Winter Planting!

A bumper crop of strawberries

Research shows that planting strawberries in New Zealand’s winter temperatures will increase vigour and produce a higher number of berries over the season so don’t be afraid to plant early. The delicate flowers can't handle really frosty conditions so in frost prone areas it is best to protect plants from the elements or wait until a little later to plant. Make sure you have enough planted for the whole family to enjoy - a rule of thumb is plant 5 strawberry plants for every member of the family.  Read More Winter to do list: To protect your plants from cold weather, now is a great time to add a layer of Tui Mulch & Feed - about 5cm thick over your whole garden. Tui Mulch & Feed will protect from the cold and also add valuable nitrogen back to the soil with the healthy additions of pea straw, blood and bone, and powdered sheep manure. Check your tool cupboard and give them some TLC - sharpening, cleaning, oiling, and ultimately replacing anything beyond repair. Clean out the garden shed. Take stock of what is actually in there. Seal up half empty bags of fertilizer and keep these and chemicals safely out of reach of children and pets. Have a frost cloth or tunnels handy for those cold days and nights. Cover your compost heap to keep the warmth in, old carpet is great. Try your hand at building a birdfeeder or take a look at the new Tui range of bird feeders and seed.  Natural food sources are scarce for birds during winter so help them out with a regular food source – they will reward you with hours of entertainment. Watch the Tui Time Wild Bird Guide for more information. Get planning for spring. Grab a copy of our vegetable, fruit and flower gardening books – there’s even one for the kids – and plan your next steps. Take care of your vegetable garden: For root crops, dig over garden beds as all the action happens underground and root crops need well worked soil. If you have lumps in your soil chances are your carrots won’t grow nice and straight. Early crop potatoes like Agria can be planted in late winter. In warmer parts of New Zealand use sheltered areas of your garden to sow broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, and peas. Lettuce seeds can be sown too, if you choose hardy winter varieties. The shortest day of the year is traditionally garlic planting day, but you can plant through into early spring in some areas. Dig the soil over well - add lots of lovely compost.  Plant the cloves 5cm deep with the pointy end to the sky. Garlic can be harvested mid-late summer. See the Tui Time Garlic Growing Guide for more information. If frosts are a concern, plant crops into containers that you can move around to catch the midday sun and keep a cloche or growing tunnel handy. Don't forget your Quash - slugs and snails love juicy vegetable seedlings! Fruit: Winter is a busy time for pruning in the fruit garden.  Most deciduous fruit trees can be pruned except peaches, plums, and nectarines.  Prune grapes and kiwifruit vines. Autumn cropping raspberries can be pruned back to ground level.  Make sure your tools are well oiled and nice and sharp. Winter is also time for planting new season deciduous fruit trees. Select the healthiest specimens from your garden centre with straight stems. Prepare and plant into Tui Garden Mixfor the best possible start. See the Tui Time Fruit Tree Growing Guide for more information. In the flower garden: It's time to prune your roses. Check out our Tui Time Roses Guide for more information. Deadhead any plants that have finished flowering for the season. Keep on top of weeding.