The starting gun for the new vege growing season goes off at Labour Weekend.
I love garden centres. 
Despite having all the hook-ups with trade nurseries and specialty plant suppliers that I wouldn’t be without, I can never resist popping into the local garden centre for a spot of retail therapy. There is nothing like having it all laid out before you.
Unlike the fluorescent lights and mobs of people of many retail outlets, at the garden centre you can browse in the fresh air with the scents of the season drifting past. I always end up with more than I intended to buy, as the centres know how to tempt us with plants at the peak of their bloom. They know that at the merest sniff of spring we become suckers for all sorts of promising treats and from the season’s first they start filling the shelves with tomatoes, which any experienced gardener knows shouldn’t be planted until Labour Weekend.
Labour Weekend is the magic date in the gardening calendar. Not only does it provide you with a long weekend in which to knuckle down to some hearty gardening, but it also marks the beginning of the real golden weather.
Around this time of year Maori traditionally planted kumara. One sign that the time for planting had arrived was when kumarahou (Pomaderris kumeraho) or golden tainui came into flower. Others listened for the song of pipiwharauroa, the shining cuckoo, to signal spring. The timing of these events will vary across the country, but generally around the end of October to the start of November was planting time. When your staple diet comes from a particular crop, it is not worth taking the risk of planting before you can be sure the cold snaps have passed.
Why do garden centres tempt us year after year with these early fruits? Of course, if you have a glasshouse you can get started early, not just with your tomatoes, but also with sowing seeds that will sprout in time for Labour Weekend planting.
In the past a greenhouse was a real commitment both in space and materials, but in the modern world for about $40 anyone can be enjoying the benefits of growing under cover in a small area. Although early tomatoes can be one benefit, the real advantage is in sowing your own seeds.
Seeds seem to mystify people, but I remind new gardeners that, without our help, they have been coming up on their own since the first flowering plants evolved millions of years ago. We simply imitate the conditions nature would
otherwise provide to grow crops in a place, time and quantity that suits us. Warmth is essential, as is moisture, and both need to be consistent. This is why when the weather is still a bit up and down, you will get the best results under cover, where new seeds will be protected from cold.
Seed-raising trays are ideal for starting crops such as herbs, lettuce and corn that you grow en masse. Make sure you fill them close to the top as, although the seed may only need a thin layer to get going, seedling roots need the depth of the tray to develop. If seedlings are healthy you can reuse the mix a few times before recycling it into the garden or compost.
As a rule of thumb seedlings can be transplanted once they have developed three sets of true leaves. True leaves follow the cotyledon, which gives rise to the two disk-shaped leaves common to most seeds. These early leaves are like sun sensors and, once established, start the process of photosynthesis that allows the plant to grow to its full potential. Lettuce and herbs can also be sown in polystyrene trays in preparation for a camping holiday. There is nothing like having a tray of fresh greens at the door of your tent to supplement the barbecue.
For plants such as tomatoes, capsicum and pumpkin that will provide you with a good crop on just a few plants, you’ll do just as well to get them started in a small single pot. It is easy to make these out of newspaper by rolling two or three sheets (about 15cm x 30cm) around a jar and folding the base in to cover the bottom of the jar. Then slip the jar out and fold the top of the newspaper pot inwards to secure it. Not only are these handmade pots free, but there is no need to fuss with pricking out young plants from one container to the next. You can plant the matured seedling directly into the ground where the paper will rot away as the plant’s roots make their way through the soil. For these pots I would recommend triple seeding: one for the birds, one for the bees and one for you. Failing that, may the best plant win.
Soil is also very important. A seed-raising mix does not need high nitrogen content as everything the seed requires to get started is packed inside. Once the true leaves form, the plants can be given a hurry along with liquid fertiliser applied when watering. What the soil does need is pumice or sand to keep the moisture level constant and prevent the seeds from rotting.
For watering, nothing beats a plastic spray bottle. Pressure from hoses and watering cans can cause accidental damage; a mist of water is just what a seed likes best.
Many seeds need neither the fuss of feed trays nor the mollycoddling of glass and will do best pushed straight into the ground by a confident gardener’s fingers. Beans and peas should always be sown direct as they prefer not to be wiggled around after planting. Root vegetables, too, are often best direct-sown, though care should be taken to ensure the soil is well prepared when your crop of choice is growing straight down. The fewer obstructions along the way the better the results will be.
After Labour Day, which is not far off, it’s game on. Whatever your skill level, whether you have a greenhouse or a flat patch dug straight in the ground, you can go wild at the garden centre knowing whatever you plant will be up in time for Christmas.