With the chilly weather we had across the country last week it’s hard to imagine summer is still on its way, but warm weather is surely just around the corner which means backyard gardens will soon be abundant with home grown herbs and vegetables. To help stay on track with what you should be doing this month to ensure a thriving garden check out these great tips from the expert gardeners at Awapuni Nurseries.
October rush is here and gardeners are taking advantage of the warmer weather to ramp up production from their vegetable gardens! Cucumber, chillies, tomato varieties, pumpkin are already available and more are on the way!
Garden Maintenance
Deadhead flowers to encourage more growth.
Clean your garden tools, apply some olive oil to prevent rust.
Remove moss from paths and driveways.
Feed strawberries and passionfruit.
Keep mulching for soil moisture retention and to reduce weed growth.
Edible Garden
It’s time to plant strawberries, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, chillies, pumpkins, tomatoes, rhubarb, kohlrabi and zucchini.
For new gardeners, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuces are easy vegetables to grow.
An all-time favourite is Kumara and we have been receiving many enquiries about it. Kumara has a wonderful taste and can be cooked in many different ways: roasted, steamed, boiled, and even candied. Please add your name on our notifications list as it’s going to be available from Awapuni Nurseries soon. In the meantime, get your kumara beds ready. Kumara prefers a non-acidic soil. We have a quick video that may help in growing Kumara.
Click here to watch Henri’s guide to growing Kumara.
Stagger planting quick consumables like lettuces and spring onions.
Flower Garden
You will love the greater selection of flower varieties this month. Gazanias, livingstone daisies, gypsophila, dianthus, marigolds, petunias, sunflowe
Herb Garden
Get your herb gardens established before summer. Planting herbs next to vegetables also helps repel pests. Coriander, parsley, dill, oregano and basil are common favourites.
Lawn care
As we welcome new growth, let’s not forget our lawns. The mix of rain and sunny weather will make your lawns grow quickly this time of the year. Keep them healthy by using TUI lawn fertiliser. It contains nitrogen that encourages healthy growth and fights against disease while suppressing weeds. It also has phosphorus which helps with root growth and sulphate of iron that keep your lawns lush and green.
This is the time to experiment! Try new vegetables and grow new flowers! We have many more surprises coming soon.
For companion planting read this blog.
Happy gardening!
About The Author: Katie Brooks
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