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Weeds... defined as simply a plant growing in the wrong place! Unfortunately these plants are usually vigorous competitors, growing faster than the desirable plants and competing for light, moisture and nutrients. And they often give our homes an untidy, uncared for appearance. There are two broad categories of weeds: Annual weeds (short life cycle), which are mainly a problem in cultivated garden beds, and perennial weeds (long lived or hard to kill) which tend to compete strongly everywhere. When you move into a house or rental, have a look in the garden or even over the neighbors' fences to see what’s lurking. If there aren’t any aggressive weeds present – do whatever you can to make sure it stays that way. Vigilance is the key and regular inspection. Most of them grow lightning fast. They are not something that you wait ‘to get around to’ - deal with them hard and fast! If they are present… find another house (only half joking!). Make a plan to get rid of them as soon as possible and carry it out. Physical extraction is sometimes possible but usually a strong pesticide is required. With any weeds, the golden rule is don’t let them go to seed! Remember ‘One year seeds equals 7 years weeds’. Simply removing the seed heads and putting them in the bin is always a win as you have prevented many more seeds being spread to take the existing weeds place when they are removed. The second golden rule is ‘little and often’ - small weeds are much easier to kill and can usually be knocked out with cultivation or organic pesticides. Once they get established, they are harder to kill. Keep on top of your weed control regularly and stop a small problem turning into a big problem. To keep vege and flower gardens controlled, regular cultivation or hand weeding is very effective but time consuming. Utilising mulch is a very effective way to suppress weeds so use a combo of the two methods that is most effective for you. In the shrub bed, plant densely and mulch each year to keep weeding to a minimum. Weed mat can be used which does allow water to pass through but it does make fertilising more difficult and it doesn’t help to improve the soil. If you are using stones as a mulch please use weed mat. Future you, who has to remove the stone for some reason in the future will thank you for it! Images: Oxalis in flower and about to set seed; Convolvulus; Dandelion in flower before setting seed. Mulch is an excellent option - check out our other blog ‘What's so great about mulch’ to find out why. In lawns, if you keep it thick and don’t mow it too low, the weeds will usually be suppressed. Feed it three times a year to maintain it. There are a few weeds that tolerate regular mowing so they will need a broadleaf lawn spray that will kill the weed but not the grass. A word of caution - ‘broadleaf’ basically includes any plant that isn’t a blade of grass so be very careful where you spray and how you spray. Avoid spray drift and spraying under large trees and bushes whose roots can be affected by the spray. Unfortunately, there are no selective sprays available to the home gardener for grass weeds such as paspalum and kikuyu. Any herbicide that kills them will kill grass. Professional lawn care companies do have sprays available to them so if it is widespread and you don’t like the idea of spraying off your entire lawn and starting from scratch, it may be worth your while contacting them for information and a quote. Hard to kill weeds These are the cockroaches of the plant world. Hard to get rid of and stay rid of. Weeds like Convolvulus, Wild onion, Bamboo, Oxalis, Arum lily, Blackberry and moth vine. These need specific powerful herbicides to knock them out or even to just keep them under control so please get some expert advice from your local garden centre and pay attention to the dilution rates. These powerful herbicides will often have a residual action – where it prevents seeds from germination and stops any plants from growing there for a certain period of time. This is obviously a problem when the weeds are growing amongst desirable plants. Think carefully about how you will apply it carefully and effectively. Mixing up the herbicide as per instructions and then painting it carefully but directly on to difficult weeds is one way to do it. Dipping the growing tip of a weed (especially good for weeds like convolvulus or moth vine with long tendrils) into diluted weedkiller is another option- this carries the herbicide back through to the roots which is especially helpful in gaining control. Whatever you do, keep at it. Or they will return. Organic vs Chemical options For young weeds, organic options that use dilute vinegar or a fatty acid will burn the top off the weeds and kill them. For any established perennial weeds with developed root systems, the top will simply grow back so this is where a glyphosate based option is a more effective and affordable option which will kill the roots but won’t reside in the soil. For harder to kill weeds, glyphosate is less useful unless it has a penetrant such as Grosafe Ecospread added which will greatly improve its effectiveness. Nature doesn’t like to leave soil bare so it sends plants to cover the soil. Plant your own choice of plants densely, utilise plants with a ground cover habit or cover the ground with a mulch to help prevent weeds growing. Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

