News

Everything you need to know to prolong your dahlia flowers and prep your tubers for next season Flowers are so fleeting. They’re such a good reminder to us to live in the present moment. And everyone’s (well, lots of peoples’!) favourite flower, the dahlia, is the perfect reminder of this in autumn at the end of the growing season. Dahlias are beautiful flowers and long-lasting cut flowers — a must have in your garden beds. These late summer showstoppers take so many months of growing lush, leafy foliage with buds that seemingly take weeks to unfurl when they are young plants in your early summer garden. Finally, by the time we are blessed with abundant blooms, the risk of frost is threatening to end it all for us too soon. But before you start rushing out into the garden to call it a day on their showy blooms, there is still plenty more time left in the season to extend your harvests and prep for next season (as long as the frost-fairy stays away!). In this article, you’ll find out what tasks you should be doing in early, mid and late autumn in the dahlia patch. Frost & flowers Dahlias are frost tender perennials. Meaning they will be damaged by a heavy frost, where their foliage will blacken and die back to the underground tuber. In New Zealand, the warmer climates (areas north of Christchurch) should remain frost-free throughout March and into April. By late April you may have experienced one or two light frosts, depending on your location. For south of Christchurch, your summer season is typically shorter and, unfortunately, you may experience your first frost as early as the beginning of autumn. So, it pays to be vigilant and have your dahlias prepared for this (more on this below). Early autumn: Keeping dahlias blooming Extend your harvest If you’re north of Christchurch, you’re in luck — there’s still time to enjoy bucket loads of dahlias! Keep deadheading spent flower heads, and your plants will continue their flower production. When cutting, go deep into the plant to prevent it from becoming top-heavy. Prevent disease As temperatures cool, pests and diseases become more active. Powdery mildew is a common issue for dahlias, but you can minimise its spread by removing lower leaves to for good air circulation and improve airflow. If powdery mildew appears on upper leaves, treat it quickly with a homemade milk tea spray. Watch for pests Katydids, caterpillars and earwigs love dahlias — and not in a good way! It’s a good idea to clear away dead plant material to avoid attracting these unwanted visitors. Think of it this way: a tidy garden means fewer pests looking for an easy meal. Fertilising for continued blooms If frost isn’t a concern in your area, you can give your dahlias one last feeding to encourage flowering into the winter months. Choose a phosphorus and potassium-rich fertiliser to support strong stems and blooms — avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilisers, as too much nitrogen can weaken tubers. A sprinkle of natural potash at the base of the plants before mulching works wonders for those floppy late-season blooms. Mid autumn: Prepping for the seasonal shift Reduce plant stress With warm days and cool nights, your dahlias plants will appreciate a little extra care. Start a fortnightly seaweed application — either as a soil drench to get beneath the soil surface or foliage spray — to give them a natural resilience boost. Mulch for protection A layer of compost mulch not only insulates the soil on chilly nights but also helps the soil retain moisture during warmer autumn days. If you lift your tubers later, this mulch will mix nicely into the soil when the time comes. Label before it’s too late The danger of frost is just around the corner, so autumn is the best time to label your plants! Whether you use tags or flagging tape, having clear labels will be invaluable when lifting and storing tubers. Save dahlia seeds for a surprise Growing dahlia plants from seed is an exciting experiment, since they never grow back exactly the same as their parent plant. If you want to try breeding your own varieties of dahlias, allow some flowers to go to seed. Ideally, wait until the seed heads turn brown before harvesting, but if rain or frost threatens, pick them early and dry them indoors in a glass of water until they’re crisp.Late autumn: Wrapping up the season Cut back after frost Once the first hard frost hits, your dahlia foliage will turn black. This is your cue to cut it back and compost the remains. If you don’t get hard frosts, mimic the process by trimming plants to about 20cm above the ground. If you’re leaving the tubers in the soil, mulch heavily around the base of the plants to