It’s time to reap the rewards of your efforts as you enjoy harvesting fruit and vegetables, picking flowers or just enjoying the abundance of colour and growth of all of your plants.
Edible Garden
Harvest summer vege crops of tomato, lettuce, cucumber, courgette, eggplant, new potatoes, onion, garlic, beans, peas, lettuce, radish, silverbeet and spring onion.
Plant new lettuce and herbs regularly to ensure consistent harvesting. In season: dill, fennel, parsley and chives.
Pick veges every day to encourage continuous fruiting – especially peas, beans, eggplant, cucumbers and courgettes.
Pick your sweet corn cobs when the end tassels have begun to dry brown.
Don’t forget to remove new side shoot laterals from tomato plants and tie the main stem to the stake regularly. Removing old bottom leaves will help air circulation and reduce the risk of fungal diseases.
Watering restrictions in your area? Try these tips:
Soak your garden every four days, instead of short shallow watering
Water early, or late to ensure the water gets to where it needs to
Water the roots, not the leaves for maximum plant benefit
Use a sprinkler with a timer to deliver just the right amount of water
Mulching can reduce the need to water, keep roots cooler and even conserve up to 70% of the available water.
Weed, mulch, liquid feed and slug bait regularly to keep your patch in top shape.
Flower garden
Pick flowers and ‘dead head’ spent or dying flowers to encourage new blooms on all flowering plants.
Summer flowering annual and perennial plants can still be planted in gardens and pots, but will need to be watered regularly until established.
First summer flowering bulbs like gladioli will be ready to flower. Check these plants and their flower heads for insects or disease and spray with Enspray Oil if required.
Weeds grow as fast as plants do at this time and compete for valuable moisture so pull or hoe them out before mulching for best results.
Water regularly and deeply during the month to keep your garden healthy and vibrant.
Roses
This is the best time to enjoy these beautiful blooms, especially in a vase.
‘Dead head’ rose bushes regularly to encourage more blooms. Water regularly and deeply to keep your roses in top condition and feed with Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic weekly.
