – absolutely key to be free draining. Next get rid of perennial weeds as you dont want them coming up through the patch ever after. Then pile on seaweed seaweed cos its a coastal vege and manure and let it all rot down or if you are planting now then fresh manure is no bueno – buy in good compost and lay it on the cardboard thickly, about 10cm, mulch with seaweed and cover with leaves or other dry mulch … if you can get hold of sea wrack which washes up on the beaches then thats awesome. Sprinkle seawater over the crown when you plant them. Enjoy!

  14. Hi Kath, In your fourth pic of the wonder mesh you have a herb? in the front of pic. I think this is something that is popping up everywhere in my garden, perhaps via compost. It is creeping underground, but close to surface and relatively easy to lift but I was worried it would become a pest. Can you tell me what it is please?

    Cheers,

    • The wonderful Anise Hyssop – or Agastache. Most beloved by the bees and does self seed but not sucker so probs you have something else. Try not to worry about weeds too much just remember that as you change and improve your soil so too the weeds change, just keep composting and mulching and weeding while things are small and all will be well ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Loo rolls! Great idea. Iโ€™ve been looking at those for years thinking they should be good for something.
    Your photo looks like you have cut the roll in half, or, it is stuck into soil? Is it either case, or is it an optical illusion?

  16. Hi Kath, your broccoli look SO good. I’m having problems with my broccoli and caulis – they don’t bolt to seed but they don’t form tight heads – they just kind of splay out and look awful! I’m not sure what the missing element is. Thanks for any suggestions ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Hey Liz
      Broccoli and caulis are the trickiest! Its all the little things that come together to make those beautiful tight heads from healthy robust seedlings and the good soil they were planted into to a daily check to catch them when any stress starts. At some point they will have been stressed out – whether from being hungry or waterlogged or perhaps a sudden hot day followed by really cold.
      First place to check is the soil. Pick up a handful and gently squeeze it together then open your palm and shake it. Poor soil that lacks nutrition will be dry and all run through your fingers. Heavy clay soil that lacks air and drainage will retain its shape. Good growing is like chocolate cake – it’ll will have a few crumbs and sort of stick together. Getting to know your soil is the single best thing you can do to explain why things dont work. Once you make chocolate cake you are away laughing!! Youll find that everything will on the whole grow really well. Add compost and minerals and it will all come together.
      No definitive answer here for you or any quick fix, rather the encouragement that one day you too will have mighty fine broccoli!

      • Oh thanks so much for the great reply! That makes sense – as it’s only our garden’s first year and so the soil is still being ‘grown’ with all the goodies that add up over time. I think I’ll invest in some of the Fodda mineral you often mention! Thanks again ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. My biggest issue is green vege bug…i plant catch crops for it…so i can squish them…but there are so many all year…idont want to spray tho…any sugestions?

  18. Hi Kath.
    This is my first year of having a functional green house and already it is totally infested with aphids sucking the life out of my dear plants.
    What would your advice be to manage this?

  19. Hi Kath, received your book last week and immediately devoured it- absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much!! I’ve just prepped a bed for some summer veg and have sown with some flowers as living mulch, but am anxious about the soil being bare in the meantime. All my other lovely mulchy stuff is destined for other beds, but I do have a giant feral fruit salad tree down the back.. do you think that the leaves would be okay as mulch if I chop them with the lawnmower?

    • Fruit salad tree?? Dont know of such a thing! Look beneath the tree for clues – where its leaves fall is there still stuff growing or does it look wiped out? Try it is the very best way. Forage for a bit of extra stuff – a mixture is always the best… add in seaweed or small trimmings or grass clippings. Or sow a greencrop. Enjoy!

  20. Hi Kath,
    I recently received your book and am 3/4 of the way through it. I think itโ€™s great. I am very passionately getting into my veggie gardening. I am new to gardening and have been doing it for 6 months now. I read your blog post on pyralid contamination. I suspect this is the case with my broadbeans. They look just like the pictures. I used certified organic compost, however I also used blood and bone (not certified), could it be from that? If so, how? If it is that, that would be devastating, itโ€™s been spread all over the place (I did this before I got your book). You mentioned cleaning with mustard crop. Do I then need to dispose of the crop into the waste? Thanks

