Weather chat

Kia Ora whanau,

Its the first day of Autumn! can't believe how much time has flown by this year already. As we get into this new season, its time to start thinking about what vegetables you would like to have for your winter harvest. Do you want to make soups, steams up some veges, or have stuff for a throw together stir fry?? The options are unlimited! So, make sure you have a think about what you want to do and then browse our range of available seedlings. If there is something you really want that we don't currently grow, be sure to drop us an email to ensure we can fill that need for you. 

So in this blog post, we thought it would be good to have a chat about our weather. What a crazy hot summer we have had. Auckland went months without rain (again!) and this heat is still sticking around. Why you may ask?

Some of you may have heard of El Nino and La Nina weather patterns. These are naturally occurring global climate cycles, that occur every four to seven years. These patterns effect rainfall, humidity, temperature in the sea and land. This summer we have been experiencing an La Nina summer. During La Nina, northeasterly winds will hit New Zealand more often. This bring moist and rainy conditions. In the south they are likely to receive less rain. We are also likely to see higher average temperatures for our sea and air. I can confirm I've seen this weather pattern this year. We have been smashed by northeasterly winds, while this humidity in Auckland has been terrible!

During an El Nino we would likely see easterly winds which would cause rain in the West and drought in the East. Then in Winter we would experience Southerly winds brining cool air through the country. 

What causes all of this? In a nut shell, It has to do with trade winds, and ocean temperatures cooling or heating in South America and the Pacific. These naturally occurring changes can play havoc with trying to grow, whether your a casual vege garden grower, or a seasoned horticulturalist. You must be prepared for what the weather throws at you! this summer has been water, water, and more water. If your irrigation system wasn't up to scratch, or was having issues, your plants quickly showed you!

Even now if you are receiving your seedlings, it is still very dry and not much rain showing on the long range forecast. So make sure you get out there and check on your seedlings at least once a day! The more you check and maintain your soil moisture, the better yield you will harvest! 

If you are unsure on soil moisture, or if you think you are over or under watering your plants, be sure to drop us an email, we will be more than happy to help. 

Thanks for reading team, if you would like to learn more about El Nino or La Nine weather events, check out this link from NIWA - https://niwa.co.nz/climate/information-and-resources/elnino

NZ Veggie Plants Team