If you want to lift your meals to the next level, start growing your own herbs. Dried herbs may be convenient but they simply don’t compare to being able to use fresh herbs in your food for both flavour and texture. How to start your own herb garden? Choose some reasonable sized pots, around the size of a bucket is a good size to aim for. I know that social media pictures have them thriving in adorable little terracotta pots on your windowsill but reality will have them struggling in too small pots, in too much heat and probably not enough light! The other option is to choose a small area of garden that is convenient to your kitchen. But before you start planting, there are some things to consider. What do you and your family enjoy eating? That’s a good place to start! You can just plant a whole lot of herbs but it’s better to start with what you will definitely use. After you have a list of favourites, you need to look at the eventual size, growth habit and the conditions it prefers. Let's look at the main contenders... Starting with the ‘soft herbs’ that you generally eat fresh, added at the end of cooking: Parsley – flat leaf (or Italian) or curly. Technically a biennial –meaning it lasts about 2 years before setting seed and dying. Good in the sun but it does take up quite a bit of room so give it space to grow. Will grow in part or full sun. Coriander – people love it or hate it but it is an essential in many Asian style recipes. Coriander grows best in a spot protected from the hot midday summer sun. If left to bake in the sun and dry out it will run straight to seed. It grows really well in the mild temps of spring and autumn. It’s an annual so it’s here for a good time, not a long time! Basil – the herb that tastes like summer. It needs to be planted after the frosts and will grow happily in the sun as long as it is watered regularly. It needs to be replanted every year. Mint – essential for drinks and new potatoes! Let’s not tiptoe around this one. Mint is a thug. It spreads like wildfire underground and it doesn’t play well with others in a pot. Don’t plant it in the garden unless you want mint everywhere or you have a way of successfully containing it. Ideally give it a big pot with a saucer that keeps the roots from spreading out the bottom and that you can keep filled with water as it loves damp soil and put it in a shady spot. There are also a multitude of mint varieties and flavours but they all behave the same! Chives (or garlic chives) – one tastes of onion, the other of garlic. These guys are perennials, so in colder areas they will die back in winter and resprout in spring. You can divide the clump up eventually. Pretty purple flowers that are edible. Loves sun. Then we have the ‘woody herbs’ that you need to cook. Rosemary – the classic herb for roast veges and meat. This is a shrub so it needs a spot in the garden or its own big pot. There are some different varieties, some are ground covers, some are tall upright shrubs, and some are in between. If you use it a lot, the best one is an upright variety like Tuscan blue. Think Mediterranean conditions, such a very sunny spot and free draining soil. Thyme – many different varieties all tasting slightly different. Some are ground covers and some are upright. Excellent border plant as long as it gets plenty of sun and has good drainage. Origanum / Marjoram – I view these as interchangeable so in my opinion only one is needed. Marjoram grows as a tight ground cover, Origanum grows as a loose sprawling plant. They both love full sun and good drainage. Sage - an attractive plant with 3 main varieties with different leaf colours. It can grow quite large, but don’t get too attached, it can die without warning! Again, full sun and good drainage. I know there are many more options but start with these basics and collect others as you need or want to. The best thing you can do to keep herbs bushy, compact and healthy is to use them! Picking them is the same as trimming them so it encourages lots of bushy growth which gives you plenty of herbs to use! In the beginning when plants are small, you can get away with mixing the herbs together in pots (as long as they like the same conditions! ) But over time stronger plants will dominate others and you’ll lose some so if they are herbs that you use regularly, it’s worth putting them in their own pot and giving them room to thrive. If they are short lived such as basil, plant a few plants in one pot to ensure you have plenty to use. Planting in pots, use a good quality potting mix and don’t forget to add some slow release fertiliser every few months once the initial fertiliser runs out in the potting mix. Applying liquid fertiliser is a good option but remember to wash the herbs well before using! Many of the soft herbs freely self seed so you can leave them to spread around the garden by leaving the seed head on to complete its life cycle or remove the seeds to prevent that (as a bonus you can then dry the seeds for use in cooking!) Herbs are a great investment for your garden and your future meals! Stop buying those lanky supermarket ones that you use once and then they wither on the kitchen bench. Plant your own and have them available whenever you need that flavour hit in your food! Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)Shop the collectionGardening Foodies

