December - the start of New Zealand summer! This year, towards the end of spring, many parts of New Zealand are still having cooler and rainy days and the plants couldn't be happier. It's a good time to plant more colourful, interesting and nutritious summer vegetable varieties.
We have prepared some tips for you this summer and hope these suggestions will help you reap more harvest and get more savings.
Garden Maintenance
Start trimming your hedges, small trees, shrubs and lawn hedges.
Deadhead your flowers frequently for more blooms and a tidier appearance.
Stake your roses and tomatoes.
Mulch around your plants. Keep pulling out the weeds.
Keep on top of watering during the very hot days.
Get your checklist of varieties to try this season.
Popular Edibles
December is a great time to plant favourites like cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies, watermelons, rock melons, sweet corn and passion fruit. In summer, you may want to try planting asparagus and artichoke. Leeks are coming around the 2nd week of December. Awapuni Nurseries will have bitter melon seedlings available, too.
Gardener Secrets for Growing Tasty and Healthy Tomatoes
Our customers sent us some very helpful tips in growing great tasting tomatoes.
1. Remove the lower leaves, don't let the leaves get on the ground. Snap out the leaf axil (or the suckers) - these are the leaves in between the stem and the main leaf.
2. "Epsom salts & sheep pallets when they are planted in the hole. I always plant mine on their sides so that there is good root growth to keep them grounded and stable." - Sue JN.
3. Grow them with lots of basil plants.
4. "Crushed eggs for calcium." - Megan KB
5. "Pony poop, lime and regular watering." - Tamzin C.6. "Fish frames, wood ash, compost, mulch." - Chris A.
7. "Great soil & regular feeding." - Verna P.
8. "Healthy soil with about 2 to 3 basil plants planted around each tomato, consistent watering, once a month feed with lil Seasol." - Kathleen S.
9. "Buy health plants." - Verna P.
10. "Seaweed fertiliser regularly." - Margaret W.
11. "Potassium water. Weekly at least just throw all our banana peels in a sealed bucket and seep like tea a couple of weeks minimum. Right now, I have huge well over a metre tomato bushes." - Kelley H.
12. "Sheep and chicken pellets and regular feeding." - Nik H.
The full article is here.
Tomato Support
Stake your tomatoes early, ideally within a month after planting them or before they reach a height of 12 inches. Tomatoes are easy to grow but their growing stems are quite soft and sensitive to damage. Plus, they yield heavy crops so it’s good to give them early support.
What is blossom end rot and how to prevent it?
Do you sometimes notice a brownish, leathery rot developing at the bottom part of your tomatoes? Bloom end rot can happen in tomatoes, eggplants, melons, etc. Here are some possible reasons:
1. One of the main causes of blossom end rot is calcium deficiency. During the growth stage of a fruit, it requires a lot of calcium in order to form. Calcium is a vital nutrient in vegetable plants because it strengthens the cellular structure in the developing fruit.
2. Another possible cause of blossom end rot is over fertilisation (nitrogen). With too much nitrogen, the plant tends to not absorb its required levels of calcium.
3. Inconsistency of watering - during summer months, plants need to have regular water supply. Water your tomatoes from the base of the plant.
In order to give your plants the best chances against blossom end rot, give your plant calcium-rich fertilisers. Keep your plants well-watered. Add mulch to keep the soil moist.
When to Harvest Garlic
Summer is the best time to harvest garlic (end of December to early January). When the lower, outer leaves turn yellow or brown, it’s time to harvest the garlic. Loosen the soil around the plant and carefully pull them out. Timing is important. When garlic is harvested early, it may not store well. Once harvested, you may eat the garlic right away although some people leave them on the ground for a few days to dry it up. If you intend to store it for a few days, tie them up in bundles and keep them in a cool, dark, dry place with good air circulation.
Summer is Basil Season
Fresh salads and desserts would be a highlight this season. Adding basil is a great way to add flavour to your meals! Awapuni nurseries stock 8 varieties of basil: lemon, bush, Thai, sweet, red Rubin, cinnamon, greek mini and mixed. We particularly recommend the basil lemon for a burst of unique, citrusy flavour. We definitely love the smell of fresh basil in the garden.
Summer is the best time to plant lemongrass and rosemary. These are fragrant plants that are great for pest control and can be used for cooking delicious meals. We now have chives and garlic chives as well.
Flower gardens are in bloom all over New Zealand!
We appreciate all the photos and videos from customers showing their blooming gardens. It's a great time to plant gaillardia, lavender, impatiens, petunias, gazanias, gardenias, statice, zinnias, cosmos and marigolds. If you wish to try something different, take a look at some lupins, delphiniums or celosia kimono mix. Taller flowering plants like sunflowers add height and create a layered garden look.
Trees
We now have Pohutukawa, Kawa Kawa, Griselinia, Miniature Toe Toe, Black Mondo Grass and Manuka.
If you are looking to start building a hedge, some good options are: Griselinia, Leyland Cypress, Corokia (Frosted Chocolate) and Pittosporum Tenuifolium.
We also have bulk seedling combos for five varieties of Eucalyptus plants: Eucalyptus Obliqua, Eucalyptus Regnans, Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Rosea'
Eucalyptus Bosistoana, Eucalyptus Globulus, Cupressus Lusitanica.
Happy gardening!
