Winter in Auckland can be chilly and overcast, with lots of rain. But don’t let the gloomy weather get you down, this is the best time to finish your winter clean-up and start planning for spring.
Veggies
Continue protecting your veggies from frost with frost cloth, and make sure your seedlings aren’t getting too wet or they may die from damping off. Mulch your garden beds with pea straw to help suppress weeds, and keep slugs and snails at bay with Quash.
Fruit
Prune back branches to help shape your fruit trees for the coming growing season. Do it on a fine day and use pruning paste afterwards for best results. Spray your deciduous fruit trees with Yates Liquid Copper and EnSpray 99 to kill off overwintering insects and diseases. This will ensure they’re healthy and ready to produce fruit come harvest time.
Flowers
Brighten up your outdoor space by planting winter annuals in the garden, pots or hanging baskets. Deadhead any spent winter annuals, perennials and shrubs to encourage new growth.
Trees and Shrubs
Prune your roses in the first couple of weeks of July, choosing a dry, sunny day for best results. Use pruning paste to seal any cuts. Spray Yates Lime Sulfur to defoliate roses that are still in leaf to kill off any fungal spores.
Indoor Plants
Cut back any dead, browning leaves. Yellow and curling leaves at this time of year can indicate cold damage, so increase the room temperature or move plants closer to an indirect light source.
General Tasks
Remember to turn over your compost, and add leaf matter, cardboard and newspaper for layering. Chop up and dig in any green crops before they flower and start preparing your beds for spring.
For more gardening tips, pop into your local Kings, or visit kings.co.nz.