Everything. Actually. But I will make a disclaimer – that does depend on the type of mulch you use! They are not all created equal! We’ll get to that later in the blog though. Good mulch improves the quality of the soil, maintains soil moisture levels and helps to suppress weeds. It does take work as it needs to be renewed at least annually but the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives! With a hot dry summer forecast, in my view the best thing we can do for our garden is to ensure it has a thick layer of mulch spread all over it to help maintain that precious soil moisture and keep the plant roots cool which helps to make our plants more resilient to the stresses of drought. Applying mulch essentially mimics what happens in nature. Leaves and other plant material fall on the soil, creating a protective layer which breaks down over time and improves the soil. Soil that is left exposed to the elements is vulnerable to erosion from both wind and rainfall, soil moisture evaporates easily and plant roots are exposed to fluctuations in temperature. Weeds are also more likely to spring up and compete. None of these are helpful things. The usual mulch options have their pros and cons. Choose wisely! Bark - a favourite due to its natural look and the different grades and colours. It also has the benefit of eventually breaking down and improving the soil. Beware of using freshly chipped bark, the initial breaking down process actually draws nitrogen out of the soil, affecting your plants. Choose carefully and look for an already aged bark supply. If there are already perennial weeds in the garden before you lay the mulch, it is helpful to lay a layer of cardboard which will help to suppress the weeds from coming up and through the mulch. Bark is a convenient and economical option with bagged or bulk options freely available. Compost - You might think, isn’t that just soil? But no. Compost is green matter in its final stages of breaking down into Humus which is a super helpful type of organic matter to have in your soil. If you make your own compost, you have the benefit of controlling what goes into it. Ensure if you are buying it that you get it from a reputable source. Be wary of council collected green waste compost that can have noxious weeds or weed killer residues in it. Your soil will love you if you spread this around on a regular basis – even better if you make your own to use! Pea straw - Not always easy to get hold of in urban areas and not ideal for windy areas but if you have access and your spot is sheltered, it is an effective choice. Ensure that it is laid in a thick layer. Be aware that you may get pea seedlings popping up but these are easily removed. Pea straw absorbs water and holds it. Weed mat - it hit peak popularity when the stones and native grass ‘low maintenance’ gardens were popular in the late 90’s. Unfortunately, many people thought using black polythene was a cheaper and suitable substitute. Please don’t do this!!! Soil is a living organism so it needs to breathe and get food and water. Woven, permeable weed mat has its place in steep areas where mulch will just slide off or under stones for both weed suppression and water retention. But even if the soil can breathe and get rain water, it doesn’t get any organic matter to rebuild and refresh. This doesn’t leave the soil in the best condition over time. There are now more natural options available such as coir fibre (the fibre off the outside of a coconut) which holds soil moisture but will break down over time. This is a great option where new plants will eventually grow and cover the soil up but it just needs some cover in the short term. Stones - this is a decorative mulch rather than one that improves the soil. Ensure that you use a layer of permeable weed mat so the stones don’t work into the soil. Weeds will still drop into the stones but will pull out easily. The issue with stones is that they will absorb heat during the day and release it during the night. This can be a helpful thing for creating a microclimate for tender plants but it does also make a hot and dry spot, hotter and drier. Rainfall is more likely to evaporate off the rocks before it gets down to the soil. Choose its position carefully. Larger leaves are much easier to remove when they fall on the stones, rather than many small leaves that settle in amongst the stones. Commercial mulch products - These are the best of both worlds, combining food and protection for the soil. Expensive for large areas as you can usually only buy it as a bagged product. Convenient for getting home and moving around the garden because it is a bagged product. Can be used in large pots as well. Improves the soil as well as provides protection and retains moisture. A highly recommended option if the expense isn’t a barrier. Mulch, like the natural process it mimics, is best applied in several applications throughout the year, this gives the mulch a chance to breakdown before the next layer is laid. It is also vital that the soil is damp before the mulch is laid. As a general rule, the soil moisture level will stay the same after the mulch is laid, so thoroughly dampen or lay it after a decent rain. Apply it in spring or autumn when there is plenty of soil moisture and it will retain it throughout the drier months. In order for it to be truly effective, a thick layer of at least 5 cm is needed but ensure that you don’t bury the trunk or stem of the plants / trees. Keep the mulch back from touching it where possible. This helps avoid collar rot setting in and other issues that can keep a plant /tree from thriving. Help your plants stay happy and healthy and thrive through summer and save yourself time and money on watering! Mulch is a win-win situation. Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)Shop the collectionPlant & Soil Care