    • Blood and bone is a by product of farming which is lets face it, herbicide and pesticide happy and all those chems carry on over into the b and b. Which is a damn shame because in and of itself, an excellent fertiliser. I no longer use it.
      As for organic compost, I’m careful who I choose.
      No one really knows what to do to rectify pyralids entering your garden via bought compost, but as the world is looking at this now more info will come to light. I’d use mustard greencrops and EM (EMNZ.com) and rest the bed. If successive crops show damage (corn wont because its a grass) go to the soil food web laboratory and see if they can help. Hop online – there will be heaps of folks like you.
      Its shocking aye. I could cry a river, but theres a cool as opportunity here for us to take charge of our fertility with food scraps, greencrops, safe manure, seaweed, leaves etc
      Hope this helps
      Love Kath

  21. Hi Kath, thank you for all your tips & tricks ๐Ÿ™‚ I have grown some zucchini from seed, the plants are looking awesome. I have room for 2 in the glasshouse but now have 3 which are hanging out before they head outside. As I live in Ballance, near Pahiatua, it’s not quite time for that yet. Any suggestions to keep them going well before planting out – seaweed fert & into bigger pots maybe? Appreciate your help.

    • You dont need me – you’re on the right track! Move them into a bigger pot and perhaps find a place outside the greenhouse but not the garden – a porch or sunny sheltered corner to acclimatise them. And yes a light liquid feed will help too. Enjoy! Kath

  22. Sue Patterson says

    Hi Kath, I am growing garlic (early NZ purple) on our covered deck in Christchurch . This is like a greenhouse with bistro blinds. I planted it on 1st April and it has done really well with big tall healthy plants and no sign of rust. As it was starting to look near harvest – lower leafs dying off and upper ones drooping over, I did an experimental ‘pull’ of one head – but it hasn’t formed – just looks like one big bulb. I am wondering was I just premature or is the environment – too hot and/or dry? It doesn’t get above 20-25 degrees during the day at this time of year and generally drops to 10 degrees or lower overnight. I notice you said elsewhere that garlic may not finish in a greenhouse because it would be too hot at that time of year – December? Should I drag my pots out onto the outer desk and risk the rust attacking them? Many thanks for your advice as ever!

    • Good old rust! Its really keeping us creative and experimental isnt it! Yes, I had the exact same result when growing my garlic under cover. Mine was like yours – rust free, beauty tops, no bottoms. It seems that couple of months worth of stratification (cold!) makes all the difference. Great thought to take another tack – I’d leave some inside and take some out so as to see the difference…. you know me Sue – give it a go, and see what happens!

  23. Hi Kath
    My garden is full of rust and Iโ€™m constantly pulling leaves off silverbeet spinach beetroot garlic and whatever else it settles in parsley mint etc. my quest ion is. Do I put these rust infected leaves in the bin. Or can I feed to my cows or compost.? Too scared to even out Normal looking weeds in the compost for fear they may infect it. Ps I do a hot compost. Do I need to disinfect tools and gloves between garden beds? Seems like Iโ€™ll never get rid of it but would I be able to correct my soil with Em milk and seaweed tea? Or other? Are there any crops that rust wonโ€™t touch that I could focus on?thanking you for your time. Youโ€™re a legend!!

    • Ah tricky rust! I hear ya Judy, lets take a deep breath together.
      The great news is that those tiny weeny rust spores are everywhere – which means we are literally soaking in fungal spores ergo we can never get rid of them … I hope this brings you as much relief as it bought me. We need to learn to live alongside, to not be afraid of and try things out and watch. Its an environmental thing – some seasons itll be worse than others.
      Dont bother with disinfecting, and if the cows will eat them – awesome! they wont die or spread it and you can infact compost them, however its important you do the thing that feels right for you.
      Carry on with your strong system building regime – mulch, compost et all. Weekly foliar feed of EM (check out my 2 ingredient biological spray post). Eschew artificial fertilisers – they feed fungi like crazy as does too much manure or indeed any over fertilisation. Plant with the seasons and notice the varieties that succumb and those that dont – stick to the ones that naturally resist. Even if that means doing without a crop for a while – your garden is evolving – try again in a year or so.
      There are so many different rusts/ fungi – makes it tricky for a home gardener wanting to manage pathogenic fungi naturally. We are at the turning point of a mentality of killing and beginning to embrace a new way – biofungicides are the way of the future and super exciting I might say. Trials are really expensive so companies that are doing great work in this field, test where the money is – grapes, kiwis etc (how I wish the govt would get behind them) so though these are working anecdotally you wont find statements on the websites as such. Its up to us Judy – to play with them (zero risk) and then talk them up when they prove a success!
      Here’s some suggestions – Botryzen (botryzen.co.nz) is well worth a shot – a wettable powder bio fungicide thats proving efficacious against many fungal diseases OR go to bio solutions.co.nz and get Contego ST plus Contego BSub and use them together.
      Keep breathing! and congradulations for not reaching for sulphur or some other environmental sledgehammer K x