protect the tuberous roots. If lifting, wait about two weeks to let the tubers harden before storage. Lifting & cleaning tubers Carefully dig around each clump, leaving a 10cm margin to avoid damaging the tubers. If your soil is heavy or wet, lift gently and use your hands if needed. Shake off excess soil or rinse lightly to check for disease, though leaving a bit of soil can help prevent drying out. Let them dry in a sunny location for a day or two before brushing off any remaining dirt. Check for crown gall While handling tubers, inspect for crown gall — a bacterial infection that appears as white, cauliflower-like growths on the crown or neck. If you spot it, the best thing is to discard affected tubers immediately — do not compost them. Proper storage for healthy tubers Store tubers in a frost-free, dry area. The best way to store dahlia tubers is in crates or cardboard boxes to allow good air circulation — airtight containers can trap moisture and cause rot. Keep them off concrete to prevent moisture loss, placing them on a shelf or table instead. Monitor throughout the season Check tubers regularly. If they start shrivelling, add damp potting mix. If mould appears, mix in vermiculite to absorb excess moisture. A little attention now ensures strong, healthy plants next spring! — As autumn settles in, tending to your dahlias at the end of the season will set you up for success next season. Whether you're trying to extend their bloom cycle, preparing to store tubers or saving seeds, these simple steps ensure strong, healthy growth for your dahlias plants for next spring. A little effort now means you'll be rewarded with another season of abundant blooms — ready to steal the show all over again. The Sage Journal Autumn Gardening Series is supported by bugg®.

One of the best ways to keep your summer garden looking tidy and to encourage more flowers is the simple act of deadheading. Most perennial and all annual flowering plants will flower again if you remove the finished flowers, so being regular in deadheading means a consistent show of flowers through summer and into autumn. If you have an event happening at your place this summer/autumn and you want flowers (and in particular roses!) to be looking their best at the time, you need to be dead heading them 6 weeks before the date to give them time to reflush and rebloom on time. There is another benefit to deadheading. Removing the spent flowers stops the formation of seed heads which if left to mature will do their best to spread themselves around your garden, into gravel pathways or cracks in paths or driveways. Some gardeners are happy to let nature take its course but if you prefer to choose where the plants will grow, stopping self seeding is very helpful. This also relates to weed control. If you don’t have time to deal with a weed right now but it has a seed head on it? Pinch off that flower head! Then you only have one weed to deal with rather than a potential 2000 seeds being released into your garden to grow! To keep summer flowering shrubs looking good and to keep them looking bushy and dense, the time to give them their annual prune is after they finish their main flowering in summer. If you leave it until later in autumn or winter there is a very strong likelihood that you will remove the flower buds for the next summer. So do it in summer after they finish blooming. You may find some that never seem to stop blooming so in those cases you will just have to pick a time and sacrifice some blooms when you trim it. The exception to this rule is of course fruiting shrubs like feijoas, the time to trim them is after they fruit or you will be removing all the potential fruit. Another thing to consider when planning out your floral show is to consider if you want fewer large size flowers or many smaller flowers. It is the same concept as thinning out the developing fruit to ensure you get bigger fruit rather than lots of small ones. If you want to focus on bigger flowers, removing side shoots, pinching off lateral flower buds and even limiting the number of shoots growing from the crown of a perennial plant will channel energy into the remaining shoots and buds. Pests and diseases can start to appear as plants get stressed in the summer heat. Doing a regular wander in the garden will help you recognise quickly when a pest or disease appears. When you spot the first signs, ensure you act quickly. Physically removing the affected part of the plant will remove the first infestation and help to stop or slow down the spread. Make sure that you throw the affected parts in the rubbish bin (not on the ground or in the compost bin) and wash your hands if it is a fungal