Gardening Guides
Be a gardening legend with step-by-step instructions on how to grow a wide range of plants, what to plant when, how to combat pests and diseases, plus extra tips and tricks to get your garden flourishing.
Be a gardening legend with step-by-step instructions on how to grow a wide range of plants, what to plant when, how to combat pests and diseases, plus extra tips and tricks to get your garden flourishing.
Back in autumn, as the country began the great toilet paper frenzy, gardeners (and non-gardeners!) around the country suddenly went potty for plants. Hardware stores, garden centres and our own Awapuni Nurseries online shop, seemingly overnight, sold out of seedlings and plants – enough to make you wonder if Covid-19 had fast-forwarded the calendar to spring.
Which meant that in the space of a week, our normally abundant seedlings levels at Awapuni had been seriously impacted. Then came lockdown; with no staff to pick, pack orders, and re-plant the continual supply of seedlings needed. Suddenly, I found myself rather busy at the nursery!
But a couple of months on, the ‘new normal’ is here and I’m really heartened to see so many more Kiwis have discovered the joy of gardening and also eating home-grown produce. We’ve sown masses of seedlings, intensely watered (as pandemics seem to deter rain) and you can now once again, order veges online from Awapuni Nurseries, and have them delivered direct to your door. And even though we’re now into winter, it’s still a great time to plant veges to ensure some fresh home produce in the coming months. There are lots you can plant right now – starting with onions, brassicas and beets. If you’re not sure what to grow, I recommend trying some spinach and sugar snap peas.
Planting spinach now will have you harvesting the outer leaves in four to six weeks. Sugar snap peas take a few weeks longer, but I do find them so satisfying to grow, and a delicious snack straight out of the garden. Once you’ve cleared out a sunny, well-drained spot in the vege garden for your sugar snap peas and spinach, dig through some compost or general fertiliser. Leafy greens like spinach will also thrive in planters and pots. Sugar snap peas can grow up to 1.5m high, so will need something to climb up, like a trellis or netting. They grow best planted in garden beds, around 15cm apart.
Plant your spinach seedlings 20cm apart, and then apply pea straw, newspaper or mulch to help keep the weeds away. After that, all you need to do is watch out for slugs and snails. Slug bait works well, but I do love organic beer bait traps in the vege garden too.
Come mid-winter you’ll be able to start harvesting your produce. And to keep gardening away this pandemic, remember to plant new seedlings every few weeks to ensure a continuous supply.
Lettuces can be grown, generally, all year round in New Zealand, thanks to its temperate climate in many of its regions.
5 Tips on Growing Amazing Lettuces
1. They love moist, well-draining soil.
2. Use great quality potting mix (or potting mix and garden mix combinations).
3. Use raised beds if you can (especially for younger plants).
4. They need regular watering. Water lightly, regularly for sweet-tasting leaves.
5. Overwatering causes waterlogging. This leads to possible root and leaf diseases.
Awapuni Nurseries offer over 10 varities of lettuces.
Read full articleIt's garlic planting season and we've curated the top tips in growing garlic in New Zealand! We hope you find this helpful and will help boost your garlic yields by summer!
Garlic is a valuable ingredient that brings in extra flavour in many dishes! It's traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year but it can be planted from autumn through winter.
1. Ideally, the suggested planting time for garlic is mid-June to August.
2. Garlic loves well-draining soil. Good drainage is important to reduce risk of bulbs rotting.
3. Garlic does not like weeds. Weeds compete with the required nutrients and moisture.
4. Moderate watering needed. In warmer months (Nov-Dec), as garlic bulbs start to form, make sure it gets enough water
5. You may plant them in pots and containers too. This way you can move the plants around where there's most sun.
6. If you're planting them directly into the ground, choose a sunny spot.
7. In very cold areas of New Zealand, prepare to mulch for better yields. Straw is a good insulator.
8. Garlic needs rich soil. You may want to consider TUI Novatec Premium Fertiliser for container planting. Apply Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic through the season to encourage larger cloves.
9. Harvest in summer once the tops start to die back. Don’t pull the leaves, dig the plant up carefully with a fork. You may leave the plants to dry on the top of the ground for a week or so.
10. Store garlic in airy, dry place, out of the sun and rain.
Watch out for rust. Click here for some tips in dealing with rust.
Great Garlic Deals:
Garlic 50 Plants
Garlic 100 Plants
First-time garlic grower? Don’t fret growing garlic is pretty easy, all you need is good seedlings and great soil and you’re away. Garlic season is from April – July, but the traditional day to plant garlic is on the 21st of June, the shortest day of the year and ready to be harvested on the longest day of the year, the 21st December.
Garlic grows best in friable soil. Friable soil is soil that is “crumbly” in texture and is somewhere between clay and sand, when your press the soil it should make a lump but it’s easy to break down. This type of soil is important for garlic since it holds up to 15x its water and prevents soil erosion.
Let’s get planting!
Once you’ve planted your garlic, keep an eye out for rust. Rust is a fungal disease that won’t cause much damage to established bulbs but unfortunately, won’t be ideal for your seedlings. So, to avoid that happening we recommend getting your garlic plants in as early as possible. and if you had rust in the last 2-3 years on your garlic or onions, make sure you plant them in a different spot this year. Be sure to keep feeding your garlic, we recommend Tui organic seaweed as it encourages larger bulbs and protects the roots of your plant from temperature fluctuations as well as strengthens the plant against pests and diseases.
If you find your garlic has rust, chop off the infected leaves as soon as you spot rust and discard them in the rubbish – not your compost bin as this will spread the infection. Also, give your hands, clothes and gardening tools that might have come into contact with the fungus a good wash to stop the spread.
