Hawke’s Bay to host New Zealand Soil Carbon Conference The international spotlight will be on Hawke’s Bay when the NZ Soil Carbon Conference is held in Napier in June. Featuring international experts, renowned scientists and industry leaders, the three day conference will focus on the reality of climate change, biological farming and the huge global […]
Sustainability is a buzzword which permeates flower shows these days – and this year’s Ellerslie International Flower Show is no exception. Waterwise planting, water recycling, intelligent use of water, low-energy gardens and restoring soil nutrients are all key international garden trends and many of these concepts will be seen in two exhibition gardens at […]
Summer Revival Having just enjoyed the most spectacular holiday weather in years, it would seem churlish to lament its effect on the garden. After all, that jaded, post-holiday look is easily remedied. We’ll have to wait a while for perfect autumn planting weather. In the meantime, watering, feeding and grooming are the big three for […]
Now is the perfect time to plant out seedlings of vegetables for harvesting in winter. Many gardeners leave the planting of winter vegetables too late in the season to obtain good mature produce during the cold winter months. The idea is to plant out seedlings now while there is ample growth through warmth and plenty […]
This month we discuss what to plant in January, how to save seeds, offer tips on saving water and tell you why you shouldn’t worry about slaters in your garden. Seedlings to plant in January Beetroot, Carrot, Celery, Climbing beans, Cucumber, Dwarf beans, Lettuce, Leeks, Kumara, Parsnip, Pepper, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet Saving seeds Seed saving is the […]
Some gardeners may have been lucky enough to receive a glasshouse for Christmas. If so, congratulations, you are in for a lot of fun. I have been asked several times in the past for basic information about growing in a glasshouse so now is a good time to look at the subject. If you do […]
Worms are the most efficient method of recycling household waste into high value nutrients for the garden. Having your own worm farm is a great way to turn your kitchen scraps into liquid plant food and worm casts (virmicasts) which can then be incorporated into your gardens or containers.
At this time of year many gardeners have one or more tomato plants growing and producing fruit that has really great flavour compared to “bought” ones. That is, of course, if the plants are grown fairly naturally and the fruit formed is picked either ripe or near ripe. However, there are some problems that can […]
