May is the cleanup month in the garden, as the leaves are nearing the end of falling and most of the summer-flowering perennials have finished. Spring bulbs need to be finished being planted, and dahlias and tuberous begonias can now be lifted for the Winter. Lawns are still growing, and good weed and moss control … Read More
Autumn is a bustling season in the garden, marked this year by noticeable daytime temperature drops in March. Despite morning dews, rainfall remains scarce, leaving soil moisture notably low. This month is prime for lawn renovation in preparation for winter. Feeding, weed spraying, top dressing, and resowing yield optimal results while the soil remains warm … Read More
March signals the start of the change of seasons from Summer to Autumn. As the days become shorter, plant growth slows down, and the tasks around the garden turn towards preparing for the Winter ahead. Watering is needed as we are still in need of rain to keep up good soil moisture for growth and … Read More
Summer in Christchurch tends to be unpredictable, and this year is no exception. We’ve experienced a mix of hot days and occasional moisture, resulting in a favourable growing season. My stone fruit crops have been abundant, and after their harvest, I’ve applied a fungicidal spray and conducted a light prune to manage unwanted growth. The … Read More
This month is the start of the Summer fruit season with berry fruits at their peak and stone fruit starting to ripen. With longer days and the warmer temperatures these fruits will ripen quickly so they must be looked at each day and are best picked in the cooler mornings before they get too hot. … Read More
As the Summer weather arrives many gardeners will be looking to navigate water restrictions and charges. Maximising the effectiveness of hand watering is crucial. In the past I’ve used NovaFlow drainage pipes, these can be buried near trees and shrubs and filled on permitted days or with collected rainwater. This is an efficient way to … Read More
This month the growing season is well underway. Daylight saving has started and the Spring weather is so far, warmer than usual and the monthly rainfall, below average. This year the fruit set on my stone fruit looks very good, I’ll be maintaining my spray programme to keep pests and diseases under control. The apple … Read More
Spring has arrived at last with the longer days and warmer sun. The ground is drying out and warming up so let the growing season begin! The lawns will now respond to fertilisers as the grass begins to grow. After the grass has been cut two or three times I like to de-thatch the lawn … Read More
August Winter Gardening Tips from Michael Coulter August is the month that divides some gardeners; is it Spring, or is it Winter? There are many reasons to say that it is mostly Winter, but we do see the signs of Spring around the garden and in the greenhouse. Early daffodils and many other Spring bulbs … Read More
This month and the next are the coldest of the Winter so most of the work in the garden is restricted to the fine sunny days. The lawns will not be growing so this is the time to get the lawnmowers serviced and sharpened. I have now lifted all my tuberous begonias and once they … Read More