Companion planting can also help prevent diseases. Plant your garlic with carrots, beets, kale, kohlrabi, roses, marigolds and geraniums. Avoid planting asparagus, beans, sage and peas with your garlic seedlings as this could stunt their growth.
You can purchase our garlic seedlings here.
Happy garlic planting!
Read full articleWe've asked our customers about how to grow the best tasting and healthy tomatoes and they have generously shared their tips!
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.
13. "Milk powder. I put a heaped spoon in hole when I plant or you could just dig in around plant. Provides calcium and guards against blossom end rot." - Michele G.
14. "Humate and seaweed off the beach around plants, plant late November to avoid the taste crash with too much rain in the New Year." - Johannes H.
A lot of reasonable, affordable solutions here!
Happy gardening!
Read full articleIn New Zealand, getting that first juicy harvest starts with planting your tomato seedlings at the right time—and that timing can vary considerably depending on where you live.
In warmer northern areas, tomatoes may go into sheltered gardens, tunnel houses, greenhouses during September. In southern or frost-prone locations, waiting until November or even early December can produce much better results.
Ideally, plant after the local frost risk has passed and the soil is warming. Inland, elevated or frost-pocket gardens may need 1–3 weeks longer. If you’re keen to plant earlier than the suggested times, cover your plants with newspaper or frost cloth on mornings when the air temperature is 4°C or lower.
Here is Awapuni Nurseries’ practical guide to planting tomato seedlings throughout New Zealand.
Planting time matters
Tomatoes are warm-season plants. They love some sun! They grow best when the soil is warming, daytime temperatures are comfortable and cold nights are becoming less frequent.
A seedling planted into cold, wet soil may survive, but it can sit without growing for several weeks. Cold conditions can also stress young plants, damage foliage and make them more susceptible to disease. A tomato planted a little later into warm soil will often catch up with—or overtake—one planted too early.
The most important rule is simple: plant tomato seedlings outdoors after the risk of frost has passed in your garden.
This matters because conditions can vary even within the same town. A sheltered coastal garden may be ready several weeks before an inland property, elevated section or low-lying frost pocket.
Upper North Island: September planting
Whangārei gardeners can generally begin planting tomato seedlings outdoors from early to mid-September.
In Auckland, mid to late September is a dependable starting point for most gardens. Planting in early September can work in a warm, sunny and sheltered position, particularly if you can protect the seedlings when a cold night is forecast. It's best to order your tomato seedlings around early September and allow some time for dispatch and delivery.
Hamilton gardeners may be better waiting until late September or early October. Although Hamilton is well north, inland gardens can experience colder nights and heavier frosts than nearby coastal areas.
Tauranga’s milder coastal climate often allows planting from late September to early October. Choose a sunny position protected from strong wind and keep an eye on overnight temperatures.
East Coast and central North Island
Gisborne gardeners can usually plant from late September to early October, provided the garden is frost-free.
In Hawke’s Bay, early to mid-October is generally safer. The region enjoys plenty of sunshine, but inland and low-lying gardens can still experience late frosts.
New Plymouth’s typical outdoor planting window is early to mid-October. Coastal gardens may warm earlier, while properties closer to the mountain or in exposed locations may need to wait longer.
For Palmerston North, mid to late October is a sensible guide. Frost pockets around Manawatū can remain cold even when daytime temperatures feel pleasantly spring-like.
Wellington and the upper South Island
Wellington gardeners can normally plant tomatoes from mid to late October. Frost may be less of a concern in many coastal suburbs, but strong winds can damage tender seedlings. A sunny, sheltered position against a north-facing fence or wall can make a significant difference.
Nelson’s warm, sunny climate often allows planting from early to mid-October.
Nearby Blenheim is generally suited to planting from mid to late October. However, inland Marlborough gardens should still watch for cold nights and late frosts.
Canterbury and the lower South Island
In Christchurch, late October to early November is the traditional safe period for planting tomatoes outdoors. Coastal and sheltered urban gardens may be ready slightly earlier, while colder inland Canterbury gardens may need another week or two.
Dunedin gardeners should generally wait until early to mid-November. Look for the warmest part of the garden, with plenty of sun and shelter from cold southerly winds.
In Queenstown and other parts of Central Otago, mid to late November is usually more reliable. Frost can occur surprisingly late, so keep frost cloth ready even after planting.
For Invercargill and Southland, the best outdoor planting window is generally from mid-November through to early December. Tomatoes need the warmest, sunniest and most sheltered position available. Growing compact varieties in large pots can be useful because the plants can be moved under cover when cold weather threatens.
How to tell when your garden is ready
Regional dates are useful, but your own garden should make the final decision. Before planting, check that:
* Frost risk has largely passed.
* The soil no longer feels consistently cold and waterlogged.
* Night temperatures are becoming milder.
* Your seedlings have been hardened off.
* You have a position receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight.
* Frost protection is available if you are planting early.
Harden seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over several days. Start with a few sheltered hours and slowly increase their time outside before planting permanently.
Give tomatoes a strong start
Prepare the soil with compost or other well-rotted organic matter. Plant seedlings deeply enough to cover part of the lower stem, as tomatoes can produce additional roots from buried stems.
Add a stake at planting time to avoid disturbing the roots later. Water thoroughly, apply mulch once the soil is warm and maintain consistent moisture throughout the growing season.
Tomato planting dates are guides rather than strict deadlines. Watch your local weather, learn where frost settles in your garden and avoid rushing seedlings into cold soil.
Whether you are planting in Auckland during September or Invercargill in early December, a warm start gives Awapuni tomato seedlings the best opportunity to grow strongly and produce a generous summer harvest.
Plant tomatoes with basil, parsley and calendula. These are great companion plants that give them richer flavor and keep pests at bay.
Awapuni Nurseries offers direct delivery anywhere in NZ. Shop here.
Read full article