How does your garden grow?

[Spreckly]

I have several tubs of tulips, planted a few weeks ago, and the one in the greenhouse hass shoots! So looking forward to the flowers.

[manda]

Well Spring is springing here in NZ.

I have 34 30L buckets of new potatoes growing under Mikroclyma and frost cloth (double layer of covering) over hoops. The hoops are on a frame so they can either be put on top of raised bed frames or put directly on the ground depending on what they're needed for. When they're not in use they're put over areas I want to grow in so they warm the soil. They've worked really well so far. They've got a clip system which means you can slide the covers to water etc (or if you just want to start hardening off the plants).
This year I decided to see how early I could plant the new potatoes (and other things actually) using the covers because I really want new potatoes for Christmas Last year I planted them after the end of October (because here supposedly that's the time to start planting). They got frosted 3 times and one occasion I thought I'd lost everything. The frosts here are so unpredictable and last year meant we had 3 months of frost free growing (last frost was December 15th and the first frost March 15th!!)
So I planted the first 16 buckets in the middle of August and the second 18 buckets the end of September. I also did a bit of an experiment and half filled some of the buckets to see if it made a difference to the yield if it wasn't completely full (the Jerseys we grow are determinate so they don't need mounding up).
The first batch are just starting to flower now so all looking good. I've been able to keep them uncovered for the last couple of weeks because the temps have really risen this month but I'm always watching for the frosts just in case... so I'll watch this space.
Soon as they are harvested I'll plant some main crop in the buckets for storage over winter.

I've also got a lot of Zucchini, pumpkins and squash planted which are doing well under the covers. We've got a hugelbed bed started for those so when they are bigger they will get planted in that.

Tomatoes are also under cover and are taking off now so might need to extend the hoops so they have more room .... it's all trial and error (probably more error on my part lol!) but learning so much every year.

[manda]

The weather here in NZ has been absolutely glorious everything is looking so green and the blossoms are in full swing... it's lovely and warm after a few days of heavy rain. If the summer could just keep on like this it would be bliss

[Spreckly]

You have been busy, Manda.

I had my apple trees. pear and magnolia pruned two weeks` since. The bottom half of the garden looks quite bare. My rasp canes have all been dug up. They had not fruited for some time, and I am hoping to buy new ones and grow them in pots.

[manda]

It's been scorching here...temps up in the high 20s although that in itself has slowed things down somewhat ...so different to last year when we had the last frost on the 15th December!
The problem we have here is the winds...they come hurtling down from the mountains and they are ridiculous at times...need to work on setting up a decent wind break to protect things but not too big that it destroys the view of the mountains.
Such is life though isn't it ...it's a constant journey of trying to sus what the weather is going to do and then try and make a plan of how to grow things in it.