disease. You don’t want to accidentally spread the spores to other plants in your garden. Follow up with an appropriate spray in order to knock out any remaining insects, eggs or fungal spores and follow up with another spray as per the bottle instructions (approx 10-14 days). Fungal diseases do not go away on their own and pests can reproduce generations of offspring in a short period of time so do something at the time you first see it and (pardon the pun) nip the problem in the bud! Producing fruit and flowers takes a lot of energy so ensure your plants are well fed, either with an appropriate slow release fertiliser or with regular liquid feeding. If your weather is dry, water deeply but less often. A plant watered deeply once or twice a week will send its roots down deep into the soil where they will be less affected by temperature and moisture fluctuations at the soil surface. When you water, ensure the water is directed at the soil, not over the top of the plant. Water on the leaves increases the chances of fungal disease especially in warm weather. And keep in mind that plants may wilt simply because it is really hot, not because they are thirsty so always check the soil moisture before you water. You may find when you check on them later in the day when it has cooled down they have perked back up without being watered. Spreading a generous layer of mulch over the soil when it is damp will also help hold the soil moisture in while making the garden look tidy. Mulch will over time improve the quality of your soil as well which is always a good thing! Finally, as the summer rolls on, make a point of noting any parts of the garden that are lacking summer colour or interest. Go and visit a garden centre at that time as they will have plants in flower available at that time to help you fill the gaps. Likewise if there are plants that are not performing or flower colours are clashing with neighbouring plants, make a note of them to move them in autumn if you want to move the plant or simply get rid of it now and find something that does have a flower colour that works! Summer is such a colourful time in the garden but it can be a big job to keep it looking good. Think of it like a marathon, it’s slow and steady that wins the race.

Winter is the ideal time to carry out a clean sweep, and get on top of any lingering insects or fungal spores from the previous growing season. They can hide in cracks, in plain sight on the stems or in the fallen leaves around the base of the plant. They go dormant, waiting for warmer weather and the chance to make a comeback next spring. Start with the basics: Collect the fallen leaves from around the base of any plant affected by fungal disease or insect during the growing season. Spores and eggs can remain on leaves so if you get rid of these, part of the battle is already won. Ensure that you throw them in the bin or burn them. You don’t want to put them in the compost bin. Home compost rarely gets hot enough to kill off fungal spores. You don’t need to collect up every fallen leaf on your property, just the affected ones. What sprays do you use for a winter clean up? A copper based fungicide is used to clean up spores and create a protective layer over any cuts or wounds on the tree and a spraying oil insecticide smothers any scale insects present on stems, or insect eggs present on the plant. These were traditionally combined and applied together but the current recommendation is to apply them separately, waiting 1 week between applications. Not all sprays are created equal. Copper hydroxide (sold as ‘FreeFlo copper’) has the smallest copper particle size which gives it increased coverage, rain fastness and longevity. That equals better protection and disease control for your plants compared to other copper sprays on the market. Among the available oil insecticides, Enspray 99 oil stands out for having the smallest particle size which again improves coverage and control of pests. The improved coverage also gives it the added ability to smother powdery mildew spores. The 99 in the name refers to it being 99% pure of impurities which significantly minimises the risk of burning when applied. A lesser used winter spray is lime sulfur. As a winter spray and at winter application rates, it is generally only used on deciduous plants as it will cause defoliation (leaf drop). It is useful to help force deciduous plants that are slow to drop their leaves into dormancy and it cleans up lichen off stems and controls scale, mites and fungal diseases. It is effective but it is messy, and you have to be very careful with its application and minimise spray drift onto surrounding evergreen plants that can