Summer can be a glorious time of year when flowers bloom prolifically in the garden. But how do we ensure that our plants keep flowering over the months of summer and into autumn? Watering and feeding your plants are both important to ensure the plant is as happy and healthy as it can be and we’ll talk a little more about feeding later in the blog. The best thing you can do to ensure lots of flowers is to deadhead your plants. When we go back to the basics of what a plant's purpose in life is – it is essentially to reproduce. The main way plants reproduce is by creating seeds. These seeds develop after a flower is pollinated. Once the seeds have matured, the plant will have a unique method that disperses the seeds so they can go on to grow into the next generation of that plant. Once seed has been set and dispersed the plant's life cycle has been fulfilled. In the case of what we call ‘annuals’ - colour plants like pansies or petunias we buy in punnets or as ‘potted colour’ that typically only last a season or two - they will then start to die to create room for the next generation to grow up. This is where deadheading comes in. If you remove the flower as soon as it dies or wilts, you have stopped seeds being created and the plant’s life cycle hasn’t been completed. The plant then produces another flower to produce seed and complete its life cycle. This is how you get a flowering plant to keep on flowering throughout the summer and into autumn and avoid having to plant another round of plants. Keep dead heading right through summer and into autumn. Now plants that we call shrubs, perennials and biennials – essentially anything that lives longer than a year- don't die after setting seed but the principle generally remains the same. Remove the flower before it sets seed and the plant produces another flower to try again. There are a few exceptions, some roses only have one intense flush of blooms and once they finish, that is it for the year. Dead heading won’t extend their flowering season. Rambling roses for example, only have a single flush. Most modern roses are bred to be ‘repeat flowering’ which means they will produce new flowers about every 5-6 weeks if you deadhead them. So if you are choosing a new rose to plant, keep an eye out for ‘repeat flowering’ on the label, this will help lengthen the summer flower show in your garden. Top tip! If you want roses to be flowering in your summer garden for a wedding or event – deadhead and feed them six weeks out from the date. Another top tip! When you dead head, don’t just pull off the petals, you need to cut it off further down the stem. The rule of thumb for roses is to cut just above the first set of 5 leaves. A further benefit of dead heading is that you are essentially giving your plant a light prune as you do it. This encourages the plant to ‘bush out’ or form more side branches which give you more stems for flowers to form on. It is usually worth sacrificing the first flowers on the plant when you plant it, pinching the main growth tip out. This causes it to be a shorter, bushier plant with lots of branches and flowers, rather than a taller plant with fewer side stems and fewer flowers. If your plant has gotten quite ‘leggy’ or straggly during the growing season, a hard cut back will sacrifice the current flowers but you’ll end up with a bushier plant with many new blooms on it. A little bit of planning goes a long way with colour, so consider what colour you already have in your garden and see where and when the gaps are. One of the easiest ways to ensure you have some colour in the garden all year round, is to visit a public park or garden at least once a month and see what is flowering at that time and then pop into a garden centre and see if it is available in store. (Take a photo of the plant with you!) Whenever possible choose long flowering plants to include in your garden. Options like salvias, perennial petunias, federation daisies and gaura are all fabulous options that flower right through to the first frosts- and they will generally last a few years, making them good value for money. Flowering takes a lot of energy for the plant to produce, energy that is diverted from plant growth and root growth. Ensure that you feed your plant regularly so it has all the resources it needs to grow and thrive – as well as flower beautifully and repeatedly. Be strategic in what you feed with. If you are encouraging flowers, a food that has a higher K (Potassium) rating in its NPK rating than Nitrogen is a good place to start. A rose fertiliser is always a safe option for flowering plants as it is going to be formulated to encourage lots of blooms. A fertiliser that is high in Nitrogen (N) is going to encourage green leafy growth but not flowers. This is ok to feed with after it’s finished flowering but not if you want it to perform in summer! Liquid fertiliser is a great option for a quick boost, but use it in conjunction with a granular or slow release fertiliser - it’s a bit like an energy drink for plants - utilised immediately but used up really quickly so they have to be reapplied about every two weeks if they are your main form of fertiliser. Again, check the NPK rating so you are using something appropriate