  24. Paula Woods says

    Hi Kath, I have just discovered my broad bean crop is totally infested with green vegetable bugs. Probably the result of a mild winter in the King country with not enough frosts! I often have a problem with these later when my tomatoes are going full guns so thinking ahead Iโ€™m trying to look at positives. If I sacrifice this crop of beans along with all the eggs theyโ€™ve no doubt laid perhaps Iโ€™ll get less problems later? What are your thoughts & whatโ€™s the best way to do this? Do I need to burn them? Or can I just pull them all out & take them far way? Will there be eggs on the soil under the plant? Sorry for all the questions.
    Thanks Paula

    • Thankyou Paula for your attitude! How fab to get out ahead of them pre tomato. Shield bugs are definately on the rise. As the weather evolves along, so the bug life must also.
      No need to loose the broadbean crop though.
      If the crop isnt too big and you can alot 15 mins or so a day over the next wee while – I’d be combing through and grabbing off the adults (who are most likely in the full mating biz.) They are alot slower in the cool of the morn or evening. If you pick them off rather than squash them they dont send out the warning to all the others. If your shadow falls on them, that will also send them dashing away – so stay relaxed and ninja like – Drop them into a bucket of soapy water as you go.
      Once youve reduced the population, spray Neem. As often as 3 times a week until you notice the population ebbing away. Hop onto my goods and gurus page to find the brand I recommend.
      No need to get them all at once – do a few hits, as you can.
      Dont go at as if you are going to eliminate them or you will give yourself a headache – its an impossible task. However, now you are aware, keep up the little and often management.
      There is a little parasitic wasp that parasitizes the eggs so once you have the levels down, picking them off is the best to support predatory insects. Continue to build your beneficial insect fodder and do your best to continue in your very fine, relaxed attitude.
      Enjoy! K

  25. hi Kath, big thanks for all your tips and advice, only joined last month, so this is my 2nd monthly reminder
    just retired (yay) so have more time to plant……radish seeds going in this week
    we caught the rat that was eating our pukapuka tree, but have kept the trap set
    cheers Eric

  26. Help please!
    I have mushrooms, not of the eating kind, all around my greenhouse and veggie garden.
    They obviously loved the horse manure and mulch I laid in winter.
    What should I do?

    • This is great news Angela! Fungi are our plants friends! and yes they proliferate in horse manure. Gently move the top layer to see if you can see the thin white filaments – fungal threads that are the below communication network for soil life.

  27. Hi Kath. Awesome post, thank you. How much like should I put in a half full 9 litre bucket for slugs? Could you also please tell me how I divide my rhubarb? Thanks again, Katy ๐Ÿ™‚

  28. Tracy Buchanan says

    Hi Kath,
    I was reading one of your earlier posts about Comfrey and was looking at purchasing some from Kahikatea Farm. However, I’m not sure which variety to buy. Your post said to buy symphytum officinalis, because it spreads by clumping roots, not seed. But the Kahikatea Farm website says the following: “Note โ€“ this is a true wild form of comfrey which is NOT sterile and MAY spread by seed.” I’m a bit confused and not sure which variety to buy.
    Thanks
    Tracy

    • Interesting! Thanks for checking Tracy, send Jo a note and whatever she recommends, do that. I’ll check in with her as well and modify my advice if need be.
      I’ve grown comfrey “officinalis” as far as I knew, for 30 years and never a seedling found, but perhaps I got my variety wrong? Watch this space!

    • I have a resolution Tracey – stick to the Russian comfrey – symphytum x uplandicum. It seems highly likely that my original comfrey was this variety, due to leaf shape and growth habit.
      My original root cuttings came from a medical herbalist who told me it was officinale, my bad I never checked it out – I’m grateful you asked the question.
      I’ve change it on my blog post – you’ve eased the way for others. Love K x