be burnt. It is really important to note that this spray can’t be used within two weeks of copper or oil sprays. When do you carry out winter clean up sprays? Ideally at the end of autumn, when the trees have dropped their leaves, copper and oil sprays are good to seal all the tiny entry points into the tree, created by the dropping leaves. They protect against fungal disease and clean up any pests that are still present. Follow up with another application later in winter before the spring growth starts. For roses, spray after pruning has been carried out in approx July (If they refuse to drop their leaves, lime sulfur can be applied at least two weeks before pruning and spraying with copper/oil, forcing them to drop their leaves and go dormant). Do another follow up application of copper/oil before spring growth starts. For fruit trees - especially peaches and nectarines that have had leaf curl - Spray with copper at bud swell and repeat 14 days later. Prevention is such an important step in keeping our plants healthy and thriving. Winter clean up sprays are an important step in this process. Remember - ‘A pinch of prevention is worth a pound of cure!’ Shop Garden SprayersShop Weed & Pest Control Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

Autumn is often referred to as ‘nature’s time for planting’ when temperatures are still warm and there is more moisture in the soil. This makes it an excellent time to do some planting, with plants having the opportunity to get roots established before winter dormancy sets in. If your summer flowers have all finished, consider planting autumn flowering plants like echinacea and chrysanthemums that will perform as the summer flowers finish year after year. Start planting your annuals such as violas, pansies, primula and poppies to get established to carry you through the winter months. It's bulb planting time for spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, crocus, freesia, ranunculus and many more! Check to see if your bulbs need a winter chill to initiate flowering. An easy way to help them along is to store them in the fridge for a few weeks before planting, especially if temperatures are still warm. It is also bulb or tuber feeding time for our summer flowering bulbs/ tubers like dahlias that are beginning to finish their show. As they finish and start to die down, they take up food and store it in their tuber for next year's food source, so it is a good investment to get some bulb fertiliser applied now! Keep dead heading your flowering plants to help keep your flowers coming! You still have potentially a good month or two more of flowers to enjoy – depending on the weather. As perennials die down, cut back the dead foliage to tidy them up. Plants like delphiniums and peonies, you cut to ground level. Plants like salvias and penstemons should have some of their stems and foliage left to protect them from the cold. Put any diseased foliage in the rubbish bin. Give them a good weed to tidy up around them and apply a light mulch to protect them. Any vigorous clump forming perennials can be carefully dug up / lifted and divided to give you more plants and to maintain the health and vigour of the plant. Examples include agapanthus, delphinium, hosta and daylilies. You can wait until they have gone dormant or until there is some more moisture in the soil. Keep them well watered after dividing if they are not dormant. If you are keen on trying seed collecting, now is the time to do it. Don’t cut the flowerheads off when they are finished and let them form a seed head. You need to wait until the seeds have ripened – usually they turn from green to brown, black or red – before cutting the head off and popping them in a paper bag to fully dry out. Check every few days as they can be dispersed quite quickly after they ripen. Once they are fully dry, you’ll find you can shake the seeds out of the seed head, to collect in the paper bag. Remove the remains of the seed head to avoid issues with mould, pests or diseases. Store somewhere in a cool dry place and pop a desiccant packet (silica beads) in with them to keep them dry. If you are a sweet pea fan, get your seeds planted now so they can establish and grow over the colder months. You will have stronger plants that flower earlier if you get them planted now. At the end of autumn, if you have heavy soil or the forecast is for a wet winter, you can lift Dahlia tubers, to protect them from rotting. Wait until they have died right back, or a frost has knocked the leaves back. Carefully lift them and you can divide large tubers if you want more plants at this point. Just ensure you keep part of the crown with each division. Rinse