for your expected results. If your plants are in pots, they will need slow release fertiliser applied approximately once a season. Slow release fertiliser is safe for plants in pots as it won’t burn roots. Always check the fertiliser packet as it will state if it is not recommended for use in pots. Remember that potting mix is a case of you get what you pay for and the more expensive mixes will have longer lasting fertiliser in it. Make sure you read the packet (it will state anywhere from 3 to 12 months), as you are the main source of food for the plant after the fertiliser in the mix runs out. Water plays an important role too. If a plant is allowed to dry out to the point of stress or wilting regularly, the plant will think it is going to die and it will ‘bolt to seed’. Essentially it rushes to flower so it can set seed before it dies, to go on and create another generation. Avoid this situation as even if you deadhead the flower, the plant is already at death's door. When you water, avoid getting the moisture on the leaves to help prevent issues with fungal diseases which will affect the plant health and therefore the number of flowers. You can have a wonderful display of colour right throughout summer and into autumn, by getting the basics of feeding and water right and utilising dead heading to use the plants natural processes to your advantage. A little bit of regular effort will reap an ongoing reward of colour! Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

There are many ways to feed your plants; the main thing to get right is to use the appropriate fertiliser for the results you want to achieve. In general, fertilisers are split into three categories: Organic based (animal manure, composted green waste, seaweed etc.), granular or compound (man made), and liquid fertiliser. Each has it's own pros and cons, so it's important to pick the right food for the right situation. Organic Based Improving your physical soil is always going to be a good thing - healthy soil = healthy plants. Organic based materials play a crucial role here. You're mimicking natures own process of improving the soil with plant debris, dead animals etc. breaking down into the soil. Organic matter breaks down to humus over time and humus improves soil fertility, holds on to nutrients, increases water holding capacity, improves soil structure and feeds soil organisms. Organic matter is better applied regularly in smaller amounts as it can be high in nitrogen - particularly animal manure. One thing to be aware of is organic matter generally needs to be aged. For example, fresh manure is very strong and can burn, and fresh bark chips actually take nitrogen from the soil to break down. Granular or compound Granular or compound fertilisers are a helpful tool to help meet specific food requirements for growing plants. They have been formulated into tomato fertiliser or bulb fertiliser for example. They will have different NPK ratings stated on the packet which can direct your choice - we’ll talk more about these later in the blog. Within this category, granular fertiliser will release as soon as it comes into contact with water. Therefore it's important to follow guidelines for application as too much can burn delicate plant roots and get washed away. This is called leaching - where the fertiliser is washed away before the plant can use it, ending up in streams and rivers, contributing to pollution and wasting your money. Granular fertiliser is too strong to use in containers and will usually state it is not recommended on the packet. Compound or slow release fertiliser is a safer option in that it is formulated to release gradually over a stated time period, say 3 months, providing food ‘little and often’ so the plant can use it up and avoid leaching. It is also safe for use in pots. These man made fertilisers will feed the plant but will not improve your soil. Liquid fertiliser Liquid fertiliser are a great tool to get nutrients into a plant quickly. Whether applied to the soil or directly over the leaves, plants will take it up as an instant boost. The downside is that while it is taken up quickly it is also used up quickly so you have to apply regularly, about every 2 weeks if that is the only way you are feeding. Also a safe option for plants in pots. If you are regularly adding organic materials to your garden, feeding with some man made fertiliser specific to what you are growing and supplementing with a liquid feed, you will have happy, healthy plants that produce well and flower well. What is NPK on my fertiliser bag and why is it important? NPK represent the 3 main micronutrients that plants require - Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) The numbers represent the percentages of these nutrients within the fertiliser. There will often be macronutrients and trace elements also added, depending on the plants requirements. Macro nutrients (sulphur, calcium, magnesium etc.) are crucial but generally in tiny amounts compared to the NPK. What do they do? Nitrogen The building block for growing new stems and leaves It helps to make leaves green and helps them photosynthesize Phosphate Root development It helps a plant convert nutrients into growth Aids in fruit and flower development Potash Helps fruit and flower development Helps plants resist drought and tolerate stress Encourages strong stems and well developed flowers Regulates plant growth so harvested fruit is fully formed, high quality and lasts