Winter has arrived in New Zealand, and June is a critical month for garden maintenance and preparation. This guide will help you keep your garden vibrant and healthy during the colder months.
General Garden Maintenance
- Weeding and Mulching: Regularly remove weeds and apply a thick layer of mulch to garden beds to suppress weeds and protect plants from the cold.
- Pruning: Prune deciduous trees and shrubs while they are dormant. Remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches.
- Tool Maintenance: Clean and sharpen gardening tools for efficient use.
Protecting Plants from Frost
- Frost Shelters: Protect young citrus, tamarillo, and passionfruit plants with frost shelters. Use frost cloth or newspaper as a cheap and easy option on cold nights.
- Liquid Frost Protection Oil: Spray on susceptible plants to provide a protective coating.
The Vegetable Patch
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Planting:
- Strawberries: Plant new strawberry plants and runners from existing plants into fresh soil. Add compost and sheep pellets for nutrition.
- Asparagus: Plant crowns about 50cm apart.
- Garlic and Shallots: Place garlic cloves 10cm apart and 5cm deep with the root side down and the pointed end up.
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Winter Vegetables:
- Rainbow Stemmed Chard and Beetroot: For eye-catching colour and nutritious additions to winter salads.
- Broad Beans: Stake or build supports as they grow. Pinch out tips for use in stir-fries.
- Other Vegetables: Plant cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, spinach, silverbeet, and winter lettuce varieties.
- Frost Protection: Cover young citrus, tamarillo, and passionfruit vines in frosty areas.
The Fruit Garden
- Planting: June is a great time to plant new fruit trees. Ensure they are in sunny, well-drained locations.
- Pruning: Prune deciduous fruit trees like apples, pears, and peaches.
- Feeding and Mulching: Apply compost or well-rotted manure around the base of fruit trees and mulch to retain moisture and protect roots.
- Order New Fruit Trees: Where space is limited consider self-fertile varieties or those grafted with multiple varieties.
The Flower Garden
- Winter Flowers: Plant winter and spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Add winter-flowering annuals like pansies, violas, and primulas.
- Scented Shrubs: Plant daphne, wintersweet, boronias, and Burkwood viburnum for fragrance.
- Colourful Shrubs: Azaleas, camellias, early flowering rhododendrons, witch-hazel, winter jasmine, and mahonias provide winter colour.
- Perennials: Cut back dead foliage from the previous season. Divide and replant hostas heleniums and daylilies.
- Winter Roses (Hellebores): Plant in raised beds or on banks where the beautiful nodding flowerheads can be appreciated.
Lawn Care
- Mowing: Keep the grass a bit longer to protect roots from frost.
- Fertilising: Use a quick release fertiliser such as Prolawn All-Purpose if the lawn needs a boost.
- Need to sow a lawn in winter?: Not the ideal time, but we recommend Prolawn Classic Rye lawn seed as the most cold hardy for germination.
- Aeration: Aerate lawns if compacted and apply Gypsum.
- Porina Caterpillar Control: If bare patches are appearing in the lawn, monitor and control these pests.
Indoor Plants
- Light and Watering: Ensure sufficient light and reduce watering as plants grow more slowly in winter. Yellowing foliage is generally a sign of too much water.
- Humidity: Increase humidity around indoor plants by grouping them together or using a humidifier.
Miscellaneous Garden Tips
- Composting: After adding kitchen scraps and garden waste to your compost bin, place a layer of soil on top to help break it down and turn it regularly.
- Did you know?: You can empty the contents of your vacuum cleaner into the compost bin, to add variety to the brew!
- Pest Control: Watch for winter pests like slugs and snails. Use traps or pellets.
- Watering Systems: While not in use, check irrigation system risers are not submerged by soil - they may become blocked.
Gardening & Landscaping Projects for June
- Soil Conditioning: Add compost and sheep pellets to improve soil structure and fertility. For heavy clay soils, add gypsum.
- Mud Control: Use Jakmat to create stable, mud-free areas for driveways and paths.
- Build a raised garden bed: Check out our guide on how to build a raised garden bed.
- Install a field drain: check out our handy article on how to install field drain to avoid bogs forming in your yard this winter.
By following these gardening tips and tasks, you can ensure that your garden remains healthy and beautiful throughout the winter months. Happy gardening!