the tubers off to clean them, let them dry and store in a cool, dry position until spring. Have a good clean up, removing any plant material, including fallen leaves, if they are or were infected with pests or diseases. This is the best way to help prevent issues the following year. As deciduous shrubs lose their leaves, give them a spray with a copper fungicide to help seal the wounds left by the leaf drop. Lastly, give your flower beds some love and spread a layer of fresh compost over the soil to add some nutrients after a busy season of flowering. It will help keep weeds down and improve your soil, which is always a good thing! Written for bugg® by Kelly Jean Reyland from Garden Advice NZ (www.gardenadvice.co.nz)

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN In March you can plant the following in most areas of the country… beetroot, blueberry, bok choi, broad bean, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, celery, coriander, feijoa, kale, leeks, lemon, lettuce, lime, mandarin, mesclun, onion, orange, parsley, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion. This lovely late-summer, early autumn period is a great time for sowing winter veg crops, as the temperatures are cooling but the soil is still warm enough for quick germination. As the season begins to turn and we look towards our winter veg, keep crop rotation in mind. Try not to plant veg from the same family in the same spot each year. Each growing season you should plant each 'family' of vegetables in a different position in the garden; read more on crop rotation here. HARVESTING Regularly harvest the last of your berries, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and cucumbers. Picking fruit and veg each day encourages late fruiting & growth (and also helps to keep pests at bay). Potatoes are ready for harvest when the tops have died back. Your pumpkins may be ready this month too. Kumara is ready to dig up once the leaves start to yellow. Dig up 1 or 2 to start with and check for things like size and firmness. Cut one in half and watch how quickly the cut sides dry - if they dry fast, the kumara is ready for harvest & storage. Dig up onions when the tops have gone brown. If the weather is good, leave them out on top of the garden bed to dry out for a few days - this helps them store better. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Pull up your summer annuals once they have finished flowering (sunflowers, cosmos, marigold etc.) Plant winter flower seedlings such as snapdragon, alyssum, cosmos, pansy, poppies, viola, primula, polyanthus, cornflower, calendula, cineraria, lobelia, sweet peas, marigolds, etc. Deadhead / pick zinnias, roses, dahlias, echinacea, gladiolus, lilies, scabious, sweet peas. Your favourite spring flowering bulbs are in garden centres now! Getting some early bloomers in now means you’ll be able to enjoy early spring colour: Plant daffodil bulbs any time from late February to the end of May. Pick a cool spot for your hyacinth bulbs and plant throughout March and April. Other bulbs to plant now include crocus, bluebells, tulips, snowdrops and freesias. If you particularly like one type of flower, stagger your planting of that one variety. By planting a number every two weeks you’ll find you can extend your blooms (and picking) by a month to six weeks. Read more on that here. Most spring-flowering bulbs need consistent cool temperatures over winter (below 10°C during the day) in order to produce a flower bud. If you live in a warmer area you’ll likely need to pre-chill your bulbs before getting them in the ground; read more on pre-chilling here. Use a bulb planter (like this one from Sneeboer) for the most efficient planting! TASKS THIS MONTH... ☑ Seed saving: Save seeds from tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and courgettes. Dry & store in labelled envelopes so they’re ready for spring-time sowing. We also have gorgeous Seed Storage Tins to help you keep things organised. ☑ Preparing your garden beds: It’s important to revitalise your soil after a busy growing season. You can do this by digging in some organic matter (compost, manure, seaweed, etc.) or by sowing some cover crops. Cover crops (like this clover blend) add nutrients back into the soil, and the nitrogen improves soil structure. You can read more about the benefits of cover cropping & how to do it here. ☑ Make the most of the warmer temperatures and abundant organic matter at the moment by composting! Fresh compost is the BEST way to improve your soil, and in turn your garden. If you don’t already have a compost bin, check out our range here. ☑ Divide your perennial herbs: thyme, chives, rosemary, sage.