longer It hardens up cell walls of soft, young growth It accelerates ripening, increasing flavour and sweetness It is vital to remember that plants need a combination of all of these nutrients, don’t just look at one as ‘most important’. You can have too much of a good thing so while you can apply nutrients separately, it is safest to apply a balanced fertiliser that has been formulated to tick all the boxes. What to choose? Look at what you are growing, what you want to achieve, and whether it's growing in a container or pot. If you’re growing in the garden, you can use any options. If you are in a pot, you need to look at a slow release or a liquid option. If you want lots of flowers, rose fertiliser is a good option. If you are growing fruit, there are specific citrus and berry fruit formulations and if you are growing a lot of each, it’s worthwhile having them but you can get by using a general fruit fertiliser. With vegetables, it depends on what you’re growing - green leafy veges need mainly nitrogen but veges like cauliflower and broccoli are actually a flower head and need some potassium in the soil. Using a crop rotation system is a helpful way to manage the nutrient use by the plants, see last months blog for more info. Feeding is incredibly important for growing a strong healthy garden. Be strategic and work at improving your soil over time with organic matter, using man made options to target nutrients when needed. Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

The physical prep work is done! Hopefully, if you've read our blogs on crop rotation and successional planting, you'll be inspired to do some planning before you start planting. Plan out the plants you want to grow, where you will plant them in your garden, when to plant them so they will be ready when you want them, if there is preserving you want to do, and how many plants you need to get your necessary harvest. Before you set foot in a garden centre, I highly recommend that you have the list of plant varieties and numbers you need in your hand and stick to it! I say this because when you are surrounded by all sorts of different seedlings and varieties, it's very easy to get carried away and over enthusiastic and end up with a trolley of plants you do not have space for or were not planning to grow. The same has to be said for scrolling through seed catalogues. The gardeners equivalent of a candy store! It’s a really good idea to check out the maturity times for the vegetables that you want to plant. Particularly if you are planting from seed or if you want a specific crop ready at a specific time. New potatoes ready for Christmas dinner is a good example. The fastest waxy potatoes take approx. 70 days, the slower growers 90-100 days. Check the variety you want to grow and plan backwards from your date. Allow a few extra weeks to allow for unforeseen circumstances. Waiting for Labour weekend to plant spuds for Christmas dinner leaves no margin for error! If you are planting from seed you need to allow for a few more weeks before you can plant out. You have more flexibility in how many you sow at a time (which is great for successional planting) but you need to allow for losses. You can start earlier if you are starting your seeds inside or in a glasshouse which is a bonus. The main cause of drama when planting your summer garden, is the timing of when you can start to get your plants in the ground. At the first sign of sunshine in August some people are in to buy their tomatoes and other tender veges to get them planted. In warmer, temperate areas that is a safe option but in most areas of NZ, the soil is still too cold and there is too much of a risk of frost and cold, windy weather. Planting outside too early generally means being very careful and intentional about covering plants up at any sign of bad weather or more commonly, a repeat trip to the garden centre for replacement seedlings. Labour weekend has for a long time been the time to get your vege garden planted. The risk of frost is then minimal, soil and overnight temperatures are much warmer and there are longer daylight hours to get out in the garden to plant and tend to it. On the topic of successional planting again, it’s a good plan to avoid planting everything at Labour weekend. Plant some seedlings and then wait 2 or 3 weeks and plant some more so you can have a consistent supply of vegetables coming ready throughout summer. You can keep planting every few weeks up until the start of Autumn with some of the faster growing plant varieties. A few tips when planting out your garden... When buying seedlings or sowing seeds, it's always a good idea to ‘harden off’ your seedlings. If seedlings have been inside or in a warm, sheltered spot, they can be very soft and not able to withstand wind and colder temperatures. Put them outside in a semi sheltered spot during the day for a few days for their outer layer to harden up before planting them out. Stake tall growing plants such as tomatoes and support climbers such as peas and beans so you avoid plants snapping or plants sprawling over other plants. You can also make the most of vertical spaces and climb cucumbers, pumpkins and melons vertically over archways or up support panels. When planting seeds, the general rule is to sow them at double the diameter of the seed, deep. It also pays to cover with netting as birds love to pull out young seedlings. Thinning your plants is well worth the effort to get good results