Spring is well underway and there’s plenty to do in the garden. Labour Weekend is the turning point for summer crops and when Aucklanders traditionally spend the whole weekend in the garden, so you’ve got all month to plan a ceremonial planting!
Veggies
The soil is getting warmer and now is time to feed any empty garden beds with compost and organic fertiliser in preparation for spring planting. Your favourite summer veggie seedlings will be available this month, so make sure you grab your tomatoes, chillies, basil, beans, and eggplants!
Flowers
Add a splash of colour to your garden by planting petunias, lobelia, and alyssum in tall pots and hanging baskets! Plant now and you’ll be rewarded with cascades of brightly coloured flowers through late spring and summer. Fill gaps in the garden with taller annual colour, including snapdragons, marigolds, and gazanias. Feed flowers with liquid fertiliser to encourage stronger plants and blooms.
Fruit
Get your berries in now for a tasty summer harvest! Both strawberries and blueberries grow well in rich soil mixed with organic compost – if you’re planting blueberries make sure to plant different varieties in the same garden for cross-pollination. Feed established fruit trees with a fruit tree fertiliser to enjoy bountiful harvests.
General Tasks
There are plenty of general gardening tasks to get up to through October. Add companion plants around your veggies and shrubs to naturally ward off pests. Keep an eye on laterals from your tomatoes and stake them with sturdy bamboo stakes. And don’t forget to weed those veggie beds!