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN The last of the summer harvest! Tomatoes should be at their peak right now; other veggies such as beans, corn, carrots, cucumbers, melons, pumpkin, potatoes, eggplants & more will also be ready for harvesting. Regularly picking fruit and veg each day will encourage late fruiting & growth. Stone fruits (nectarines, peaches, plums) are ready to enjoy. Continue to plant lettuce and a variety of herbs. And it’s not too late to plant capsicum or eggplant, and plant or sow courgettes and corn in warmer areas! As we move further into February, start sowing your winter veg: spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, beetroot, kale, silverbeet, carrots, leeks, radish, rhubarb, parsnip etc. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Continue to deadhead your flowering annuals; this promotes more flowers for a longer period. For roses, continue to remove any diseased leaves and apply a rose fertiliser towards the end of the month. The end of February means summer is drawing to a close… But it also means we can cast our minds towards bulb planting! Early summer bulbs (tulips, daffodils, anemone, ranunculus etc.) will be arriving into garden stores. If you live in a warmer area it’s a good idea to pop your bulbs in the fridge for 4-8 weeks (depending on the variety) to chill before you plant them out. Some pre-chilling tips to keep in mind… > Keep your bulbs in the crisper drawer inside a paper bag (NOT plastic - the bulbs will sweat, causing rot). > Do not place them near the back of the fridge as it may be too cold. > Keep them well away from fruit, particularly apples and pears. These fruits emit a gas called ethylene as they ripen which can damage your bulbs. You can get your bulbs until late autumn; plant continuously throughout this time for continuous blooms in spring. Use a bulb planter for super efficient planting! For more in-depth bulb planting info, check out this blog: Planting spring-flowering bulbs in NZ OTHER TASKS THIS MONTH... > Keep pinching out those tomato laterals! This helps the plant direct it’s energy towards fruiting > Regularly mist the leaves of your indoor plants using a mister and some lukewarm water. Check the underside of leaves regularly; pests such as mealybugs are prolific at the moment! Spray with Enspray 99 as soon as you see the signs of an infestation. > Make sure you're keeping on top of pests outside, too - check out our full range of Insect Pest Control to find a something that works for your garden. > If you have excess fruit or veg harvests, get preserving! > Remove strawberry plants that are over two years old > Mulch! A good layer of mulch around the base of your plants conserves moisture in soil, and also suppresses weeds > Water in the morning or evening, making sure to water the roots (rather than the leaves). Check out our Iriso range for easy drip irrigation. > Composting is key at the moment - make the most of the abundant organic material and warm temperatures! There's nothing better for improving your soil than fresh compost or worm castings. See our compost bin and worm farm ranges.

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN Here’s what you can sow or plant this month: Artichoke, beetroot, beans, brussel sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, chilli, courgette, cucumber, eggplant, leek, lettuce, mizuna, parsnip, peas, radish, rhubarb, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, squash, sweet corn, swede, tomatoes, turnip. For herbs we’ve got basil, chives, dill, fennel, parsley, rosemary, sage, spring onion. Plant new lettuce and herbs regularly so you have a continuous supply throughout the season. These summer vegetables should be ready for harvest: beans, courgette, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, certain varieties of potatoes, onion, peas, radish, silverbeet, spring onion, tomatoes. Your sweet corn cobs are ready to be picked when the end tassels start to dry and turn brown. These fruits are also ready for picking this month: apricots, blueberries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, passionfruit, plums, raspberries, strawberries. Get into a good routine of picking every day to encourage continuous fruiting - this is particularly true for cucumbers, courgettes, peas, beans, eggplant. Prune long runners back on strawberry plants to encourage more fruiting. You can then plant these runners out as new strawberry plants! IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Plant alyssum, calendula, cosmos, dahlias, echinacea, gypsophila, impatiens, lupin, marigolds, nemesia, petunias, phacelia, poppy, sunflower, swan plant, verbascum, verbena, zinnia. You can still plant summer flowering annuals & perennials, just make sure you keep them well watered until established. Your main task in the flower garden this month is to pick or ‘dead head’ spent or dying flowers to encourage new blooms. Deadheading is essential for prolonging the flowering period. If you remove the flower as soon as it dies or wilts, you have essentially stopped seeds being created and therefore plant’s life cycle hasn’t been completed. This means the plant will put out more flowers to try and produce seed! 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. You can read more about that here. Here’s a few beautiful blooms that should be ready for picking this month: roses, hydrangeas, fuchsias, dianthus, delphiniums, lilies, gladioli, sweet peas, agapanthus, sunflowers, geraniums, cosmos, sunflowers. Now is the best time for roses, enjoy them inside in a vase or kenzan! TASKS THIS MONTH... When it comes to watering, if it’s particularly dry in your area soak your garden every 3-4 days rather than regular shallow watering. Water early or later in the day, and direct the water to the roots rather than the leaves. We also recommend using a sprinkler with a timer, or installing drip irrigation like Iriso - this can be set up to deliver the right amount of water to your plants, exactly where it's needed. Along with so many other benefits! Pair with a water tank for an even better low maintenance watering set up. You can shop irrigation systems here. Mulching is super important this month! It helps the soil to retain more water and keep roots of your plant cooler in hot weather. Read more about mulching on our latest blog here. Speaking of mulch, get some mulch in around your roses, or check & re-apply as needed. Weeds - like your other plants - are growing quickly at this time of year! Pull them out as they appear (before they go to seed) to stay on top of them. Make sure you remove any weeds before laying down any mulch. You can remove smaller flower-heads on your dahlias plants - this helps to encourage those gorgeous, ginormous blooms! Fertilise your flower beds, pots & containers to help replenish nutrients. Use this organic Opulent Bloom Mix from Seacliff Organics for the most beautiful blooms! It provides a boost of potassium, phosphorous and magnesium to ensure an easy nutrient uptake. It promotes vigorous flowering, and is designed specifically for heavy feeding plants in their flowering phase. Netting or tunnels may be needed to protect ripening tomatoes and other summer fruits from birds and insect pests. Shop garden cloches & tunnels here.

