Gardening tips with Heather: Spring 2026
Higher temperatures, good rainfall and warmer soil mean plants are emerging from dormancy and putting on new growth.
Growing food can get underway now – lots of seeds can be sown, and hardy seedlings should be planted.
In the ornamental garden, trimming, fertilising and mulching are key spring tasks. for planting use garden mix and gypsum to improve hard, compacted soil.
It’s peak lawn sowing and renovation time, so get the lawn mix, grass seed and fertiliser out!
Time to plan a new courtyard or path with jazzy looking pavers – ready to enjoy summer outdoors.
What to plant in your edible garden this spring
Direct sowing of lettuce, rocket, carrot, parsnip, spring onion and spinach seeds into the vege garden should be done now. Ensure the top of the soil remains moist. With heavy soil spreading a light layer of Premium Garden Mix first will anchor roots as the seeds germinate.
'Hill’ up potatoes as they grow. Spread Premium Garden Mix around the emerging green stems, leaving a bit of green foliage at the top – the plants form potatoes as they grow.
Take a ‘breather’ when it comes to planting out tomatoes, capsicum, cucumbers – these are the ‘softer’ foliage summer vegetables and they’re vulnerable to cold. Wait a few weeks until the temperatures have risen or ensure you plant them in a sheltered warm space. For exposed, windier sites keen tomato growers should plant bush tomato varieties that produce tomatoes without needing to climb. Beans and basil are a November planting in my book – they don’t like cold wind!
Crop rotation is a thing. If you must replant tomatoes and other summer crops where they were last year, remove some of the old soil and add Premium Compost or Garden Mix to refresh.
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Organic liquid fertiliser for edible plants
In my garden every edible, from seedlings to citrus to big fruit trees, gets a spring ‘drink’ of liquid fertiliser regularly as they start to grow. And I’m a big fan of dosing all new seedlings straight after planting, as overnight it seems to perk up even the weakest-looking seedlings. Don’t forget to water new seedlings regularly, because the top of the soil can crust quickly on windy days and that is where the small roots of newly planted seedlings are trying to get started
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Spring care for trees, shrubs and garden soil
Fertilising trees and shrubs
It's fertilising time for all trees and shrubs (except Proteaceae, which don’t require fertilisers). Around my garden Prolawn All Purpose is an easy and economic fertiliser that does the trick.
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Fighting root rot
After such a rainy season garden soil can be very wet, which is where a nasty fungus known as phytophthora thrives. Plants such as grisellinas, rhododendrons, avocado trees and daphnes would benefit from a liquid dose of Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster which contains trichoderma, known to fight the fungus. Do remove plants that have succumbed to it and place a handful of Gypsum then top with Premium Garden Mix in the cavity before replacing with other plants.
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Conducting a soil audit
As previously mentioned a rainy season can cause issues with the soil, often noticeable as big clods of orange clay when you dig into it. Gypsum is a great natural product to spread across wet soil and to place in planting holes.
Garden Mix or Compost, have finer texture, and should be mixed in amongst the clods to benefit the soil. Mulch makes a big difference as well – while it appears to be covering up sodden soil, it will bring heat and encourage earthworms to the soil aerating it and activating good biology.
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How to sow, feed and repair your lawn in spring
Fertilising your lawn this spring
Making the green pop! Apply Prolawn Lawn Booster over lawns now. This is the lawn fertiliser turf professionals use, and it will give your lawn a great pep up after winter. Kikuyu lawns that suffered after a surprise frost or two this winter will take longer to recover, but this fertiliser will help boost growth.
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Sowing a new lawn in spring
Prepping a new lawn: Spring temperatures are great for sowing lawn seed – not too cold at night, not too hot during the day. For a successful lawn strike, first spray the area with glysophate to kill weeds. If needed, build up the levels with Premium Waikato Topsoil and spread a layer of Premium Lawn Mix at a depth of 5 to 15cm, to ensure a weed-free surface for sowing.
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Lawn renovation and rejuvenation
Renovating patches in the lawn: fill gaps in the lawn with Premium Lawn Mix and sow seed. Note: compacted areas will benefit from having Gypsum applied under the lawn mix.
Choosing and sowing lawn seed
Our lawn seed range is selected for Auckland and Waikato conditions. Select the seed that suits your purpose here. How much seed do you need? Use our handy online Grass Seed Calculator to make sure your order the right amount for your project.
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More handy lawn tips
Use our handy Seed & Fertiliser Spreader to get an even broadcast of seed. Top-dress with Prolawn Lawn Starter fertiliser, to keep the nutrients coming as the grass grows. Water daily until the grass strike is well established.
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Plan a paving project for summer
Dreaming of the perfect paving space for summer? Now’s the time to get it organised with our great range of pavers - squares, rectangles and rounds in fashionable hues. Mix and match paver colours and sizes for contrasting patterns. Our bestselling look continues to be pavers that are set in one of our fabulous pebble options. Central Landscape Supplies has a big range of pebbles in various sizes, plus our popular White Lime Chip to complement any paving option.
Spring Gardening FAQs
How should I use gypsum in my garden?
Gypsum is a naturally extracted mineral soil conditioner. It is used for breaking up clay, compacted soils, in growing mixes and is spread over lawns that are not draining well. The key nutrient that gypsum delivers is calcium in a form that plants can easily use, promoting healthy roots. Gypsum is also beneficial in coastal gardens that experience high salt build up in the soil because it can help flush the salt through. It doesn’t change the general pH balance of the existing soil.
How to apply: Gypsum is commonly sold in 10kg bags and is applied as a powder on the surface of the soil, at 0.5 to 1.0kg per square metre. Tip: placing a handful of gypsum in the planting hole helps open up hard clay soil to promote root growth for new plants.
What is the best lawn fertiliser to apply to my grass now?
Prolawn Lawn Booster is a high-performance lawn fertiliser developed by turf professionals. During peak grass growing times – spring and autumn – this fertiliser delivers slow-release nutrients over many weeks to ensure healthy grass growth. It is safe to use on all lawns.
How to apply: Lawn Booster can be broadcast by hand or applied with a handy spreader ideally ahead of rainfall. Available in several pack options, the 3kg bag covers a minimum of 100 square metres.
How to use: Broadcast sheep pellets over soil or fork in lightly around plants. Sheep pellets will break down in rainfall and release their nutrients. In dry weather water after application to begin this process.
Why should I use Premium Garden Mix, not topsoil, in my raised beds and the garden?
Our Premium Garden Mix is specially formulated with a mix of compost, bark and fertilisers to ensure plants grow strongly and evenly in all seasons. It is weed-free and drains easily. While our topsoil is a great product to build up garden and lawn levels, it is not high performance as a planting mix because its heavier texture and less precise nutrients slow plant growth and in some cases, plants will wither and die. Our Premium Garden Mix has a fertiliser release period of 6 to 9 months, for summer crop growing and to establish larger plants longer term.
How to apply: Fill raised beds and planters with garden mix to a depth of at least 30 to 40mm. Apply a top layer of garden mix over garden soil to build up beds and enrich soil. For larger plants mix it with existing soil to improve soil texture and allow plants to use the available nutrients. For best results, in spring and summer spread a layer of mulch over Garden Mix to lock in moisture and limit weed growth from seeds broadcast by wind or birds.
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