for your harvest. Root crops are always best to sow directly into the ground where you will grow them. They tend to grow wonky if they are transplanted. It can be very tempting to try different and unusual varieties, and it is great to try new things, but for the majority of your plants, stick to your tried and true varieties and just introduce a few new ones to test out each year before you commit to a large harvest that you might not like the flavour or texture of. If you are impatient or kids are helping with the gardening, the smaller varieties will be ready to harvest much sooner. Cherry tomatoes and lunchbox or bullhorn peppers instead of regular tomatoes and capsicums are good examples of these. They are also good to snack on when out in the garden! Be prepared to protect your plants in the event of unseasonal cold, windy or very wet weather. It doesn’t have to be pretty - just protective! Don’t forget to follow a crop rotation - read this blog for more details. Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

Essentially different vegetables are grouped into families and each growing season you plant each 'family' of vegetables in a different position in the garden. So you split your garden up into zones and you plant a family of vegetables in a new zone each year, with a minimum of 4 years before you plant the same crop back in that zone. We do this for a number of reasons. Different 'families' have different nutritional needs and different pests / diseases that affect them. Plants using the same nutrients each year can lead to deficiencies in the soil. Planting the same plants in the same spot year after year increases the chance of disease and pest building up in that spot. Planting in different spots each year limits the spread of disease in particular. The legume (peas and beans) family actually draws nitrogen from the air and stores it in nodules on their roots, replenishing the soil. If you leave the roots in the soil to rot down after harvest, the nitrogen is released for the next crop to use. If you remove the roots with the plant, the nitrogen will be lost. What are the families? Root crops: carrots, beetroot, parsnip, onions, garlic, leeks etc. Brassicas and greens: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage salad greens, lettuce, spinach, silver beet etc. Fruiting vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, pumpkin, courgette, corn etc. Legumes: peas & beans How do I carry out crop rotation? We recommend that you keep a record of what you plant each year so you can keep track of your rotation. Keep the zones well separated if possible. You will need the same number of zones or beds as the years in your rotation. If space is an issue in your garden, you can always incorporate container growing into your plan so you can have more zones that you can rotate plants through. Container growing also has the benefit of starting with fresh potting mix if you have had a particularly bad year with pests or diseases. Zone 1 - Legumes Zone 2 - Brassicas/Greens Zone 3 - Fruiting veges Zone 4 - Root veges The following year, Legumes are planted in Zone 4 and the other 3 families move up into the zone before them. The families move through each of the zones over the 4 years and in the 5th year, the legumes are back to zone 1. Why are they rotated this way? Year one/ Zone one - Legumes. They fix nitrogen into the soil and help improve the soil structure. Year two/ Zone one - Brassicas/Greens. They need plenty of nitrogen and use up most of what the legumes leave behind. Year three/ Zone one - Fruiting Veges. They need some nitrogen along with phosphate and potassium. Year four/ Zone one - Root veges. They need more phosphate and potassium than nitrogen. Year five/ Zone one - back to legumes to replenish the soil with nitrogen. Crop rotation does take a little planning. It’s also working smarter not harder. Vegetables will grow more successfully if they are in soil that has the best nutrient levels for what they need. And the saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is very true. If we can avoid pests and diseases building up in the soil, we lessen the need for pest and disease control and the risk of failed crops. Sounds like a win-win! Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland of Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

Successional planting is the secret to avoiding drowning in cabbages one week and then none for months on end. Here are some easy ways to help spread your harvest… Don't plant everything at once: Instead of planting all your veggies at the same time, start small. Begin with a couple of plants – say, a few cabbages. Then, two weeks later, plant a few more. Repeat and keep on repeating during the growing season. This way, you'll always have some veggies at different stages of growth. Ready-made mixed seedlings: If you're short on time, you can grab mixed punnets of seedlings. They're a variety pack of veggies where you get two or three types of plant. Buy one every few weeks and plant them. If you can’t get a mixed punnet in the variety you want, you can always split the punnet amongst some gardening friends! Take advantage of different growth rates: Not all veggies grow at the same rate. Some are quite slow to mature. Use this to your advantage. For example, different types of potatoes have different harvest times. Plant some early cropping (70-90 days) and some main cropping (90-120 days), and you'll have a