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN Watering, weeding and feeding is the name of the game this month. You’ll also be starting to see the (literal) fruits of your spring labour! Here’s a few ideas on what to sow and plant in December: Beetroot, beans, carrot, capsicum, chilli, coriander, courgette, cucumber, melons, eggplant, lettuce, mesclun, parsley, pumpkin and squash, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, sweetcorn, tomatoes, and fruiting plants like strawberry, blueberry, and passionfruit. Feed all of your veges with a good liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks. Tomatoes & strawberries are particularly heavy feeders; feed every 1-2 weeks with a fast acting food or fertiliser and keep them well watered. Read more on what to feed your plants for best results here. Don’t forget to regularly remove the laterals on your tomato plants! Pinch them off while they’re still small; this encourages bigger, better fruit. Wait for a dry, sunny day to remove laterals - pinching them off opens up a wound on your plant, and doing this when it’s wet or humid can increase the risk of disease. Keep mounding up the soil around your potatoes; early varieties are ready to harvest when the flowers are fully opened, while main cropping varieties are ready when the foliage dies off. Onions and garlic are traditionally harvested around the longest day (the summer solstice) which falls on the 22nd December. But pay attention to the leaves, as they will tell you when they are ready! Harvest when the tops begin to wither and die down. Once harvested, leave to dry in the sun for a few of days until the skin becomes papery. Remember to harvest your courgettes while they are small. Leave them too long and they’ll quickly grow into marrows! IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Here’s what to sow or plant this month: echinacea, begonia, dahlia, petunia, lavender, chrysanthemum, hollyhock, cosmos, gerbera, marigold, nemesia, love-in-a-mist (nigella), daisy, delphinium, calendula, and fuchsia are just a few ideas. Lots of vibrant summer flowers are blooming, including roses ? To enjoy a gorgeous floral display all the way through summer, it’s essential to deadhead regularly. For more info on deadheading check out this blog.Make sure your dahlias have a good support - we love these Peony Supports as they are functional AND look amazing in your garden. Display & enjoy cut flowers with a Kenzan! Such a fun way to get creative with your arrangements. They also make excellent Christmas gifts. Once the leaves on your spring flowering bulbs have completely died down you can lift the bulbs & store in a cool dry place. TASKS THIS MONTH... Watering is your most important task to keep on top of this month. Stick to mornings or early evenings - avoid watering during the heat of the day. In summer it’s best to water thoroughly every few days rather than a small amount each day. Make sure the water really penetrates the soil (it should be wet down to at least 5cm deep) as this encourages deeper root development. If you’re heading away for the holidays, take the time to set up some irrigation. Iriso has some great cost-effective, gravity fed options (no electricity, batteries, timers or mains pressure water required). Pests & birds can be a big issue in the edible garden this month; use a net tunnel or cloche to keep your plants protected. We often get asked whether strawberries are able to be pollinated beneath a net tunnel. Many of our customers have reported back that they have no issues with this - leaving the door of your tunnel open for a hour or so every other day should be enough to do the trick! You can find different pest control solutions (including bait, sprays, traps & more) here. Pull weeds as soon as you see them appear. Mulching is important over summer as it keeps the soil cool, conserves moisture and suppresses weeds. Layer in your mulch around 10cm deep (pea straw is ideal for the vege garden, but you can also use shredded leaves, compost etc.). Try to keep your mulch a few cm back from the stem of the plant. Keep your lawn from drying out by raising the cutting height on your lawn mower. Longer grass shades the roots, which helps to stop your lawn from drying out in hot weather. Mist your indoor plants using a mister.

