The cold weather has settled in, the deciduous trees have shed their leaves, and winter is officially upon us. Despite the chill, there’s still plenty to do to keep your garden healthy and thriving.
Veggies
Continue planting out seedlings, including lettuce, broad beans, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, silverbeet, and leek. Depending on how cold your garden gets, protect tender plants and seedlings by covering them with frost cloth. Protect your veggies from those pesky slugs and snails with Tui Quash. Plant garlic and shallots now.
Flowers
Keep your garden looking tidy by deadheading hydrangeas and cutting back any other shrubs, perennials, or annuals that are past their best. Add a pop of winter colour with hellebores and winter annuals like cineraria, pansies, viola, polyanthus, primula, asters, and hardy mini cyclamen. Wait until July to start pruning roses.
Fruit
Strawberries are back in stock at Kings stores! Plant them now so they can get settled and produce a good crop come spring. Cover the soil with strawberry straw to protect the fruit from fungal diseases. Prune back new growth on established fruit trees on a dry, sunny day and apply pruning paste to all cuts.
Indoor Plants
Start watering less, keeping an eye on moisture levels by testing the soil with your finger or a moisture meter. Keep plants away from heaters and draughts. Wipe dust off leaves and wash windows for better light levels.
General Tasks
Sow green crop seeds (mustard, lupin and oats) to bare areas in the veggie patch, which will rejuvenate the soil ready for spring. Layer up compost with leaves, grass clippings, small branches, and any other organic matter to build a rich compost for the spring. Add gypsum to the soil to help with the breakdown of clay.
For more gardening tips, pop into your local Kings, or visit kings.co.nz.