longer potato harvest. Grafted plants and different varieties: Grafted plants, like tomatoes, will grow bigger and faster. They've got a faster growing root system. They will give you a head start on your regular veggie harvest. Smaller growing varieties such as cherry tomatoes or bullhorn peppers will always grow and ripen faster than a standard or beefsteak tomato or regular sweet pepper, so plant a selection of varieties for a longer harvest. Plan your preserving: If you're into bottling or pickling, think about how much you need to process at once. Some things, like berries and tomatoes, can be frozen until you've got enough. But gherkins? They need to be ready to go in a short space of time so make sure you plant enough plants at the same time to ensure you get the amounts that you need. Works for fruit too: Different fruit varieties will have different maturity times, choose carefully and you can have a consistent supply of fruit through the summer. It works for some berries too. Different varieties of strawberries are affected by daylight length. Some fruit around Christmas time when the days are longest and some are ‘day neutral’ where they will fruit as long as temperatures are warm enough. Successional planting takes a bit of thought, but it's so worth it. You'll be eating fresh fruit and veggies consistently through the season without the hassle of a feast followed by a famine. Happy planning! By Kelly Jean Reyland of Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

Choosing from the seed stands or a seed catalogue at a garden centre is a bit like a kid in the candy store. So many colours! So many choices! What to choose?! Not only do you have far more choice in varieties but sowing from seed is the best value for money by a landslide. You can get anywhere from 4 seeds to 200 seeds in a packet for $4-5. Seed sowing takes more time and more effort but the results are worth it! If you are keen to try successional planting, seed sowing can easily help you plan out your harvest. After you have made the decision on what varieties to plant, here at the key points you need to know about growing from seed. Sowing in Soil: Some plants like carrots, parsnips, turnips, peas, and beans are best sown directly in the soil because they are root crops or don't like being disturbed. Ensure the soil is well-prepared, free-draining, and rich in compost for good seed germination. Create shallow channels for the seeds and fill them with seed raising mix to provide an ideal environment for germination. A rule of thumb is to plant the seeds at a depth of 2-3 times their thickness in the mix. Sow the seeds at the recommended spacing mentioned on the seed packet, cover them with soil, and gently firm the surface to ensure seed-to-soil contact. In colder regions or early in the season, you can use cloches to protect the seeds from bad weather conditions and cooler temperatures. Always label what you sowed and the date! Sowing in Containers (trays, punnets, or pots): Use a high-quality seed raising mix, which provides good drainage while holding enough moisture for seed germination. If reusing containers, make sure they are thoroughly cleaned to prevent the spread of soil fungal diseases. You can either sow multiple seeds in each cell and thin them later or sow several seeds in a larger container and transplant them once they have 2 true leaves. (True leaves are the second set of leaves that appear) Plant the seeds at a depth of 2-3 times their thickness. Label what they are and when they were sowed Keep the mix consistently damp but not overly wet until germination is complete, which typically takes 1-3 weeks for most species. Covering with some glass, a polythene cloche, or even newspaper can help maintain moisture and temperature. Place the containers in a warm, sunny spot during winter/early spring or in a shaded area during summer. After germination, remove covers and provide adequate ventilation. Keep the young seedlings moist and ensure they receive sufficient light. After 2-3 weeks, the young seedlings will be ready for transplanting into the garden. If you have germinated and grown the seedlings inside, it’s important to harden them off before exposing them to the elements overnight. Do this by sitting them outside in a sunny spot during the day and bring them inside at night for about a week before putting them outside overnight. This will help their outside layer to toughen up. Why aren’t my seeds germinating or what is wrong with them? Seeds not germinating or deformed seedlings can result from a number of things such as overly wet or dry conditions, extreme temperatures, wrong planting depth, soil issues, fungal diseases, pests like slugs and snails, and insufficient light. Make sure you read the back of the packet and follow the recommended planting guidelines and environmental conditions for each type of seed. Use fresh seeds. Open seed packets may have reduced germination rates, especially with certain plant varieties like lettuce, parsnips, celery, leeks, and onions. Following these guidelines will help you start your garden from seeds successfully and navigate any issues that may occur during the germination process. It's all about giving them the right conditions, a little TLC, and they'll be growing Shop our range of seeds, or quality products for seed raising & propagation. By Kelly Jean Reyland of Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)Shop the collectionSeed Raising & Potting