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN November is all about sowing & planting! This is your main focus for the month, and there's so much to choose from. Hopefully you've done some planning and know what you want to plant, and where you're going to plant it. Consider your crop rotation plan (you can learn more about how to implement this in your garden in our crop rotation guide). Some favourite summer veggies to sow or plant this month are: cucumbers, sweetcorn, watermelons, tomatoes, eggplants, chillies, courgettes, capsicums, beans, beetroot, carrots, celery, parsnips, silverbeet, spinach… we really are spoilt for choice in November! If you grow them, a priority is getting those longer term crops like kumara and pumpkin in the ground now. Kumara takes between 120-150 days fully mature, and most varieties of pumpkin takes between 90 and 110 days, so get them in now so they're ready for autumn harvest. Continue to successively plant those summery salad greens: spring onions, lettuce, radish, rocket, mesclun. Plant seed potatoes. Keep mounding soil onto new leaves; when you see flowers they are ready to harvest. Plant passionfruit. Ensure it has a sturdy support structure nearby (a trellis or fence etc.) for it to climb as it grows. Feed your existing berry plants with a balanced fruit and berry fertiliser. In warmer areas of NZ, the first of your berries may be ready to harvest! You can also still get in more strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, blackberries, and raspberries for some sweet summer spoils. While you can grow brassicas (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) at this time of year, leaving them off the list this month can be a good way to prevent cabbage butterflies from taking hold. It's one of those obvious tips, but we'll say it anyway: grow what your family likes to eat. It's easy to get swept away, planting a wide variety of exciting new summer crops. But if space is at a premium in your garden, focus on growing what you know works for your family, introducing 1 or 2 new types of crops to see how they do before committing to a whole garden full of them. IN THE FLOWER GARDEN Sow wildflowers, and plant swan plants to keep your local beneficial pollinators happy. Now is a good time to refresh pond plants. Spruce your pond up with some fresh water lilies. Continue to plant dahlia tubers or cuttings. Plant snapdragon, sweet pea, sunflower, lobelia, gerbera, chrysanthemum, geranium, marigold, petunia, Queen Anne's Lace, cornflower. Feed established flowering plants to give them a boost with a balanced bloom fertiliser, or good old worm castings. TASKS THIS MONTH... Stake your tomatoes, and get some basil in nearby. This can enhance the flavour. Marigolds are also a great companion plant for tomatoes, and will help to keep pests at bay. Maximise space in your garden by utilising vertical structures for beans, cucumbers and courgettes. Use a trellis frame, or create a teepee using bamboo stakes. Get your irrigation system set up for summer. Drip irrigation systems work brilliantly, or invest in a planter with a built-in reservoir like a self-watering raised bed. Layer some mulch / organic matter around the base of fruit trees and in your veggie garden. This will help to conserve moisture as the days get hotter, and provide nutrients as they break down. Or, plant flowers to create a cheerful 'living mulch', especially beneath plants that require pollination. Cornflower, calendula, and cosmos are some great options for this. There should be plenty of material for your compost heap as a result of spring clean up. If you don't already have a compost pile or bin, now is the perfect time to get one started so none of that organic goodness goes to waste. Get in the habit of making daily stroll around your garden to remove / squash any pests you can find. This can be made into a fun activity with kids!